I love working with estates because I get to work with attorneys and executors.  If the estate has money, we make recommendations to get the property up to snuff where it will help in marketability and the resale price. 

We have one or two open houses before the estate is put in the MLS.   This allows us to work like wild women in the front yard racking and wheeling and dealing with those hedge trimmers (a/k/a oversized shears).  Our cooler is prepared, informational package is inside the property and for 2 or so hours, we can get physical and create a beautiful front yard again - in two weekends. 

Iwona and I get to stage the home as well.  We just signed another estate this morning and it is an awesome octangular Chicago Brick Bungalow.  Oversized but this one is special because the husband built this home for his wife, his sweetheart.  You can tell because the bedrooms are wider then most 8'6" wide bedrooms here in Chicago.  The width of the hallway is 4'!  The bathroom is great because you can stretch your legs out and not hit the bathtub! Phenominal detail, wide trim work package around the doors and windows, stain glass windows, fireplace in the living room (and it is bigger in size then the dining room).  French doors between the Living Room and Dining Room area tells me that after coffee and desert, the men adjourned to the living room for talk and the women stayed in the dining room.  This man even put in  french swinging door into the hallway/kitchen so the wife could keep an eye on the children!  Custom pantry - when I got to this portion of the house and saw the pantry, I almost started to cry.  It was beautiful, well thought out and showed how much this man loved his wife.  Nah, this isn't about Cinderella but I'm telling you - some of these properties are really great!

When we met with the Executor today we discussed our Letter of Direction which we use for all of our properties.  What I believe makes the buyer's for these properties not "play games" is because we stipulate what contract, who to fax it to, well let me put this into some format here:

• stipulate the contract that works best for estates and you
• convey that all offers are to be directed to you attention
• let them know that "any and all contracts will take tie for a response as this is an Estate and more then one party may be involved
• certified funds for all earnest money and to be received no later than 24 hours of a fully executed, accepted offer. 
• Earnest Money Default - if the monies are not received within 24 hours of acceptance of offer, the contract will be considered null and void.
• all offers must have a pre-approval from a lender, subject only to property conditions (satisfactory appraisal, title, survey, etc., and contract)
• cash offers shall be accompaied by proof of funds to close, at the time of the initial offer or will not be considered
• Tax Pro-ration
• Sold, "as is, where is"
• in the case of possible asbestos, we identify right then and there and cite City of Chicago Code and their remedies for such issues.
• Asbestos Abatement- "The Seller/Executor, as well as the Listing Agent and (Company Name) will not be responsible for an asbestos abatement.
• No repair credits or closing credits will be given unless it is under a gifted program and proof of application for said program will need to be in place with said contract before acceptance.
• Any deviations from these conditions that the Seller/Executor has requested on the initial offer or duing the attorney approval, will either result in non-acceptance of the contract and/or immediate termination of the contract if offer accepted and/or attorney requests any modifications from the referenced conditions as set forth by the Seller/Executor.  Any and all monies will be returned immediately upon a fully executed Release of Earnest Money by the parties involved.

NOTE:  A 1% COMMISSION will be given to the co-operating Realtor and their Company is the buye doesn't identify a Realtor at one of our open houses or at a private showing.

So, now you think I may be tough but we are running a business.  Yesterday, I showed one of my three flats for a CB agent who works a regular job and my condition was that he give me feedback within 24 hours. I followed up and let him know that I showed it and they appeared to like it.  That I dropped the price 10% and to let them know - and he didn't call me back!  It happens alot with that office and so now we won't do that office any favors because they are not acting responsible, yet professional Realtors. 

My job is to market and I do assist agents and I get calls thanking me for helping them out because they were stuck with a sick child, some school event or they were someplace else with another client. That I understand.  Interesting is tha some of these agents won't submit a contract with that 1% if they didn' how the property because they want to be paid for not doing their job and they didn't shake the tree!  Someone told them that they saw a property and then out of nowhere the agent says "pay me" because I found someone who wants to buy something and it's easy money.

My value is solving my client's problem(s) completely, by insuring that everything is ready to go the day the property goes on the market.  I mean - everything!  I won't waste their time or the consumers.  I give them updates M-W-F and right after showings.  I provide exactly what they want, when they want it, where they want it and make sure that the have very few issues to deal with all the way to close. 

Traditional selling just doesn't work anymore.  You know why?  The consumer has become sophisticated.  They don't want time wasters or anybody that has 1,001 excuses rolled up their sleeves.  Realtors are either resistant to change or they lack the knowledge on how to achieve efficiency in our business.  The average Realtor continues to spend the majority of his/her time in unproductive and wasteful non-selling activities.  You don't have your marketing plan down on paper, you don't have a business plan, you don't, you don't.  

I want success. I don't like sitting at my desk memorizing my contract from 45 days ago.  I just don't.  So, what do you want?