<p class=MsoNormal><st1:State><st1:place><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'>Illinois</span></st1:place></st1:State><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'> Real Estate
&amp; Chicago Real Estate – By Agent or By Owner<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:1.0in;text-indent:-1.0in'><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-weight:
bold'>One of the most common questions asked by anyone attempting to sell their
house is whether they should list with a real estate agent or sell by
owner.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>  </span>There is no simple answer to this
question because there are a lot of factors that go into the decision. One of
the factors is location.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>  </span>Like everything
else in real estate it is all about location, location, location.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>  </span>We will be examining the </span><st1:State><st1:place><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'>Illinois</span></st1:place></st1:State><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'> real
estate, and more specifically </span><st1:City><st1:place><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'>Chicago</span></st1:place></st1:City><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'> real
estate markets, and will provide an answer to the question, ‘should you sell by
agent or by owner’?<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-weight:
bold'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'><u><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Advantages of Selling By Owner<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-weight:
bold'>There is one simple advantage to selling a home by owner; no
commission.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>  </span>This is the single reason
anyone chooses to sell their home by owner.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> 
</span>Without a commission to pay to a real estate agent, the seller gets to
keep all the proceeds from their home sale.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> 
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-weight:
bold'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'><u><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Advantages of Selling With a Real
Estate Agent<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-weight:
bold'>There are multiple advantages to selling with an </span><st1:State><st1:place><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'>Illinois</span></st1:place></st1:State><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'> real
estate or </span><st1:City><st1:place><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:
Arial;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'>Chicago</span></st1:place></st1:City><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'> real
estate agent.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>  </span>The following are a list
of those advantages:<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></b></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Knowledge</span></b><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'> – A
strong real estate agent will not only know the area your home is in, but they
will know what makes that area desirable, what your home is worth, who your
competition is and most importantly, they will know who the buyers are and what
they are looking for in a home.This knowledge can help find the right buyer and
get you the right price for your home.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></b></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Arial'>They Work For You</span></b><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'> – A
strong real estate agent will work for you.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> 
</span>Home showing can be difficult if you work or have a busy schedule.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>  </span>Selling your home is your real estate agent’s
job so they should be available at any time to show your home on your
behalf.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>  </span>You cannot expect buyers to
revolve there schedules around you, someone needs to be available at a moments
notice to show your home if you expect to sell and that is exactly what a good
real estate agent does.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-weight:
bold'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Arial'>The Process</span></b><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'> – There
is much more to selling a home than finding a buyer.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>  </span>There are legal documents, closings and
finances.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>  </span>The other major benefit to
using a real estate agent is that they help out with all these steps of selling
a home.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>  </span>Selling a home is most likely
the largest transaction someone will ever engage in.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>  </span>It is always beneficial to have someone on
your side that knows how the transaction works and can help you complete it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-weight:
bold'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-weight:
bold'>One helpful hint is to make sure you find a good </span><st1:State><st1:place><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'>Illinois</span></st1:place></st1:State><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'> real
estate or </span><st1:City><st1:place><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:
Arial;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'>Chicago</span></st1:place></st1:City><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'> real
estate agent.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>  </span>One site I have always
found helpful to find strong agents is <a
href="http://www.illinoisproperty.com/">www.illinoisproperty.com</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-weight:
bold'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'><u><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Knowing the </span></u></b><st1:State><st1:place><b
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'><u><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Illinois</span>�

RE/MAX of Northern Illinois is author of this article on Illinois Real Estate.
Find more information about Chicago Real Estatehere.