Listing Success Book

What has Your realtorDone For You latelY?

10 TIME-TESTED TECHNIQUES FOR SELLING PROPERTY

ELDORRADOCHICAGO RE AL ESTATE

Your home is a sanctuary, the place where you and your family feel safest. But it is also an investment, the most important one you have. When its time to sell that home, and collect on that investment, you want the biggest return possible.

Thats where this book comes in. It offers 10 tested techniques guaranteed to help you sell your home for the most profit in the shortest amount of time, whether youre working with a Realtor or selling on your own.

And who are we? We are Eldorrado Chicago Real Estate, one of the busiest independent brokerages in Chicago. Our founder, Alexis Eldorrado, was recognized as one of the top 50 Realtors in the nation by RIS Media in 2005. We know residential real estate, and we know how to sell homes.

The following pages contain the same strategies that we use to move the homes of our clients. Use them, too, and you will succeed. Whether youre selling in a boom market or a sluggish one, the 10 techniques on these pages will help you move your home quickly and for a fair price.

If you want to learn more, feel free to give us a call. Wed be happy to hear from you.

So, good reading. And good selling.

Sincerely,

The team at Eldorrado Chicago Real Estate 312-612-9060 [email protected]

150 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 2800Chicago, IL 60601


COMMUNICATION

COMMUNICATION IS CRUCIALInstant feedback after each showIng Is crItIcal. Your agent should beresponsIve, accessIble, dependable, and results orIented.

There should be ongoing strategy sessions, that are based on your comments and market feedback, between you and your agent. You should feel open to communicate with collaborative direction from your agent.

Communication is a critical part of the selling process. You need to be informed objectively on all comments made by the prospective buyer. How else will you know what is hindering or helping the sale?

The communication between you and your agent, whether verbal or electronic, is not only important, but necessary, for the feedback it provides and the comfort it gives.

Eldorrado Chicago Real Estate is always responsive, accessible and results oriented. You will receive in-depth information regarding current market

Real Quotes from Real People:Eldorado Chicago Real Estate has a knack, that something extra, theyll make sure youre right on course because they re communicators of the market and of the business practices. Alexis is like a captain on a ship thats going through a storm, and that s the person you want, some-one who exudes confidence from experience. She puts you at ease, and makes a stressful situation actually pleasant. Alexis has built her network of brokers and is extremely tied into what people are looking for. My property sold in one day. Thats unbelievable, thats just unheard of.

Robert Klimas

FBI Special Agent, Chicago Division

CommuniCation is CruCial, number 1

LOOK FOR:

Responsiveness

Instant feedback after every showing

Dependability, Accessibility, Reliability Extended feedback within 24 hours of showing Strategy Sessions Open collaborative communication

conditions so you feel informed to make wise decisions. You will receive instant feedback after every showing. You will have on-going strategy sessions based on feedback and comments. Our team will provide you with weekly statistical reports tracking online buyer visits, and the source of referral. In addition, you will benefit from personalized, complimentary services unprecedented in the industry. Dirk Zeller of Real Estate News and Advice, in his September 30, 2005 article wrote, Lack of communication is the largest complaint consumers have against Realtors. Resolve today to start a weekly or bi-weekly communication vehicle for your clients. Even if you have nothing to report, you need to check in. The clients will appreciate that you held up on your commitment to contact them. They will respect you for your integrity of purpose.

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#1

contact us todaY! [email protected] 773-588-7777

CO-LISTING PARTNERS

CO-LISTING PARTNERSHIPSa co-lIstIng partnershIp Is to the real estate sale process what a medIcal teamIs to a surgIcal procedure.

It is two licensed agents or a mega agent and his or her assistant, working on your behalf. The partner or assistant is selected, trained, and works side by side with the lead agent. The lead agent concentrates on high level strategy for your property. These partnerships offer the ability to never miss a showing, greater expertise, more contacts and varied resources.

