A Successful Sale with Decode: A Step-by-Step Guide of our Process: Part 1
Prepping Your Listing at 345 West 21st Street, NYC: A Step-by-Step Guide to a Successful Sale
Selling a home in New York City—especially in a sought-after neighborhood like Chelsea—requires strategy, precision, and expertise. Preparing your property for the market is about more than just listing it online; it’s about presenting it in a way that captures attention, highlights its best features, and inspires serious buyers to take action. A successful sale is also about far more than pretty photos- it’s a million details that all come together for a successful outcome.
Here’s how our team helps sellers every step of the way to ensure a smooth and successful sale.
The DECODE Method
Our team at DECODE has a strategy behind every detail. We are methodical about the approach. A successful sale involves seven straightforward steps. In this guide, I will walk you through exactly how these steps worked as we launched this listing today- October 15th. Stay tuned for Part 2 for the successful outcome.
1. Partner with an Experienced NYC Real Estate Agent
If you’re on this page, you’re off to a great start here ;).
The first step in selling your home in Manhattan or Brooklyn is partnering with a real estate agent whom you can trust. Our team has a long-standing reputation for success in NYC real estate, with a deep understanding of local trends, buyer behavior, and neighborhood value. We love what we do and are wholly dedicated to guiding you through every stage of your sale—from strategy to closing—with confidence and care.
I’d always encourage prospective sellers to meet with 2-3 different real estate agents. You must trust the individual and feel confident in his or her communication style and approach to the market.
2. Determine Your Property’s Market Value
Determining your property’s market value has probably come up during the interview process for your real estate agent. What price the agent feels comfortable listing is always a key determinant. At Decode, we have a structured approach to preparing this research that involves four key components we prepare into a Competitive Market Analysis. Let’s look through these four sections and the analysis prepared for 345 West 21st Street.
Market Area Trends
The market area trends are a bigger reflection of what is happening in the neighborhood and other comparable segments. These are high-level attributes like days on market, listing inventory, and so on. For the Chelsea market right now, apartments are taking 110 days to go into contract and have an average sales discount price of 5%.
The Market area trends for 345 West 21st Street showed that listings were moving, but activity is far below the peak in 2022. With an average of 110 days on market, a motivated seller must be very strategic with the initial foray onto the market.
The first page of our market report from October 2025 for 345 West 21st Street #2B
Comparable Active Listings
The next step in the market analysis is to look at how many apartments are actively on the market. If you are planning to list imminently, a deep understanding of current apartments for sale is exactly what your prospective buyers would look for.
I like to send a spreadsheet of all the active listings within a comparable bucket- ie, all the high-floor 1 bedrooms in a neighborhood. For 345 West 21st Street, I looked at all the 1-bedroom apartments from $475,000 to $675,000. As I pulled this list, I noticed one immediate trend that is a huge asset for my clients. Their maintenance is below the average and the 2nd lowest of any apartment on the market. This is an immediate plus for my clients, as any buyer would always choose a lower-maintenance property, all things being equal.
The Active Listings Report I pulled for 345 West 21st Street
Contract Signed & Closed Listings
I like to pull any contracts signed over the past 6 months that haven’t closed yet, as well as closed listings from the past 18 months to 2 years. The timeframe can be extended or compressed based on the number of listings in the sample size, which also determines how unique your product is.
These give us an idea of sales velocity and start to provide a clear guide for listing price. When I review these listings, property condition, floorplan, maintenance, floor, and amenities all come into play. These components help the buyer assess the market and, for us as real estate agents, set a successful list price.
When I reviewed these for 345 West 21st Street, there were listings at either end of the bell curve- things sold fast or slow. We also noticed that there was a very similar comp that was just sold in the building. The easiest way to set a list price.
A list of sold listings in a similar price range and neighborhood as 345 West 21st Street.
A Perfect Comparable (or two-three)
Once the closed listings can be reviewed, ideally, you’ve found a target comparable that helps you set the list price. These four steps take you from broad to specific, and an exacting focus with the final price pays off. I think price is the most pivotal marketing attribute.
Sometimes it’s hard to find the perfect one, so you use two or three to set a range and try to discount accordingly. Ideally, these should be as recent as possible because the market can change quickly.
For 345 West 21st Street, there was a listing for apartment 2A that closed in the building earlier in the year. Apartment 2A closed for $555,000 in April 2025. This apartment is on the same floor but has a floor plan and finishes that aren’t quite as nice as ours. We decided to add a $20,000 premium to reflect these. There is no set amount that we attribute to an updated appliance or feature. It’s really a whole package, dictated by all the other research that’s been done to set the market.
3. Get Market Ready
Before listing, we’ll help you prepare your home for market debut. Every property needs something a little bit different, and we tailor the approach to the home and budget. We often discuss these plans to understand what a licensing agreement with Decode entails.
From professional staging to curb appeal updates and high-quality photography and videography, every detail is thoughtfully planned to make sure your listing stands out both online and in person.
For 345 West 21st Street, the small space needed the right attributes to pop. Our team has a few strategic pieces of staging furniture that we were able to bring into the space. This furniture with some added decor helps make the space pop. (I love the exposed brick and everything complements very well in here.)
Every apartment and situation is different. If you’re living there as your primary residence, the advice will be different from that for a vacant apartment. Our success is your success in this process. The more thoughtful we are at the beginning, the more effective the entire listing process will be.
4. Sign the Listing Agreement
Once you’re ready to move forward, we’ll sign a listing agreement—an essential document that allows us to market your property and manage the sale on your behalf. We believe in full transparency, walking you through each term and expectation so you feel completely comfortable with our strategy and commitment.
Stay tuned for Part Two
I’ve outlined the next three steps below. These have yet to happen, but stay tuned for a similar level of transparency regarding our successful outcome. (We listed on October 14th, 2025, and I’ll share the same type of transparency regardless of outcome.)
5. Market Your Property
6. Negotiate and Sign the Contract
7. Closing Time
Ready to List Your Home like 345 West 21st Street?
Our experienced NYC real estate team is ready to help you navigate the entire process—from prepping your property for sale to closing with confidence. If you’re thinking about selling your Chelsea home, let’s start with a complimentary market consultation today.