Selling Your Home - Selling for the Best Price

The Home Selling Process -Special Report My special 14 page report takes you step by step through the home selling process. You learn the secrets to selling your home for top dollar, the steps involved in promoting your property, my no questions asked guarantee if you are not satisfied and even some homework. Don't miss this report! Checklists and Frequently Asked Questions for Real Estate Sellers 5 Important Seller Questions- Questions I'm most asked by sellers and the answers Checklists for Sellers- Tips on sprucing up and showing your home

Sheryl Get's the Job Done- That's What Clients Say

"I would like to express my deep gratitude for the tons of effort you have put on selling my townhome in Waukegan, especially under the most deteriorating condition of real estate market in the US history. My house was on the market in early July and under the contract two months later with first buyer who later was denied for a mortgage. Then, you continued pushing forward, and soon found another buyer with whom a contract was signed shortly, which eventually led to the final closing of the sale.
 
Through the whole process, your insight into the real estate market, you diligence, and most importantly, your care about your customers, all counted to the successful sale of my house. I would definitely recommend you to my friends or colleagues who may soon be selling or looking for houses." Jie Chen
 
"We are greatful to Sheryl Allen who gives more than the average realtor and has her clients best interest at heart. She helped us sell our home in Buffalo Grove in less than a week. Her suggestions and help proved valuable. I am happy that she has become our friend. Thank you for everything. Mark And Joyce Feldman

What other Seller's who have worked with Sheryl have to say...

Sheryl Allen's Complete Seller Marketing Program

Staging-setting up your home for optimum appearance ie. the buyer makes his decision within first 5 seconds(??)upon entering home.

Statistical Review-how your home compares to others that are actively on the market and to homes that have sold in the past 6 months.

Discuss property included- Seller Property Checklist

Provide absorption rate-how many months of inventory are currently on the market.

Internet Marketing-
  Realtor.com-worldwide exposure of listings
  Coldwellbankeronline.com-Chicagoland
  Coldwellbanker.com-nationwide
  SherylAllen.com- my own site
  Google- all listings automatically sent to Google through ColdwellBankerOnLine.com
  Trulia- all listings automatically sent to Trulia through ColdwellBankerOnline.com
  Yahoo Classifieds- all listings automatically sent to Trulia through ColdwellBankerOnline.com
  Zillow- all listings automatically sent to Trulia through ColdwellBankerOnline.com

Advertising in Newspapers-
  Chicago Tribune-areawide Chicagoland (We are the largest real estate advertiser)
  Daily Herald
  Reviews ie.(Libertyville Review) local buyers or someone that may know an interested party

Virtual Tour of Home-where appropriate

Market to the top agents-Target the agents who are most likely to have buyers

Market to other Brokers- Maintain excellent rapport with members of real estate community-work well with other agents-negotiating and closing the deal
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*I worked with Sheryl Allen on the sale of 316 N. Jubilee in Hainesville. Together we navigated our clients through some unexpected challenges. It was clear that she was on top of all aspects of the sale and worked for her clients best interests. I hope that we can work together again. Fran Bailey Baird & Warner

Member of Greater Chicago Referral NetworkGroup-work with top-producers and experts in areas throughout Chicagoland area through referrals. Greater Chicago Referral Network web site

Member of Relocation team-Cartus Relocation- 5 Years-work with buyers from all over the country. List Homes for sellers moving out of the area.Provide Top Block Service.Contact with other Relocation agents in the area.

Market to Target Team- an interoffice group that shares marketing ideas,discusses current marketing conditions, and advertising ideas

Market to my office-My office works as a Team

Call our past clients for referrals- Our past clients are a "rich" source of potential buyers

My wife and I had the great fortune of working with Sheryl Allen on the sale of our home in Lake Villa. Although we currently live in Colorado, Sheryl and I spoke often and she met with my parents for the initial in-house consultation.
 