Look for an agent who can provide you with the support that you need. You want your home to sell and your sales process to run smoothly. Your agent should be well staffed and connected to industry professionals. You do not want to miss showings because your agent wasnt available. There should be a secondary partner on your agents team who knows the property inside and out, and who can be there in a moments notice for backup and total support. All logistics and details need

Real Quotes from Real People:Eldorrado Chicago Real Estate is a legend in our building. Everyone knows who they are because of the presence they have in the building. I had received several of their mailers and I knew they received great results from just keeping track of the sales in the building. So when I was looking to sell my property they were my first and only choice. I didnt even approach anyone else. With such a diverse team you receive great full support, and even on a short notice, our property was always shown to potential buyers.

Will Dorsey Attorney at Law

Katten Muchin Law Firm

LOOK FOR:

Lead agent with proven support system

At least one team member to back up lead agent, so no showing opportunities are missed

Full administrative support employed by lead agent Lead agent and team who are well-respected and accomplished

Lead agent who knows your property inside and out

to be handled in a timely manner such as: scheduling virtual tours, setting up photo shoots, obtaining keys, staging, obtaining appraisals, coordinating final walk-through, and closings. Most importantly, Last Minute Have-to-Buy Today and Short Notice showing requests are never missed because with a co-listing partnership, there is always someone On-Call. Tim Waldron, author of Building a Winning Team, says, Agents are seeing the benefits and looking past the solo, top-performer and realizing the team approach definitely has its benefits in our growing industry. Agents can make better use of their time and turn their job into a focused business. Delegation is something thats not easy for many agents, but assigning someone to handle the clerical details, frees up time for team leaders to focus on the critical parts of the business.

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number 2, Co-listing PartnErshiPs

#2


TECHNOLOGY

CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGYYour agent should be drIven bY technologY and Invested In sophIstIcated onlIne sYstems, so response tIme to anY buYer InquIrY Is ImmedIate.

A cell phone or PDA that receives email and Internet inquiries instantly allows for the agent selling your home to reply within minutes. Detailed property information instantly recallable is crucial. Next, your agents website should showcase virtual tours and magazine-quality photography for every listing.

With millions of people browsing listings each month, the Internet is crucial to selling your property. Look for an agent who employs an Information Technology Manager to oversee their website and communication practices. Internet buyers want immediate access to information. The ability to respond quickly is critical.

To enable the immediate response these tech-savvy buyers now expect, your agent should have the ability to reply to each Internet inquiry within

Real Quotes from Real People:Technology sold our house. I think that technology makes for a more efficient selling process. We sold in a week. There were a number of homes for sale on our block, but none of them had the virtual tour and floor plans online. We sold quickly because of Eldorrados mastery of the Internet. Their website is one of the most visited, locally and globally. Being a techie, I did the research myself. It was amazing. I do believe that what helps make a serious buyer is their ability to preview the property online, because then youre not going to waste your time.

Anne Costello Vice President of Finance

CSIS

Cutting EdgE tEChnology, number 3

LOOK FOR:

Online systems, PDAs & cell phones with email

A website that showcases your property virtually

A website with showing request prompts that result with your agent calling the potential buyer back immediately upon electronic notification A website that attracts more potential buyers with easy registration and a live feed of Chicago MLS listing data An agent who uses electronic document management and electronic signatures to expedite and simplify the contract process for both you and the buyer

minutes. And all property showing requests should be transmitted directly to a mobile device via automated alert systems. With a handheld PDA, your agent can capture a prospective buyers exact impressions for later review. Blanche Evans of Realty Times in an article entitled, Realty Times Five-Year Predictions From 1999 Mostly Right said, Consumers will have no tolerance for agents who cant perform functions faster, more efficiently and more accurately than they can for themselves. That means the technology bar will be raised very high for Realtors. The educational background, technology investment, and ability to successfully combine high touch/high tech skills will cause the bottom rung agents to drop out of the business. As the investment required to become a real estate agent is raised, the industry will become more sophisticated as a result.

