For Sellers

Top 1% Chicago Association of Realtors®

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 an 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.

Preparation to Closing

Work together on pricing.
Promote listing on exclusive Top Agent Network to 10% of agents.
List property on Private Listing Network.

Discuss a pre-inspection.
Create a list of repairs and updates needed.

Custom interactive floor plan.
Each listing has an individualized website.

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.

Monitor financing.
Manage Inspection.
Arrange final walk through.
Make sure closing is a smooth process.

Learn about the current market value of your property

Home Valuation

Sellers Transaction Roadmap

Get to Know Your Property

List Your Property

Negotiation

Buyer Financing (if Necessary)

THE FINISH LINE

Review details such as property updates, mortgage, balance, and sale goals.

Visit property to evaluate features for pricing and positioning.

Set a price to maximize your return on your sale.

Listing agreement & disclosures are required by law to sell the property. Hoa documents should be submitted at this time.

Prepare your home by cleaning and decluttering for ideal photos and showings.

Prepare to market with a professional photoshoot, custom interactive floor plan, individual website, signage (if applicable), print materials, and direct mail.

Go live on the illinois multiple listing service (mls) and syndicated websites to reach brokers and buyers.

Conduct showings to show buyers the highlights of your home.

Receive offers and present to the seller. I will negotiate on your behalf and execute the final contract.

Collect earnest money from buyer to hold with the listing brokerage.

Attorney review includes contract review by attorneys and property inspection to determine any issues.

Appraisal is completed by the buyer’s lender to determine property value for loan qualification.

Mortgage contingency will give the buyer a certain length of time to secure their loan for the home.

Final walkthrough 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.

Closing takes place at a title company and typically includes both attorneys, the buyer, and the buyer’s broker. Seller need not be present.

Read what clients have to say about working with us

Testimonials

Preparing your Home for Sale

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.

UPDATE

Touch up chipped paint, clean gutters, replace all burnt out lightbulbs, service all mechanicals
MINIMIZE CLUTTER

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
CLEAN

Have your home professionally cleaned, including carpets, baseboards, fans, blinds, check caulking in bathrooms
IMPROVE YOUR FIRST IMPRESSION

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.”

Sell Before you List

Top Agent Network

I am a member of Top Agent Network (TAN), an exclusive network for the top 10% of Real Estate Agent 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 Real Estate Agent 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.

The Private Listing Network

PRESERVE YOUR PRIVACY

With the Private Listing Network, your home will appear on the MLS, but it is limited to brokers only and does not get published on 3rd party websites. A "private listing" notifies only licensed real estate brokers of your intent to sell, protecting your privacy until you are ready to go public.
GAIN VALUABLE INSIGHT

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.
TEST PRICING STRATEGY

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.
MAINTAIN SECURITY

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.

View some of the notable sales by the Summerville Partners

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The Inspection

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”.

Negotiation Strategies

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.

Our goal is to get your house sold for the best price and best terms possible. Remember, you are in the driver’s seat.

Expected Market

When Your Home Is on the Market, When Will the Greatest Interest Peak?

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.

The following breakdown is the expected market activity:

Peak Time: First Two Weeks

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.
Decreasing Activity: Second Two Weeks

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”
Important Pricing Positioning

Given the prior critical two periods, it is important to position your home at the best price during the first market exposure.

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Whether you are buying or selling a home, you’ve come to the right place to achieve success in Chicago’s exciting housing market.

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Contact Details

Phone

(847) 507-2644

[email protected]

Address

1710 Central St. Evanston, IL 60201

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For Sellers

Top 1% Chicago Association of Realtors®

Preparation to Closing

Pre-Launch

Preparation

Launch

To Close

Learn about the current market value of your property

Sellers Transaction Roadmap

Read what clients have to say about working with us

Preparing your Home for Sale

UPDATE

MINIMIZE CLUTTER

CLEAN

IMPROVE YOUR FIRST IMPRESSION

Sell Before you List

Top Agent Network

The Private Listing Network

PRESERVE YOUR PRIVACY

GAIN VALUABLE INSIGHT

TEST PRICING STRATEGY

MAINTAIN SECURITY

View some of the notable sales by the Summerville Partners

The Inspection

All Buyers Will Find Something in the Inspection

The Shorter the List, the More Likely the Sale Will Close

Make Sure the House is Spotless

Negotiation Strategies

All Offers Are an Opportunity to Negotiate

We Should Counter All Offers

There Are Factors Other Than Price

It Is Business, Not Personal

We Play Our Game