Sheryl consistently offered sound advice starting with her suggestion that the appearance of our home would be greatly enhanced by new carpeting. The carpeting did not cost us a fortune and it greatly improved the first impression factor that Sheryl had stressed to me. We received a very favorable offer on the house within two weeks of our listing and the new carpeting. We closed on the sale of our house on July 8th and if not for Sheryl Allen, it wouldn't have happened. She communicated with me consistently, always told me that everything was fine, and was persistent in working with the buyer's agent on the close of the sale.
THANK YOU,  Don

Call our current prospects- One of our current prospects may want to buy your home.

Let vendors know about your property- Often people in related fields know people looking for property

Prepare a Brochures-Itemized Room Explanations, Multiple photos of home,Community information,Train Schedules,School Information

Quick Response Time to buyer inquiries-statistics show that 50% of buyers on the web will use the first agent that responds to their requests. (Coldwell Banker's Lead Router)

Follow-up-give feedback on showings in a timely basis ie. new homes on the market, how the home is placed, suggestions on home improvements.

Vendors-Recommend people I have personally used to provide various services that you might need

Utilize Office Staff-Marketing support from Office Staff, input of listings, answer calls, mailings and brochures.

Put Supra Lock Box on all Listings-to provide safety for Seller-knowledge of who showed home.

Provide Home Comparison Price Index for Transferees if appropriate.

Provide Checklist- 25 Easy improvements to help sell your home

Provide Checklist- Maximizing First Impressions of your home

Provide Checklist- What to do for showings

Discuss feedback- I call each agent who shows your home up to 3 times to get their feedback regarding your house and discuss it with you.

Review price-Every 2 to 4 weeks I will call you to discuss how we are priced compared to our competition

Negotiate offers- I will be your advocate in any contract negotiations

Follow up- I will follow up on the details in the contract and keep you informed every step of the way. I will try to work with your attorney to coordinate the details.


5 Important Seller Questions

1. Why cant we price our property high? Buyers can always bring me an offer.

A. Serious Buyers look in the price range that has been predetermined by their down payment and monthly payment ability. Unless your property is priced correctly, the down payment and monthly payment requirements will not be competitive.

A Buyer who is seriously looking soon becomes very knowledgeable in her/his range. An unreasonable asking price only discourages them from looking and considering your property.

Buyers purchase by comparison, and a property price above the competition does not "compare" favorably.

If you plan to adjust the price at the time of sale, why not adjust the price at the beginning and attract serious Buyers? The latter approach often places YOU in the favorable position of having more than one Buyer interested in your property.

It is difficult to obtain a reasonable offer on an over-priced property. The Buyer feels he/she should be just as unreasonable in the offer as the Seller is in asking for a high price.

It is a mistaken idea that you will get more for a property by asking more. You usually get less, because fewer Buyers will consider it. The right Buyers will not see it. And, it usually stays on the market so long that it tends to become "shop worn."

 To obtain proper market exposure, it is an absolute necessity to be competitive in price, terms and conditions with similar properties that are selling in the area.

Most activity for your home occurs in the first two weeks. The house appears as new on the MLSNI and MAP. In the current market, I believe it is important to price your home close to where you want to sell, to generate multiple offers and increase the number of showings. In a buyers market there is a high amount of inventory.
 
2. What is staging?

A. Preparing your home to show in ideal condition for marketing. It involves decluttering, cleaning, and adding props.
 
3. What about open houses?

A. Open houses provide exposure to the general public and your neighbors. My belief is open houses don't sell houses, they provide buyers for agents. There are however exceptions and I am always glad to discuss your specific property.
 
4. Why a broker open house?

A. This is a good way to make your home available to agents in the area that may have buyers now or in the future for your property.
 
5. Should I offer an allowance ie(carpet)

A. It is easier for a buyer to see things visually rather than imaging what might be.This would provide an opportunity for a higher sales price. An other option would be to adjust the price accordingly.