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#3


SEARCH ENGINES

TOP SEARCH ENGINE PLACEMENTYour agent should ensure that theIr websIte, wIth Your propertY featured vIrtuallY, appears on the fIrst page of major search engIne results.

F irst page web placement is having your Realtors website displayed on the first page of search results when keywords specific to your home or neighborhood are entered into search engines on the internet such as Yahoo!, MSN, and Google. This links your property to a steady stream of potential buyers. Your agent should be plugged into the immense opportunities of the web.

The agent who is doing this is literally exposing your property to thousands of buyers. All buyers today start their search to buy a property on the Internet. They go to the Internet and enter terms to search by. The buyers of today want to find property information on their own first.

Eldorrado Chicago Real Estate LLC, featured on the web as Eldorrado.com, appears on the first page of results for

Real Quotes from Real People:We found Eldorrado Chicago Real Estate on the internet. I think Jennifer searched under Real Estate Chicago. Anyway, we were searching for a website that could give us specific information on the properties and neighborhoods we liked. The things most important to us were square footage and price. Those two things helped us to distinguish between websites. Eldorrado.com gave us direct access to property listings with prices, number of bedrooms and baths, virtual tours and descriptions. It was one of the few places online that we found that much useful information.

Glen Pierce Consultant

Raymond James and Associates

LOOK FOR:

First page placement for search terms common to Real Estate

Ability to customize and closely monitor sponsored terms

Search result placement putting your agents site, with your property featured prominently, on the first page of major search engine results A website that ranks high among real estate sites based on new and repeat traffic A unique online presence that engages a visitor to choose your agents site for their search needs

over 1400 different search terms such as Chicago Real Estate, Chicago Condos, Houses for sale in Chicago in all of the major search engines, including Google and Yahoo! Beth Bresnahan in RisMedias What Is First-Page Recognition? said, First-page recognition refers to the placement or ranking of a Web site within the first 10 listings (on the first page of results) after you type in keywords on a search engine, such as Google, Yahoo, MSN, etc. Having your Web site appear among those first few rankings increases the odds that someone will click on your site first, resulting in increased business. With the Internet being such a vital tool to Realtors success today, the concept of search engine recognition, or simply stated, getting noticed first online, has become one of the most pressing challenges for Realtors today.

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number 4, toP sEarCh PlaCEmEnt

#4


COMPLIMENTARY STAGING

COMPLIMENTARY STAGINGbe on the lookout for an agent who performs complImentarY stagIng servIcesto ensure that Your propertY Is In top showIng condItIon.

This includes everything from warehousing property to boxing belongings, to cleaning tiles, caulking, and washing windows. Your agent should also assist in arranging your furnishings so your propertys best features appeal to buyers, which will cause offers to come in quickly.

Your agent should critique not only each room but also key kitchen drawers, all closets, magazine holders, floor coverings such as throw rugs, and even plant placement. It is the first impression, the feeling that the buyer gets within the first few moments of entering, that is really important. Knowing how to showcase every inch of space in its best light contributes to the success of the sale.

Care and respect for your belongings should be guaranteed. Here are a few of the services you should ask your

Real Quotes from Real People:As a complimentary service, my Eldorrado agents assisted me in the staging process by sending over a workman, even a housekeeper to help me pack and put things away, so I didnt have the cluttered look. They sent over their handy man to wash the 3 floors of windows. It was amazing. The Eldorrado team prefers to show rooms minimally so people look at the space, not the furnishings, they wanted the woodwork and the space to speak for itself. If we needed something for repair or painting, they had their guys and that was all part of the complimentary services.

Tami Marron Pharmacist

Walgreens, Inc.

ComPlimEntary staging, number 5

LOOK FOR:

Assistance with packing and boxing belongings, moving and warehousing

Furniture arrangement and placement for visual impact

Clean-up and organizational rearrangement Optimization of natural and in-home lighting Floor cleaning, polishing and protection Window washing

agent about: packing, boxing, moving, cleaning, furniture rearrangement, de-cluttering, window washing, tile calking, and floor protection.

