Our Marketing Plan

Barbara Simon and Robin Cale are a mother and daughter who work together as a professional real estate team.  With over 25 years of combined real estate experience, this dynamic team specializes in the sales and marketing of homes in the Northern Virginia area.

Barbara and Robin  have guided hundreds of clients through all marketing conditions to achieve home  buying and selling objectives and, through these efforts, they have attained the most important honor of all...that of repeat customers and referrals from satisfied clients.

COMPREHENSIVE MARKETING PLAN - Barbara Simon & Robin Cale

We know that you have choices as a seller and we work hard to ensure that our clients receive the value that they deserve. Our mission is to keep you satisfied by attending to every detail from the pre-listing phase to post-settlement activities.

Today's fast-paced market requires knowledgeable agents who are committed to every step of the process, omitting no details. 

Prior to Listing Your Home

Conduct market research: Using our experience, technology and statistics, and connections to the agent community active in your area to gather all data pertinent to pricing and positioning your property to sell quickly.

Smart analysis: Review information on comparable properties for sale, under contract and recently sold. Interpret data you need to price accurately and competitively.

Prepare pricing and marketing strategy: Discuss selling points and determine expectations and plan of action for promoting property.

Inspection: Preview new properties on the market every week to stay current on market area inventory.

Network with colleagues: Use our team approach to marketing your home to gain insights from collective years of experience and knowledge of your neighborhood.

Present listing package: After careful analysis and review, we will prepare a written competitive market analysis with supporting facts, property fact sheet, marketing plan and necessary documentation to complete a comprehensive listing agreement in one appointment (saving you hours and moving the process forward).

The Listing Agreement and Introduction to Services

Thorough consultation: Carefully and accurately discuss procedural and logistical aspects of selling your home. We will provide all the required forms you need, including: agency disclosures, legal documents, property disclosures, lead paint laws, radon testing, sales contract and addenda. Barbara Simon and Robin Cale are ready and able to answer questions and fully resolve any concerns you may have.

Personalized Planning: We want to clearly understand your needs, timing, circumstances and goals. With your input, we can devise the plan that best suits your specific situation and expectations.

Showcasing: Make recommendations to optimize property value. Discuss hassle-free decorating and "staging" ideas to display your home to potential buyers.

Improvements: If necessary, outline suggestions and practical steps to take.

Fair Housing Commitment: Explain this law, to which we and McEnearney are committed in its full enforcement, and abide by it in spirit and practice.

Pricing: discuss pricing methods and strategies; provide options.

Relocation Division: If applicable, offer services from our RELO membership and company-wide department. Our full-time relocation department is recognized on a national level. McEnearney cooperates with qualified brokers across the United States through the largest relocation organization world-wide

Christie's Great Estates:  McEnearney Associates, Inc. is the exclusive representative to Christie's Great Estates for the Northern Virginia region. This affiliation allows us to advertise distinctive, upper bracket properties to Brokers internationally through special marketing materials and Christie's magazines. 

Home Warranty: Provide information, pricing and options. 
Contractors: We  regularly update our proprietary, exclusive list of proven repairmen, painters, electricians and other home service providers to make sound recommendations to our valued clients.

Financial outlook: Prepare an estimate of closing costs and projected sales price and  calculate estimated proceeds.

Technology: Discuss how we and  McEnearney Associates will utilize our signature "Agenda" to promote your home listing internally to hundreds of McEnearney agents.

Other tools used daily in communications and lead generation include: private e-mail addresses, our heavily visited Web sites, sign riders directing drive-by buyers to our Internet address with your listing on display, "virtual" 360E tours of your property, and other state-of-the-art technology to speed up the sale of your home.

Marketing materials:  We showcase your property  using a high quality photo brochure to catch the eyes of buyers- and other agents. These describe the selling points of your home and neighborhood, such as information pertaining to schools, libraries, recreation, public transportation, shopping, restaurants, community features and more

Web-based marketing:   Your property information will be featured on our personal web sites,  including SimonCale.com,  BarbaraAndRobin.com, our company  site, McEnearney.com, the widely used national sites such as Realtor.com, HomeSeekers.com, and more.

Your home, your way:   We want to hear from you before, during and after your transaction when it fits into your schedule.

Status reports: We will provide a regular summary of the activity on your property and in your market area. Let us know your communications preference, and we will keep you informed via telephone, email, fax, or in person.

Your role: Ideally, you will sit back and relax while we and  McEnearney work around the clock to sell your home. Many sellers, however, want to know "what should I do?". We will talk about the best use of your time and energy to keep you in control and involved at all times.

Behind the Scenes: Your Realtor at Work

Our marketing program typically involves the following steps, depending upon time-on-market and other market factors.

