We’ve spent more than 30 years perfecting a business built on the exemplary results we’ve achieved for our clients. The secret to our success is our strategic sales approach combined with our comprehensive suite of resources. We’re not only able to shape the optimal sales plan; we can also prepare your home for market with our extensive team of cleaning and repair professionals, staging services, movers and much more.
When you work with Summerville Partners, you simply get the whole package.
» Work together on pricing
» Send listing info to Top Agent Network and Private Listing Network as “coming soon”
» Professional photography
» Stage home for sale
» Coordinate photography
» Develop advertising plan
» Prepare printed marketing materials
» Install yard sign (if applicable)
» Enter the property into Multiple Listing Service
» Launch online advertising
» Real estate community outreach
» Direct marketing campaign
» Showings and open houses
» All parties agree on price and terms
» Attend the inspection
» Coordinate with attorneys
» Attend closing
such as property updates, mortgage, balance, and sale goals.
to evaluate features for pricing and positioning.
to maximize your return on your sale.
are required by law to sell the property. HOA documents should be submitted at this time.
by cleaning and decluttering for ideal photos and showings.
with a professional photoshoot, floor plan, signage (if applicable), 3D tour, print materials, and direct mail.
on the Illinois Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and syndicated websites to reach brokers and buyers.
to show buyers the highlights of your home.
and present to the seller. I will negotiate on your behalf and execute the final contract.
from buyer to hold with the listing brokerage.
includes contract review by attorneys and property inspection to determine any issues.
is completed by the buyer’s lender to determine property value for loan qualification.
will give the buyer a certain length of time to secure their loan for the home.
occurs after the seller moves out and often directly before closing to ensure that repairs have been made, the property is vacant, and no damage has occurred.
takes place at a title company and typically includes both attorneys, the buyer, and the buyer’s broker. Seller need not be present.
our plan
The most important part of the pre-listing process is making your home the most appealing and
compelling home on the market. Here are 6 tips to help you succeed.
Touch up chipped paint, clean gutters, replace all burnt out lightbulbs, service all mechanicals
Clear off all surfaces such as counters, coffee tables, and dressers. Donate or pack away items to show more available space, especially in closets. Consider storing items or extra furniture in a storage unit
Have your home professionally cleaned, including carpets, baseboards, fans, blinds, check caulking in bathrooms
Add a welcoming doormat and flowers, you can include a staging consultation if needed
“PREPPING YOUR HOME FOR SALE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP AS IT SETS THE TONE FOR PHOTOS, MARKETING, AND BUYERS’ FIRST IMPRESSIONS.”
I am a member of Top Agent Network (TAN), an exclusive network for the top 10% of Realtors within the local market. Both platforms allow members to share listings with other brokers before the listing is posted for the general public on the MLS. Through TAN’s secure system, member agents help each other with: Pre/Non-MLS listings, Motivated Buyer Needs, and Service Provider Recommendations.
Summerville Partners is a member of TAN which is an exclusive network for the top 10% of realtors within the local market. It allows members to post listings prior to the MLS (similar to First Look). Through TAN’s secure system, member agents help each other with: Pre/Non-MLS Listings, Motivated Buyer Needs, and Service Provider Recommendations. This allows for a listing to be seen by the area’s top agents, directly marketing to a broader range of people before hitting the MLS.
With the Private Listing Network, your home will not appear on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) or any of the many real estate websites accessible to the general consumer and media. A "private listing" notifies only licensed real estate brokers of your intent to sell, protecting your privacy until you are ready to go public.
Another key benefit of Private Listing is the opportunity to get feedback from brokers with ready buyers. This information can then be used to make marketing adjustments or even slight property enhancements to strengthen the listing before going out to the broader MLS market. And all of this can be done without anyone knowing that your home has already been on the market.
A Private Listing also allows us to test the market and gauge response. Then, if appropriate, we can make adjustments and move to the MLS without potential buyers knowing about any price changes. Entering the market at an optimal price sets the stage for getting the best offers in the fewest days. In fact, homes at the right price can often attract multiple bids, thus driving the price higher.
