The MLS is a computerized database that over 55,000 Realtors pay membership to belong to every year. Most real estate companies list all of the properties that are available on the market within this database. When a Realtor has a client that wants to buy, sell, or rent real estate, this is the database that is searched.

Yes. Your property will be listed in the Multiple Listing Service of Northern Illinois. This is the same MLS that most real estate agencies use. There are over 55,000 Realtors who have access to this database of properties. Each agent will have the capability to retrieve information about your property. The MLS covers the counties of Cook, Will, Du Page, Kane, Kendall, Grundy, LaSalle, Livingston, Stephenson, McHenry, Winnebago, Boone, De Kalb, Jo Davies, Kankakee, and Lake.

Yes. All listings within the MLS are formatted the same. You as the seller can even assist us in determining what description you want printed about your property.

The MLS lets over 55,000 Realtors know that your property is on the market. It gets the word more efficiently and quickly. Over 80% of all buyers get their information from a Realtor who uses the MLS.

We recognize that the real estate market has changed drastically in the last year and every seller's situation is different. As a seller, you may want more flexibility in how your property is marketed, more control over the cost of selling your property, and more input over the selling process. Whatever the reason, Simply Modern Real Estate gives you a choice. Most traditional service real estate agencies give you no choice.

Yes. Your property will be on such websites as www.chicagotribune.com, www.homeseekers.com, www.chicagosuntimes.com, www.simplymodernrealestate.com, www.realtor.com, www.craigslist.com plus over 30 other sites including the Wall Street Journal, Google, AOL and various other websites.

Not True. The added expense hurts your chances of selling in a slow market. For the same selling price, with the added fees, you take home a smaller check at closing with the traditional "full service". Remember, Simple Modern Real Estate gives you a choice. If you want all of the traditional services, that is still a choice within our company; however, if you pick a plan that is different than the traditional "full service", you have a choice and should be able to save. Review our options and select which plan works best for you. Price your property correctly, offer a competitive Buyer's Agent commission, and your chances of success are great.

When your property goes into the MLS, over 55,000 Realtors in the various counties have access to your property information. If a Realtor has a client who is interested in your property and would like to view the interior, the Buyer's Realtor, calls our showing service that schedules all of our appointments. The service will either call you to confirm an appointment or follow whatever predetermined showing instructions that have been decided by you. Our company offers lockbox service so that you do not have to be home to let Realtors into your home. Once the appointment is confirmed, an email notification is sent to you. Our showing service also sends out feedback request. Once we receive the feedback from each Realtor, that information is then forwarded to you the seller.

With over 55,000 Realtors having access to your property information, a showing request on your home could come at anytime. To allow your home to be shown the optimal amount of times and you as the seller not be tied to your home indefinitely, a lockbox is can be placed on the front door or any convenient location, so that once an appointment is confirmed, a Realtor will then be allowed to access your home with an electronic keypad or a combination given to them when the appointment is confirmed. Please call our office about your lockbox options.

We process thousands of emails, phone calls, listing updates, and property inquires on behalf of our clients on a daily basis. We even offer a state of the art scheduling service which most other agencies do not. This service confirms the appointment to show your home and sends out an email confirmation. You also receive via email showing reports on your property. Feedback reports are also sent via email as we receive them from Realtors who have shown your property.

If you pick $295 or $695 Flat Fee Plan, you still reserve the right to find your own buyer. If you find a buyer, with either of the Flat Fee Plans, you pay no commission. We encourage you to advertise your property as much as you can when using either of the Flat Fee Plans. If you pick the Full Service Plan, which is the traditional way of doing business, we will find the buyer for you. If you find a buyer using the Full Service Plan, a commission is still due Simply Modern Real Estate at closing.

If you utilize the $295 or $695 Flat Fee Plan, you as the seller can host as many open houses as needed. We encourage you to market your property as much as possible. Your open houses will be posted on various internet sites to increase the exposure of your open house. Our only request is that you do not place a "For Sale By Owner" sign in your yard or window while your property is listed with Simply Modern Real Estate. If you pick the Full Service Plan, open house packages can be added to the plan. Call us for the details.

Our company recognizes that Realtors are apprehensive about showing a property that displays a "For Sale By Owner" sign in the yard. The use of your own sign defeats the purpose of being included in the MLS. We give you the option of what type of sign to use.

Be competitive with the compensation offered. Your Simply Modern Real Estate agent can show you what some of the competition in your area is offering. If you are not competitive, you defeat the purpose of being in the MLS.

A full service agent will help you to determine price often by coming out to view your property, they may do open houses, schedule showings, and negotiate the sales contract. Our agents will forward to you the activity in your area, our state of the art showing service will schedule the showings and allow you access to any feedback we receive, and will help you negotiate the sales contracts and be available to answer any questions you may have about the offer. You will take on many of the responsibilities performed by the Listing Agent. You as the seller can host an unlimited amount of open houses and retain the right to sell your own property. Traditional agencies charge up to 6%. The Listing Broker gets 50% of the commission. The Buyer's Broker gets 50% of the commission. With our service, the Buyer's Broker gets their fee (usually 2.5%-3% but this is negotiable) and the Listing Broker is paid $295.

This is a changing market. There are currently a lot of homes on the market. If you are not getting any showings on your property or you are getting showing and no offers this just means that you are priced more than what buyers are currently willing to pay. Sometimes as an owner, what a buyer is willing to pay and what you are willing to sell your property for may not match.