Eldorrado Chicago Real Estates trusted staff people are available as needed upon demand to help expertly perform these tasks for your home. Darcy A. Dougherty of the Chicago Association of Realtors, in Chicago Agent Magazine, June 3, 2004, wrote Staging homes has been an increasingly popular way to get top dollar for a home while expediting the sale. Properly staging a home will weigh heavily on the prospective buyers decision. Staging overall makes the house more sellable. A lot of times people have too much or too little furniture and staging solidifies how the house can be used to suit that prospective buyer.

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#5


ADVERTISING & PRESS

ADVERTISING AND INDUSTRY PRESSYour agent should advertIse Your propertY strategIcallYIn prInt and on the Internet.

Y ou should be able to find articles where your Realtor is quoted for their real estate expertise. An exceptional Realtor uses his/her own success to gain recognizable momentum in the media. The right agent reflects value to you and your property.

Look for agents who are advertising their clients properties strategically in print and on the Internet. Does your agent have a contract with the Tribune? Is the Chicago Tribune ad for your property in full color and of ample size? Does he or she advertise in the appropriate media for your demographic area? Does he or she work with their graphic designers, and craft their own headlines, text and graphics to capture attention? Does your agent have a way to reach the other agents directly with timely visual data on your property? Is your agents finger on the pulse

Real Quotes from Real People:The Eldorrado fliers really got our at tention. That s how we found Eldorrado Chicago Real Estate. Believe me, for every flier from them there were probably 5 or 6 from other agents. But they had a flair of confidence. It wasnt overstated, it basically said, Weve sold this many units in your building. We thought our agent was amazing. She invited 2-3 dif ferent couples to view our home and placed an ad in the Tribune right away. By Wednesday we had an offer, and the buyer turned out being someone from the Sunday ad. The ad was positioned in the right place and it definitely got this guy to come by.

Brian Brummell Consultant

Nuveen Investments

LOOK FOR:

Unique marketing concepts

Attractive and consistent print ads

Strategically placed Web ads Agent is a published and quoted industry source Agent is philanthropic with a recognizable not-for-profit organization Credible reprints of press appearances

Advertising in media sources whose readership parallels your potential buyers demographics

with new advertising options that are phenomenally successful, such as craigslist.com?

Alexis Eldorrado and Eldorrado Chicago Real Estate have been featured at least three times in cover stories of major publications, including: RIS Media, Chicago Journal, and Metro Chicago Real Estate. She was recognized as one of the Top 50 Realtors nationwide, and articles about her clients properties have been featured in the Chicago Tribune numerous times.

Broderick Perkins of Realty Times, in Chicago Agent Magazine wrote, If you are an industry source for the media, if you know your facts and can articulate them without pitching yourself or your product, you are invaluable to the media. When readers see you quoted as a knowledgeable source, by association, they also view you as credible.

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number 6, advErtising and industry PrEss

#6


STRATEGIC MARKETING

STRATEGIC MARKETINGYour agent should present Your home graphIcallY wIth photos, floor plans, neIghborhood InformatIon and maps.

M arketing today is more than just a two page color brochure. A stand-out marketing piece is critical to a successful sale. The property, as well as the neighborhood or community you live in, need to be showcased in their best light.

Marketing pieces such as Just Listed cards should be mailed out, and email campaigns should be sent to all other real estate agents within a 10 mile radius of your house.

Eldorrado Chicago Real Estates marketing materials, all developed in-house for excellent quality control and quick turn around time, keep prospective buyers emotionally involved in your property long after they have finished viewing them. We highlight the home with six professional photos and descriptive verbiage on the cover. Every marketing booklet has at least four

Real Quotes from Real People:We found Eldorrado Chicago Real Estate through no personal reference, first we found them through their ad in the paper, then we went to their website, and then we went to view one of their listings. Actually, we did this with several Realtors. There were 3 or 4 other Realtors we kind of liked, but Eldorrado was by far the best with their supporting materials and website. The package they put together was better than any other we saw. Our agent was very professional and he had a wonderful personality. The fact is, of the three units in our building that are very similar, ours is the only one that sold.

