Free two-page guide · For longtime Shore homeowners
6 Things to Know Before You Put It on the Market
What to prepare, what really matters and what you don't need to overthink. The same things I'd talk through with you at my kitchen table before you called an agent — even me.
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The fear nobody says out loud
Every seller I've ever sat with has said some version of it. And most of the advice you'll get makes it worse: a number in the driveway, a price that chases the market down, a first month wasted.
None of it has to happen. Six things, two pages, and you'll know what to ask before you call anyone.
What's inside
Plus a before-you-call checklist you can screenshot and keep.
Your headshot goes hereWho's writing this
I'm JoAnn Donahue, a Realtor with eXp Realty in Ocean City. My family has been on this Shore for four generations, and I've been helping people buy and sell here for 27 years. I don't sugarcoat anything. I put the cards on the table, and I care enough to care.
"Real estate isn't rocket science. But it is serious business, and I take it seriously."
Here's how it usually goes:
Why work with JoAnn
Most agents hand you a number and a lockbox code. Here's what actually comes with me.
Nobody knows what your house is worth until real buyers respond to it. I position the home, condition, presentation, the right comparables, and then we read what the market actually does. The market sets the price. My job is to make sure it sees the house at its best.
Presentation and proper photography happen before the house goes live. You only get one first week, and I won't spend yours on phone photos.
Two weeks in, I tell you what buyers are actually doing with the house, and we adjust together, early. You never feel like you're giving it away, because you're never guessing.
I'll introduce you to all of them, plus contractors who show up and a lender for the next place. You're never stuck figuring it out alone.
No pressure. I bring the questions and the honest options. The decision is always yours.
Your Shore towns
Median days on market for the six towns in the guide, with the honest one-liner I'd give you in the car.
Homes here are selling at about 97% of asking. Priced right and presented well, they don't sit; overpriced ones do the sitting for everyone.
Faster than a year ago, and the median price is up near $1.4 million. The first two weeks matter even more when the market is moving.
The big-ticket end of the island, with a median near $2 million. Every sale here carries the mansion tax; it belongs in the math.
Prices up sharply year over year, which brings out the guessers. Positioning matters most exactly when everyone thinks they know the number.
More homes changed hands this August than last, and buyers priced off the island are looking here. A well-presented home moves.
The mainland's most in-demand township, selling a little faster than last year. Longtime owners here have real equity to plan around.
Days on market, sale-to-list and medians: Redfin and Movoto, researched September 2026. Figures move; treat them as a starting point, not a quote.
What clients tell me
After 27 years the feedback is consistent, and it comes down to three things.
A couple bought their Shore home fifteen years earlier. The kids had married and moved away, a parent had passed, and the house no longer made sense. We positioned it instead of guessing, I explained every step in plain English, and they moved on to the next stage on their own terms.
Closing days, Shore homes, and the view from here
Grab your free guide
Thinking About Selling Your South Jersey Shore Home? The six things I'd want my own family to know before they talked to any agent.
Two pages, six things, instant download. First name, email, and a phone number so I can text you the link.
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Thinking About Selling Your South Jersey Shore Home? Two pages, instant download.
Free. Instant. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
