01 · Selling in Brenham & Washington County
Selling a home in Brenham, without the guesswork.
This guide walks through selling a home in Brenham and Washington County, Texas: pricing, preparing and staging, marketing, offers and negotiation, and closing. The goal is a straightforward sale at a price the market supports.
De Wayne Mortensen II, REALTOR with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Hometown, has spent more than 20 years helping people sell property, including years as broker of record for a two-office franchise in Southern California. Call 936-727-8820 for a no-pressure conversation about your home.
- Service area
- Brenham + 6 counties
- Licensed
- TX & California
- Experience
- 20+ years
- Brokerage
- BHGRE Hometown
02 · The process
Six phases from sign to keys.
Every sale follows the same skeleton. Here is the order a Washington County home typically moves through, with the plain-language version of each phase.
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Price it with evidence
A comparative market analysis compares your home with recent sales, active listings and pending deals in your neighborhood. This is the anchor for everything that follows.
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Prepare every room
Declutter, deep clean and fix the obvious: dripping faucets, patched paint, worn carpet. Buyers price what they can see, so the small stuff reads loudly.
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Stage and photograph
A professional photo set, room by room, is the standard for selling in Brenham. The gallery on this site shows exactly what a complete set looks like.
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Market on the MLS and beyond
Your home is entered in the MLS so every agent in the region sees it, then amplified through the brokerage, the agent's channels, and the Better Homes and Gardens brand.
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Negotiate offers carefully
Price matters, but so do financing strength, contingencies and closing dates. An experienced agent weighs the whole package, not just the number.
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Close at the title table
After the buyer's inspection and appraisal, the title company handles the paperwork, funds move, and you hand over the keys on the agreed date.
03 · Pricing
The right price is a finding, not a feeling.
The comparative market analysis
A CMA pulls recently sold homes that are genuinely comparable, adjusts for square footage, condition, updates and lot, and lands on a defensible listing price. It also shows what is currently competing with your home for buyers.
What overpricing costs
A price set above comparable sales tends to slow showings, and a home that sits can end up selling for less than a well-priced one. The disciplined play is to price against the evidence and let the market respond.
04 · Preparing and staging
Buyers see the house you present, not the one you meant.
- Declutter and depersonalize
- Remove the extras so rooms read at their true size. Pack away most personal photos and collections; buyers need to picture their own life in the space.
- Deep clean and small repairs
- Kitchens and baths earn the close-up shots, so make them shine. Fix dripping faucets, squeaky hinges, cracked switch plates and scuffed trim. These are cheap fixes that remove objections.
- Curb appeal first
- The front door sets the tone for the whole tour. Fresh mulch, trimmed beds, a clean walkway and a welcoming porch cost little and pay back in first impressions.
- Staging, full or light
- Full staging works for many homes; light staging, rearranging and editing what is already there, works for others. Your agent should advise which fits your home and your budget.
05 · Marketing
The listing is built before the sign goes up.
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Professional photography
A complete, room-by-room photo set is the standard in Brenham. The gallery at 303 W Alamo St shows what that looks like: exteriors, living spaces, kitchen, every bath, and the outdoor rooms.
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Video walkthrough
A filmed walkthrough shows how rooms connect and how light moves, which still photos cannot. It lets out-of-town buyers pre-qualify the home before they travel.
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MLS and network exposure
The listing goes into the MLS so every licensed agent sees it, then reaches buyers through the brokerage network and the national Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate brand.
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Social reach with a local voice
De Wayne shares listings on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and X, and keeps a personal site at ExpectBetter.info. Local content gets local eyes, and local buyers often become local sellers.
The walkthrough film on this site carries a small-print note that CGI is used for visual effects and composition; verify property details independently.
06 · Offers and negotiation
The best offer is rarely just the highest number.
Read the whole offer
Compare the price alongside the buyer's down payment, loan type, contingencies, requested closing date and earnest money. A solid pre-approved buyer at a slightly lower price can be a safer, faster deal than a higher offer built on financing that may not close.
Negotiate in writing
Every counteroffer goes through the paperwork, not voice messages. Your agent explains the trade-offs of each move and keeps the deal moving toward the close.
07 · To closing
Inspection, appraisal, title, keys.
- The buyer's inspection
- Expect a licensed inspector to go through the home and a termite report in Texas. Repairs or credits are then negotiated in the inspection window. A straightforward fix list usually settles fast; surprises are handled one at a time, in writing.
- Appraisal
- The buyer's lender orders an appraisal to confirm the home supports the agreed price. If it comes in low, the price, the buyer's cash, or the deal itself is renegotiated. An evidence-based listing price minimizes this friction.
- Title work
- The title company confirms clear title and prepares the closing documents. Both sides receive the settlement statement before signing day so nothing is a surprise at the table.
- Closing day
- You sign, funds are disbursed, the deed is recorded, and the keys transfer. In Texas this happens at the title company, with your agent beside you throughout.
08 · Questions to ask a listing agent
Interview your agent the way you would interview a hire.
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What do the comparable sales in my neighborhood actually support as a price range?
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What will you change about the home before listing, and what is the cost and payoff of each?
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Walk me through your marketing plan: photos, video, MLS, brokerage reach, and your own channels.
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How do you evaluate offers, and what do you do when a negotiation stalls?
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What did your last several local sales close for relative to list price? Show me the receipts.
09 · Your contact on the process
De Wayne Mortensen II, REALTOR, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Hometown.
More than 20 years helping people sell and buy property, licensed in Texas and California, and based in Brenham at 1811 S. Market St Unit A. He has managed agents as broker of record, led new-home community sales, and now serves the City of Brenham and the six surrounding adjacent counties.
Sales Agent & Broker · TX: 836279, CA: 01749107 · Texas & California. Equal Housing Opportunity. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
Ready to talk listing numbers?
Tell De Wayne about your home and your timeline, and he will come back with first questions and a plan for the first week. No pressure, no obligation.
Buying instead? The buyer's guide starts here.