About @properties: How We Sell Your Home

How We Sell Your Home:
The best possible price in the shortest amount of time. It is the goal of every seller.And it is the heartbeat of @properties' marketing program - a sophisticated, aggressive and proven approach to selling your home. Take a few minutes to learn about our integrated sales and marketing strategy in How We Sell Your Home.

@properties applies innovation, organization and effort to integrated marketing programs that give our clients a competitive advantage in the marketplace. Our marketing programs include:Advertising, Interactive Marketing, Broker Relations, Database Marketing and Branding. Advertising — @properties' high-impact display advertising runs every Sunday in the Chicago Tribune Real Estate section, as well as in select publications, giving your property exposure to more than 1,000,000 readers each week. Additionally, @properties can customize an advertising program for your home that includes Tribune classified; local, national and community newspapers; and lifestyle and special interest magazines.Interactive Marketing — Every @properties listing has its own page on atproperties.com, complete with detailed property information and a photo gallery or virtual tour. We also advertise your listing on leading real estate web sites including ChicagoTribune.com/Homes and Realtor.com.In addition, @properties uses the Internet and e-mail to distribute regular e-nouncements and monthly e-newsletters to an extensive network of brokers, clients and contacts.Broker Relationships — @properties markets your property to real estate brokers via the Multiple Listing Service (MLS); broker open houses and caravans; direct mail and e-mail; special events and good old-fashioned networking. We also work hard to maintain outstanding relationships with the Chicago-area brokerage community - relationships that flourish on the basis of professional conduct, friendly service and responsiveness. Because 90 percent of real estate transactions involve a broker, the importance of good broker relations cannot be understated. The cumulative effect of our efforts goes a long way toward getting your property shown and sold.Database Marketing — Database marketing is the engine that drives @properties' direct mail, e-mail and broker-relations activities. Our emphasis on database marketing means your property is promoted actively and aggressively at the agent, office and corporate levels. We maintain an ever-expanding database of clients, prospects, brokers, developers, strategic partners, family and friends; and we cross-market through a variety of channels to reach the widest possible audience.Branding — It is no coincidence that we chose the @ symbol to represent our company. In today's culture, the @ is a ubiquitous sign of technology, communication, energy, convenience and cooperation - just a few of the concepts that guide our business. The @ in @properties is also a highly recognizable feature that maximizes your property's visibility on signage, in advertising and on the web. But a brand is more than just a logo. The true @properties brand is our assurance of a professional and rewarding experience that culminates in the best representation of your real estate interests. Pricing — Your property has many values: one to the tax assessor, one to your lender and yet another to you.It also has different values to prospective buyers depending on their needs, desires and financial resources. In the end, what determines the price of your property is the market.Using his or her extensive knowledge of the Chicago real estate market, your @properties agent performs a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA), which compares your property to similar properties in your neighborhood that are currently available or have recently sold.

The CMA is a roadmap to the correct listing price for your property — the price that will create competition among a pool of qualified buyers, and attract a strong offer (or offers) within a relatively short period of time. Some of the factors we take into account when performing a CMA are: Physical features • Location • Usable square footage and lot dimensions• Condition of property inside and out Market Conditions • Buyer demand • Prices of recently sold properties • Interest rates and availability of financing • Condition of the economy • Seasonal demand and Competition • Similar properties available for sale • Their price, location and condition For a detailed assessment of your home's value, contact me anytime.
Knowing this, your @properties agent will conduct negotiations with the highest standards of professionalism, loyally representing your interests.@properties believes the following principles should guide each negotiation:
Confidentiality:
Confidentiality is vital to the integrity of the deal and to our reputation as professionals.Responsiveness: Time is of the essence in a real estate transaction. We will expedite the presentation of offers and counteroffers, and quickly act on any opportunity.Resourcefulness:Real estate transactions are multi-faceted. We examine all sides of a deal to find strategies or solutions that help you accomplish your goals.Communication:Your @properties agent will involve you in all aspects of the negotiation and communicate your options clearly and candidly.Strength: We do everything we can to ensure that our clients negotiate from a position of strength.Our goal is to achieve an outcome that meets or exceeds your expectations. Contract to ClosingDuring the period from contract to closing, @properties' follow-through, organization and attention to detail ensure that deadlines are met, documents are distributed, and every item is in place to complete the sale.
Our agents and sales support staff will:
• Distribute contracts to all relevant parties
• Recommend and schedule a home inspector, if requested • Coordinate a home inspection
• Complete required disclosure forms
• Collect important documents such as the tax bill and condominium declaration • Update you when contingencies have been satisfied
• Recommend service providers for moving, home-improvement and repairs
• Coordinate your closing
• Review settlement figures for accuracy

Your @properties agent can also assist you with additional real estate needs.

Preparing Your Home For Sale:

In today's ultra-competitive real estate market, prospective buyers give at least as much consideration to what is wrong with a home as they give to what is right.@properties helps you see your home from a buyer's perspective, suggesting ways to enhance your property for showings.Here is a checklist of things to do when preparing your home for sale:Hire a home inspector: Hiring a licensed home inspector before putting your home on the market allows you to address potential problems before buyers can make them an issue.Maintain your home's exterior:If you live in a single-family home or town home, maintain your lawn or landscaping. In the winter, shovel and de-ice walkways.In a condominium, pay attention to the area in front of your doorway. Keep it neat and inform the superintendent of any problems, such as burned out lights. Make balconies or decks inviting.De-clutter: It's one of the most important steps to preparing your home for sale, and the one that every seller dreads.Nevertheless, go through your home room by room and ask yourself what you can throw away and what you can put into storage. Then, do it again. Clean your closets:Today, closet space can be a deal maker or breaker. Once again, go through closets and pantries and throw away, give away or put away anything you don't need for the next few weeks.Paint: A fresh coat of paint is the least expensive, most effective way to enhance the appearance of your home.Use neutral colors.Set the stage:"Staging" is the art of arranging your furniture and accessories to optimize the presentation of your home.Your @properties agent can help you stage your home or recommend a professional stager.Brighten your home:Light gives the impression of space, so it is important for every room in your home to have ample light any time of day. Prior to showings, wash windows, raise blinds and turn on lights.Add floor or table lamps to brighten dark rooms or corners.Spruce up kitchens and baths:Organize drawers and cabinets, clear off counters, clean refrigerators and ovens (yes, people actually open them), and make sure these very important rooms look their best at all times.Clean carpets and upholstery:Have carpets and upholstery professionally cleaned, especially if stains are visible or you have a pet.Disclose everything: Withholding information about known defects can cause much bigger headaches than the problems themselves.If you have questions about property disclosures, ask your agent.
Your Next Home:
In addition to selling your existing home, @properties also excels at helping you find and buy a new home. And you can start your search right here on the web. Our trademark @Home Agent® searches the MLS for properties that match your criteria and sends you e-mail updates every day. Finding new listings couldn't be any easier. You can also organize and manage your home search by setting up your own personal web page in My @properties. Homebuyers also benefit from our excellent standing within the local brokerage community and our position as Chicago's leading marketer of new-construction and conversion developments. It all comes together in a home buying experience that's sophisticated and rewarding. If you are thinking about selling your home in Chicago please contact me, Dave Straub, your local @properties Real Estate agent, for a no-obligation listing presentation today!

-from atproperties.com