Mike Knenlein CEO & Owner

MB Heritage Enterprise Owner

stratEgiC markEting, number 7

LOOK FOR:

Aesthetics

Individualism and uniqueness

Email campaigns

Marketing pieces that evoke emotions Neighborhood reports with charts and graphs Historical or architectural highlights

more full pages, such as a custom floor plan, historical or architectural report, a full listing sheet and a map.

We also have a second Neighborhood Report booklet with color charts and graphs for income, age, educational levels, and other demographics. This piece features your property boldly on the cover, along with additional pages highlighting local restaurants, schools, and houses of worship. Appreciation charts, with sales data from the Chicago Association of Realtors, are custom made by Eldorrado Chicago Real Estate. Todays sophisticated buyer wants hard, cold facts and statistics about the area in which they are purchasing.

The combination of these two booklets communicates all of the most desirable details of your home and neighborhood. Our marketing keeps buyers emotionally involved in your property.

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#7


CORRECT PRICING

INFORMED COMPARATIVE PRICINGYou wIll need an agent who Is experIenced In prIcIng homes so that buYers make the hIghest possIble offers quIcklY.

Regardless of all efforts employed by your Realtor, pricing is the most important. A good agent knows how to price homes at the highest price for what the market can bear. They will prepare an extensive Comparative Market Analysis, or CMA, in order to show you how your home can benefit from current market conditions.

Eldorrado Chicago Real Estate prices for todays market, not yesterdays. There are distinct trends in the market place that you need to be aware of in order to price correctly. The market determines market price but Eldorrados fingers are always on the pulsating rhythm of the current market conditions.

The CMA consultation includes the presentation of MLS color printouts of comparable properties. Your agent should offer you guidance on how long it takes to market your property and what your property pricing options are.

Real Quotes from Real People:Eldorrado Chicago Real Estate are professionals. I liked them right away. They are starlit; a very bright people and a phenomenal real estate agents. When we went looking to buy a house, they was representing a house we liked and sold that house to us. Then, we asked them to handle the sale of our penthouse in the city. The agents are to the point and tell you where you stand and where youll be. You know exactly where youre going when youre reviewing their CMA, a point of reference for where to price your home. Our agents investigated our neighborhood and helped us price point for our area.

Natalie DAngelo Stewardess

American Airlines

LOOK FOR:

Experience with pricing

Informative CMA

Understanding of market conditions

Market rhythms and trends

List price vs. Sell price

Realistic expectations vs. False inflations

Jerry Fowler in his article in Realty Times, How the Results Team Takes a Listing said:

Preparing an accurate CMA takes skill and experience. Many agents treat this step very lightly and I feel its one of the most important steps in our marketing efforts. Common mistakes include giving too much weight to homes currently on the market, not giving enough weight to comparable homes that have sold recently, or using dissimilar homes for the analysis The key is to find homes as similar in size and features as possible and as close to the subject home as possible. Then you must be sure to rely heavily on similar homes that have sold recently. You should look at a few comparable homes that are currently on the market and a few expired listings, but remember that the most important data is for homes that have sold.

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number 8, informEd ComParativE PriCing

#8


SALESMANSHIP

SALESMANSHIP AND NEGOTIATING SKILLSthe outcome of the successful sale of Your home depends upon Your realtors presence and personalItY.

Your Realtors standing and awards should be important to you. Your agent needs to exude natural enthusiasm and optimism in order to sell your property. Highly focused along with ability to influence others into a state of excitability, that will have them running home to look at your property virtually online is what it takes for an agent to sell your property. Look for these personality traits when hiring an agent.

Also key, is the ability to negotiate. A good negotiator knows how to structure the deal so everyone walks away feeling good. It is an art. Does your agent have it?

Statistical data highlighting your agents accomplishments are the only accurate measure of this important asset.

