James Cheney

Agent Details

About James

I am a real estate broker who has been serving the Sonoma County Wine Country since 2003. I've sold homes from Santa Rosa to Cloverdale, and from Sebastopol to Sonoma. I prefer to work close to home in Rincon Valley but for family and friends, I'll go anywhere in Sonoma County. I prefer listing homes for sale (vs. finding homes for buyers). I enjoy the marketing process and finding new and creative ways to list my properties. If you list with me, this is typically what you can expect: 1) We get together at the subject property for our first meeting, and a tour. 2) I'll provide you a list of homes that are actively for sale close to the subject property. These are the homes we are competing against. 3) I'll provide you a list of homes that are close and have recently sold. Based on the price per square foot, we can try to bracket your homes value. 4) We can talk about the benefits of getting a pest inspection and a home inspection prior to listing. I highly recommend it and can explain how it benefits you when we meet in person. 5) I'll present you with a personalized sales plan for your home. Not all homes are the same. For example, if your home is near a popular school, an open house from 2:30 - 4pm mid week might be a good idea. If you live in an area where there are a lot of rentals, doing a neighbors' only open house in the evening for 90 minutes could be beneficial. Not all homes benefit from the same marketing. All of my homes get a unique sales plan. 6) If you like me and my plan, we can sign a listing agreement. If you need to think about it that's fine. I'm confident you'll like my plan and I don't mind giving you time to think about it, go over the material I leave with you, and even interview other agents. My marketing speaks for itself. I don't need to use hard sales tactics. If we are not a good match, then we shouldn't work together. In fact, sometimes I refer potential clients to other agents who might be better suited for their situation. Once you choose to list with me... 1) I'll give you ideas on things you can do to increase the curb appeal of your home. I can recommend handymen, or contractors if any are needed 2) If we order pest and home inspections, I will go over the reports with you and help you decide if any work should be done prior to listing. We can discuss ways to deal with any other deficiencies discovered. 3) Once we decide to make the home available for public showings "On Market", I'll discuss the benefits and drawbacks of the following marketing: MLS Signage Brochures Lockboxes Newspaper advertising Open Houses (broker open vs public open) Homes and Land Magazine Wine Country Real Estate Reader Blogging (RinconValleyBlog.com) Internet sites such as Zillow, Refin, & Realtor.com Postcards 4) I'll arrange for professional photography with one of several photographers I work with (at my expense). 5) Once I have photos, I use a professional graphic artist in San Francisco to prepare professional brochures that are printed at a professional printing company. You won't find any 1 page copy-paper flyers in front of my listings. 6) I'll arrange your open houses to include a broker's open house. 7) If we receive multiple offers, I'll provide you a spread sheet that makes comparing the offers easy, and help you choose and negotiate them.

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