Sellers

1. We are ninja negotiators. We promise the best deals that have your best interests in mind.
2. We’ve been referred to as a mom and pop shop, but who takes better care of you than your mom and pop?
3. We will guide you through your showings, your negotiations, inspections and the closings-and anything else in between
4. Stop looking!!!! You’ve found us!!
5. Intelligent, high quality service, with a splash of humor!

Some Interesting Points on Selling your Home

I am sure you have heard the old saying, “LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!”  Although LOCATION is important, Pricing is more important.

$$$$$Pricing$$$$$

Pricing to high from the start will actually hurt you in the long run.  Statistics show that homes that are priced correctly when they first hit the market sell closer to the asking price than homes that start too high and then adjust downward.

Experts struggle with the misperception around pricing strategies. The more successful approach, they have found is to price appropriately from the start. A spiral of reductions will bring, “The price dropped for the third time,” says a buyer. “I wonder what’s wrong with it?”

Listen to your Cornerstone Agent: Our job is to price your home properly from the start. We understand the market the current buying habits. We will be able to help you create a pricing strategy that sells your home as quickly while leaving no money on the table.

Keep an Objective Mindset: If you’ve been in your home for a while, you’ve probably made some special memories. Whether it was your first home after getting married, or after the first baby, you bond with your humble abode. That can make it hard when someone names a price that feels unworthy of something you hold close to your heart. Selling your home is a business transaction and emotions can blur your ability to see a pragmatic pricing approach.

Pay Attention to the CMA: The Competitive Market Analysis (CMA) is a tool your real estate agent uses to determine an initial value of the home. The report is based on considerations like size, location, age, square footage, number of rooms, bathrooms, updates and any additional extras like a pool.

Reputation is also important. Like it or not, for better or worse, your neighbors and your neighborhood have an overall effect on your home’s value.

What can a Cornerstone Agent do for me that another Agent can’t / won’t?

There are so many choices of Real Estate Agents for you to choose from. Since the dawn of the internet pretty much all real estate companies are basically on the same playing field. We all have the same internet sites, but what your Agent does with marketing is where the difference comes in. The last thing you are looking for is a fast talking agent to come into your home, dazzle you with fancy talk, walk out with a signed listing agreement, slap a sign in your yard and never hear from them again. Sadly, it happens more times that one would think.

FUN FACTS ON OUR AGENTS:

• We are all licensed in Wisconsin and Illinois – more exposure for your listing.
• We utilize all internet sites for marketing your listing. 
• We still advertise in the Newspaper
• We have contracted paid internet sites to advertise your listing.
• We have a licensed Agent on duty during office hours every day to service your listing.
• Cornerstone still does “Office Tours” each agent in our office will preview your home
• Cornerstone still does “Open Houses” 
• Cornerstone still does “Broker Tours”
• We hire a Professional Photographer who will make your house dazzle on the internet sites.
• Cornerstone Agents meet once a week for updates and sharing of info on all office listings
• When you hire a Cornerstone Agent you work with your Cornerstone Agent – No Assistants!
• A Cornerstone Agent does Phone Canvassing to get your home sold. 

We are a well-oiled office.  Most of our Agents have been here for many years, we are all local and we live right in the community that you live in.  Some people refer to us as a Ma and Pa Shop, but really if you think about it, who would take better care of you than your Ma and Pa?  That is our philosophy, we all like each other and we all work well with each other. 

Why A Cornerstone Agent SHINES!

Communication!  Your Cornerstone Agent will become family by the time your house is sold!

Whether by  phone, email, text, snail mail , or carrier pigeon,  A Cornerstone Agent will communicate with you every 7 -10 days,  we will keep you update with the market around your home, feel free to call your Cornerstone Agent anytime, we are here when you need us.

Fantastic Photos!

This is one thing we do not skimp on. We live in a world where people start their new home shopping journey online and want to preview the home before actually driving out to see it; and people are extremely visual. They want to see the layout, the colors, the finely appointed features, the yard… everything. If you give them dark and gloomy photos, it makes the house seem dark and gloomy. Cornerstone Agents hire a professional Photographer to shoot your home.  It is also a nice parting gift to have professional photos of your home at its finest!

Online marketing.

A Cornerstone Agent can help you get on multiple websites through their listings such as Trulia, Realtor.com, or Zillow. Also, consider the other online outlets they might introduce you to: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, email blasts.   As explained in Fantastic Photo’s, most of the world will preview your home online.  Cornerstone will BLAST your listing on all available online sites as well as just old fashion networking, remember that, with real live people?  We do.

Get a clue about your competition.

Another benefit of having a Cornerstone agent is getting a read on the competition in your area. Your agent can find out other prices, types of houses, condition of other homes in your area, and what your house is actually worth in comparison. Don’t be afraid to ask for this knowledge. It’s best to be prepared when potential buyers try to negotiate price with you and you can actually prove to them why your house is worth the price you’re asking for.

Seller + Cornerstone Agent = a Team!

Tips to be Market Ready:  

1. De Clutter – hardest job ever, but it needs to be done!
2. Sell / Donate all unwanted items – easier now than later
3. Neutralize your home -  HUGE – paint a neutral color
4. Make your house spotless –  like no one lives there
5. Make it smell good – VERY IMPORTANT!  Can be a Scenty or could beBread baking in your Bread Maker – on a timer of course…
6.  Curb Appeal – Clean up your yard, mow the grass, edge the lawn, shovel the snow and don’t forget the back yard.
7. Change all the light bulbs – bright lights to show off all your hard work

Less is more, just like your Mother said

Showing Ready Tips:

• You have 10 minutes – Buyers just drove by your home, this may be the one….
• Make all the beds
• Grab an empty laundry basket – throw all the clutter in it and put it in the car.
• Empty all the garbage
• Put the “nice” towels out
• Close all the toilet seats
• Wipe down the countertops and sinks with a damp cloth.
• Turn on the Scenty and Turn on the lights.  A little music would also be nice.
• Everyone in the car and relax, you did it !

You have an hour or more until showing – Do everything on the 10 minute warning plus…

Make the beds

Vacuum all the carpets, Sweep all the hardwood floors
Clean all glass and Mirrors
Give the toilets a scrub and wipe out the tub 
All dishes in dishwasher ( 10 minute warning dishes in your basket in the car )

Laundry should be folded and put away or in the basket! 
Sweep walk way and shake out door mat – First Impressions are important.

It is a very stressful time to keep your home in order to be Show ready and
Keeping up the pace of your family.  During this time, I have found that keeping a schedule will help with last minute calls for showings.  Log onto FLYLADY.net

She has a great cleaning plan that with a couple of minutes a day you will be ready for all showing requests.

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