By marketing your home privately through an exclusive network of high-end real estate professionals, the security of you and your home can be better safeguarded. The number of visitors is minimized and the pool can be limited to qualified and interested buyers. Open houses and multiple showings can also be eliminated.
The most important part of your home sale happens before you even list it. Preparing your home for market starts with a comparative market analysis that shows what homes in your area are selling for and what that price includes. This report will give you an idea of how best to highlight your home to be the most competitive.
Making a plan to create the most perfect version of your home is our specialty. Dream Town has a strategy mapped out for this process called the Premium Listing Package. This comprehensive service plan creates a step-by-step process to ensure that the home you put on the market will be the one that garners the best offers
A licensed inspector can look at your home pre-listing to advise on any necessary repairs or required maintenance. Solving issues early will give you confidence when offers come in and you begin negotiation.
Get and give peace of mind with our diamond-level 13-month home warranty. It will cover repair and replacement issues on appliances, plumbing, and electrical while your home is listed and after your buyer takes ownership.
Our handyman services take care of any maintenance issues. Insured and bonded professionals will handle the issues that most commonly affect buyer offers.
Our talented stagers know how to create a look for your home that highlights the best features and entices more buyers online and in person. Our service includes a professional walkthrough and staging plan.
We offer our clients a list of trusted professionals who can help them handle larger-scale home improvement projects.
Impress potential buyers by showing your home in a pristine state. Our cleaning services address the most commonly overlooked tasks to help your home shine at every corner.
Dream Town has partnered with The Professionals, Chicago’s most trusted moving company, to provide the smoothest move possible. With our special VIP Service, you’ll work with a dedicated moving concierge, receive a guaranteed moving date
(with 14-day notice), 50 green moving boxes and a dolly, plus 10% off of all materials, and 10% off of packing and unpacking services. This offer must be used in conjunction with two other premium listing service products.
The home inspection shall cover only the major components of the property. A major component shall be deemed to be in operating condition if it performs the function for which it was intended, regardless of age, and does not constitute a threat to health or safety. We may suggest a pre-inspection.
Hiring a handyman will take care of many of the common issues, but even new homes have some things that come up. We take those issues in stride, determine if they are legitimate and negotiate them.
A long list of tiny issues is worse than a shortlist of big-ticket items. Make sure all the outlets, smoke detectors, railings, etc. are in working order. Buyers get nervous when the to-do list is long.
The buyers will be in your house for 3-4 hours. This is when they will be taking a really good look, measuring, and planning. They should be really excited and feeling good about the huge decision. A squeaky clean house reinforces their initial feeling that this is “the one”.
Selling your home is one of life’s most important milestones. Summerville Partners is dedicated to helping you make this experience a rewarding and satisfying one. Negotiating the best offer for you is our promise and below are a few things to consider during this process.
An offer means someone thinks enough of a seat. your home to put pen to paper. Regardless of the initial terms, we never know what they are thinking or where they will end up so we should counter the offer and stick to our game plan.
Not responding to an offer is counter productive and sets up an adversarial situation. You may only make a small move, but it keeps the conversation going.
Financing, closing date, inspection terms and timing are all things to consider. We have found many times that the possession date is harder to work out than the price.
Buyers do not know you and they are not insulting your house when they make an offer you are not happy with. They are simply doing what they think is best for them. We continue to do what is best for you and try to work out a reasonable resolution. Getting emotionally involved or trying to figure out what the buyer is thinking is a slippery slope that will lead us nowhere.
Our goal is to get your house sold for the best price and best terms possible. Remember, you are in the driver’s seat.
The real estate market timetable is very predictable to seasoned professionals. Summerville Partners sees the same pattern time and time again. When a home first comes on the market it generates a high level of interest among existing homebuyers.
As we begin to market your home we understand the height, or the peak of the time during which they will come, is always during the first two weeks that we place your home on the market.
Once the initial “first two weeks” of agents and buyers is past, the “showing” activity decreases to only those buyers who are new to the market during this “second two weeks”
Given the prior critical two periods, it is important to position your home at the best price during the first market exposure.
Whether you are buying or selling a home, you’ve come to the right place to achieve success in Chicago’s exciting housing market.
