Marketing a home is much more then a yard sign and a Sunday ad.
If you bought a car, you could purchase a given model with selected features from any dealer. Since the car comes from one assembly plant, it's going to be the same whether purchased from dealer Smith or dealer Jones.

Homes are different. Each is unique, the marketplace is always in flux, interest rates constantly change and new buyers search for homes each day. With such fluidity, it requires Realtor like Sal Cortese to craft marketing plans specifically for individual homes and market conditions.

Selling can entail a variety of marketing strategies. Once listed, the home will be quickly entered into the local MLS (Multiple Listing Service) and placed on realtor.com, boston.com, homefind.com and salcortese.com. According to National Association of Realtors (NAR), 87 percent of all buyers check the Internet. I also routinely market by mail with new-listing announcements and regular newsletters. Open houses, broker access to the home and networking with both local and out-of-town brokers. As NAR numbers also show that most households move within 10 miles of their current location while 20 percent move at least 50 miles.

Much of my work maybe quiet and unseen -- yet important. The quiet telephone calls, the work with contacts, the follow-ups with open-house visitors, conversations with ad respondents, the web postings and other outreach efforts are all part of the process required to sell homes.

How to market your home.
If you look at a typical transaction you can see that there are five general areas where Sal Cortese can assist in the home-selling process.

Preparation: Before being placed on the market, homes must be in "show" condition. I can explain what repairs and upgrades are required for individual homes which are most likely to produce the best results.

Pricing: I do more than price homes for sale, I also construct sale terms designed to speed the selling process. It may be, for example, that a home priced at $150,000 with a 2 percent seller credit to the buyer at closing will be far more attractive to purchasers than a home priced at $147,000. Why? That 2 percent credit is worth $3,000 to the purchaser at closing - the time when buyers are most likely strapped for cash.

Marketing: As your Realtor I will execute strategies and programs to get the home sold. Typically this includes placement on the local MLS and realtor.com, boston.com, homefinf.com, homes.com and salcortese.com, as well as related marketing, advertising and networking. It's much more then just holding a open house!

Negotiation: As the listing realtor I assist owners in the bargaining process, offering advice and counsel as offers are received and by working closely with legal counsel, tax specialists and inspectors as required.

Closing: Once a contract for the purchase of a home has been accepted, a series of inspections and checks are typically required to satisfy buyers and lenders. I help owners complete the transaction process by assisting with the many requirements found in a typical sale agreement.

How do you show your home online?
The Internet has become the most important factor in real estate marketing. The Internet has two important roles in the real estate selling process. First, it is a "place" to view real estate. My online real estate information includes not only home listings, but numerous additional features and benefits. For instance, community profiles, school data, neighborhood information on crime, saftey & health, school data, video tours, real estate news and consumer information.

Equally important, the Internet offers a communication media. E-mail and instant messaging gives me and my clients more opportunities to keep in touch, making finding the right home much easier and more efficient