• Take photos of property for brochures and print advertising.  Use digital photography to expedite marketing efforts.
• Enter complete listing into MRIS  (our regional multiple listing service)
• Create and prepare high-quality full-color custom brochure and fact sheets
• Obtain extra keys in-house for property.
• Install lock box on property (with permission).
• Obtain Broker's signature on listing paperwork and disclosures.
• Install signs and riders on property.
• Arrange for special riders (Internet, Christie's, Signature Homes, etc) as applicable.
• Announce new listing at weekly sales meetings to reach agents internally.
• Enter listing information on McEnearney's  company-wide Intranet "Agenda", a vehicle for disseminating immediate information to hundreds of McEnearney agents.
• Coordinate property tour with McEnearney colleagues and management as well as inviting agents from other firms in the area.
• Actively seek buyers by prospecting, networking with other real estate agents and following up on potential leads.
• Plan weekday and weekend open houses with seller.
• Create custom ad copy  for open houses and other marketing pieces. Place advertisements.
• Announce open houses on company-wide Weekend Advertising List for McEnearney Associates.
• Place directional arrows, where permitted,  to make it easy for buyers to find open house.
• Generate interest using direct mail pieces, such as Just Listed and Open House postcards.
• Create special marketing pieces to target audiences, such as Frequent Flyer to notify thousands agents.
• Host weekend opens and track results.
• Inspect property and prepare for showings. Turn on lights, music, etc. Replenish brochures and lay out registry.
• Organize all documents and points for negotiations.
• Inform seller of changing status of listing and contract conditions (under contract, sold, price changes, etc.)
• Communicate as promised and according to pre-arranged plan with seller.
• Present all written offers with recommendations for counters.
• Advise seller of merits and concerns related to all offers.
• Discuss financial qualifications of prospects with seller.
• Constantly advise seller on the viability and status of offers during negotiations.
• Be accessible and informed throughout key negotiating time.
• Deliver all papers and contract to seller promptly upon receipt of a ratified contract.
• Contract Negotiations and Analysis
• Carefully review any and all contract offers presented. 
• Analyze costs, benefits, contingencies, problems and special issues, and calculate  projected proceeds
• Call each lender to obtain specific information on financing offered
• Review contract clauses with seller and assist in weighing any competing offers
• Represent you, working for you in negotiating to achieve top dollar value for your property.
• Handle negotiations with buyers' agent(s)
• Assist you in negotiating a contract to which both parties can agree

Post-Contract Ratification Activities

• Handle every task and problem-solve during the critical time between contract and settlement. Coordinate all activities and communicate regularly with all parties.
• Schedule  termite inspection and report results.
• Research purchase options according to seller's criteria. Identify homes on the market and offer full range of buyer services (if applicable).
• Execute any pre- and post-settlement occupancy agreements (if applicable)
• Deliver all necessary papers to buyer's agent once contract is ratified.
• Verify that the contract includes all required addenda.
• Set up timeline for all deadlines and contingencies to ensure compliance.
• Manage all inspections of property and present reports to sellers.
• Provide property appraiser with information to support contract price.
• Update listing status in MRIS as contract progresses toward settlement.
• Submit finalized contract agreement to Managing Broker for review.
• Make settlement arrangements as convenient to seller as possible.
• Deliver copy of contract to settlement attorney or title company.
• Furnish contract copies to appraiser and lender.
• Assist in arranging termite treatment and repairs if necessary.
• Track financing of buyer and keep seller informed accordingly.
• Assist seller in negotiating and/or removal of inspection contingencies.
• Provide seller with utility phone numbers and courtesy list of contractors.
• Track settlement and keep seller informed of discussions with settlement company, cooperating agent and lender.
• Advise seller of buyer financing approval.
• Place "under contract" and "sold" signs on property, with seller's permission
• Remove lock box after no longer needed for access by agents, inspectors, appraisers.
• Provide the names of recommended moving companies, if desired by seller.
• Outline the required property condition per contract terms prior to settlement day.
• Oversee pre-settlement walk-through inspection. Advise seller immediately of results.
• Apprise settlement processor of any changes regarding transaction.
• Order settlement letter and transmit earnest money  (if applicable).
• Provide representation at the settlement to enforce proper contract terms.
• Turn over any keys to new owner after settlement
• Arrange removal of sign from property.
• Remove marketing materials from property.
• Change status of property in MRIS to "Sold".

Long after your home is sold, we hope you will contact us for any real estate questions.  We will place you on our valued client list and send you our MarketWatch newsletter on a quarterly basis.  We will earn, and we will appreciate, your referrals of friends, family, and coworkers who need real estate assistance.