Real Quotes from Real People:No one is like Alexis, she knows how to sell and she can sell people in a very nice way. Shes professional and she deserves my business because she understands me and she knows how to get what I want. As it turned out, Alexis talked with another agent and worked a deal which benefited me greatly. Alexis also has a dynamic energy that s authentic and I feel comfortable with her integrity. She and her team are assessable, and their advice is impeccable.

Harold Myron

Physicist International Atomic Energy Agency

Argonne National Laboratories

salEsmanshiP and nEgotiating skills, number 9

LOOK FOR:

Personality

Presence

Market knowledge Industry awards

Current standings Past record of success

In addition to being recognized as one of the Top 50 Realtors in the Country, (RIS Media, July 2005), Eldorrado Chicago Real Estate is honored annually for being in the top 5% of Chicago Realtors. Eldorrado Chicago Real Estate has won the Group of the Year award for 2004, 2005 and 2006.

Steve Morris, founder and CEO of Exit Realty Corp. International, in his article More Is Better: Why Home Buyers Should Trust Full Service Real Estate, wrote: The agent acts as a catalyst to bring two outside bodies together and all of the ingredients necessary for completion are predicated on their timing, knowledge, understanding, shrewdness, and finesse. These are components of substantial value.

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#9


RIGHT TO CANCEL

RIGHT TO CANCEL GUARANTEEwhen You sIgn a lIstIng agreement wIth most realtors You are enterIng Into a contract that cannot be broken untIl Your lIstIng expIres.

There are three major components to a listing agreement. They are price, commission, and length of contract. Price is determined through the techniques employed in Section 8 of this booklet. Commission is a negotiable amount. In a Sellers market, as in the years of 1999, 2000 and part of 2001, discount Brokers sprung up. Any property sold within 10 days. With the terrorist attack of 9/11, and with interest rates climbing and the current gas crisis, properties are taking longer to sell. Current conditions reflect a strong buyers market. Your choice of a Realtor is critical to a successful sale

Typically, the agent you select will serve you well, that is why you chose them. However, if you find that your agent is not meeting your expectations, what are your options, if any? Become familiar with the contractual obligations as stated in your listing agreement.

Deloitte Consulting

Real Quotes from Real People:I actually do remember the Right To Cancel with Zero Days Notice as being something that was quite dif ferent. I met with three other realtor teams prior to meeting with Eldorrado Chicago Real Estate, and I do recall it as the dif ferentiator between their contract and the others. It certainly gave me a sense of security in terms of my level of comfort with the service that I was going to receive. And I knew that if I didnt feel like the condo was being marketed properly, or I wasnt getting the appropriate communications, it wasnt going to be an issue on my end to seek assistance elsewhere.

Brian DotyHome Health Care Consultant

LOOK FOR:

Expectations being met

Contractual obligations

Cancellation rights Written commitment

Procedures for starting and ending

Clear expectations of agents intended efforts and actions to sell your property

Right to Cancel GuaranteeOur highly uncommon Right to Cancel Guarantee states that you may cancel your listing with 0 days notice if for any reason you feel we failed to perform all the services as represented in the What Has Your Realtor Done For You Lately? guide that you just read. If you are not satisfied with our performance in each and every one of the described 10 time-tested techniques, you can contractually pick up your phone and cancel your listing.

With Eldorrado Chicago Real Estate you have this guarantee in writing, and it is made a legal part of your file. Not only is it written on the face of the contract, but it is also initialed by all parties at the time of entering into the listing agreement. This Right to Cancel Guarantee demonstrates Eldorrado Chicago Real Estates confidence in their ability to exceed your expectations.

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number 10, right to CanCEl guarantEE

#10


This Guide is not intended to solicit properties currently listed for sale.

150 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 2800, Chicago, IL 60601 Phone: (773) [email protected] www.Eldorrado.com

Pleased to share our success withThe Make-A-Wish Foundation of Illinois

12.95 USD


Documents

Listing Success Book