Premier Service Standards for Buyers

If you are buying your first property, the prospect can be daunting. If you've bought properties in the past, there may be several elements of the process that you would prefer to do differently. For these reasons, we've established Pacific Union GMAC Real Estate's Premier Service Standards.

Premier Service Standards are practices and standards to which Pacific Union is firmly committed. You will be provided with a clear road map of what it takes to make a successful purchase. We let you know, step-by-step, the levels of support and customer care you can expect from your Pacific Union sales agent.

We developed our Premier Service Standards based on many years of experience and believe they are the reason so many people choose Pacific Union.

First Steps

I will conduct an in-depth interview to understand your goals, your timetable, and your concerns about affordability and financing. I want to hear about the type of property you are interested in purchasing, including size and features, and any other special desires and needs you may have. By listening carefully to your needs, I pledge to enhance your experience as a buyer and to walk you through the steps required to purchase your new property.

The Sterley Team Will
  • Explain "agency" relationships in the state of California.
  • Outline the property-buying process and provide a timeline.
  • Agree on the best way to continue our ongoing dialogue in a way that fits your lifestyle, i.e. via email, telephone, etc.
  • Provide you with resources for information about communities, schools, transportation and recreational facilities.
  • Assist you throughout the financing process. A mortgage specialist will outline the loan types currently available and recommend the ones best suited for you and for your goals. The Sterley Team will facilitate a mortgage pre-approval process with our affiliated lender, in order for you to be pre-approved for your mortgage prior to showing you homes. This will put you in a stronger negotiating position.
  • Review the costs involved in the property-buying process.
  • Review all documents, including contracts, disclosures, disclaimers and inspection reports. In some instances, The Sterley Team may refer you to a real estate attorney for further clarification.
  • Provide you with the name of a competent real estate agent in areas outside our geographic or product expertise.
  • Provide guidance to assist you in the acquisition of your selected property, including the negotiation of all offers authorized by you.
Finding the Property that's Right for You

Some properties will suit your needs, some won't. I will help you focus your search on properties that meet your criteria and save you from wasting time on unsuitable ones.

The Sterley Team Will
  • Give you access to property listings on our website and to the MLS (Multiple Listing Service). This service lets you receive e-mail updates, conduct additional research and communicate with me 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
  • Locate and present selected properties to you. I will respect your time by showing you properties that meet your criteria. Where appropriate, I will expand the search outside of our local Multiple Listing Service for additional properties you may wish to view.
  • Preview, whenever possible, every property I recommend to make sure that it meets the standards that you set.
  • Contact you when a new property that meets your needs becomes available.
  • Review with you, if requested, the benefits and the drawbacks of each property in which you have expressed interest.
Making an Offer for a Property

Finding a property that you wish to purchase is just one step of the process. Making an offer can be daunting and The Sterley Team will provide you with step-by-step help to make the process as smooth as possible.

The Sterley Team Will
  • Represent your interests, respect your confidentiality, and work diligently to help you reach your goals.
  • Prepare and review with you a competitive market analysis (CMA) of the property you wish to purchase so that you can make an informed decision about the offering price.
  • Counsel you on the best offer strategy considering current market conditions.
  • Prepare your offer to purchase and, if possible, present your offer in person to the seller. The Sterley Team will advise you as to whether to include a physical inspection contingency and/or a loan contingency in your offer. The Sterley Team Will also advise you as to your obtaining a warranty as to certain items in the home, preferably provided by the seller.
  • Negotiate the best price and terms for your purchase of the property given existing market conditions and your personal situation. The Sterley Team Will discuss various approaches to negotiating and recommend the best option for that specific circumstance.
  • Open escrow when your offer is accepted and schedule the events that will lead to a successful close of escrow.
Closing the Sale on Your New Property

As exciting as it can be to find a property, there is work to be done to ensure it's everything the seller says it is. The Sterley Team Will advise you on the potential pitfalls or inspection issues that may arise at this stage of the process, and The Sterley Team Will help guide you throughout the closing process.

The Sterley Team Will
  • Monitor the status and satisfaction of all contract contingencies and assist you in any further negotiations with the seller. Throughout the closing period, The Sterley Team will provide you with regular progress updates.
  • Provide you with a list of professionals or vendors who perform the services and/or inspections recommended in the Buyer's Inspection Advisory.
  • Deliver and/or communicate to you, in a timely manner, any disclosures, materials or information that has been received by me and that could materially affect your decision to complete the purchase.
  • Schedule property inspections and attend inspections if practical or instructed by you, as well as any subsequent meetings or appointments with the professionals of your choice.
  • Discuss your options based on inspection results.
  • Monitor your loan approval process, if you request. The Sterley Team Will coordinate the appraisal of the property and, if appropriate, provide access and assistance to the appraiser.
  • Advise you on your options should problems arise with any part of the escrow process from loan, to title, to property inspections and assist in renegotiating the contract if necessary.
  • Accompany you on a property walk-through inspection before closing as provided for in the contract. Contact you after the closing to confirm the completion of all the details.
  • Provide you with an opportunity to evaluate the services you received via a post-transaction survey from an independent company named Quality Service Certification.

Premier Service Standards for Sellers

If you are selling your first property, the prospect can be daunting. If you've sold properties in the past, there may be several elements of the process that you would prefer to do differently. For these reasons, we've established Pacific Union GMAC Real Estate's Premier Service Standards.

Premier Service Standards are practices and standards to which Pacific Union is firmly committed. You will be provided with a clear road map of what it takes to make a successful sale. We let you know, step-by-step, the levels of support and customer care you can expect from your Pacific Union sales agent.

We developed our Premier Service Standards based on many years of experience and believe they are the reason so many people choose Pacific Union.

First Steps

I will conduct an in-depth interview to understand your goals, your timetable and any special circumstances you may have. By listening carefully to your needs, I pledge to enhance your experience as a seller and to walk you through the steps required to sell your property.

The Sterley Team Will
  • Explain "agency" relationships in the state of California.
  • Explain how the commission is paid and distributed.
  • Outline the property sale process and provide a timeline.
  • Agree on the best way to continue our ongoing dialogue in a way that fits your lifestyle, i.e. via email, telephone, etc.
  • Review all documents, including contracts, disclosures, disclaimers and inspection reports. In some instances, I may refer you to a real estate attorney for further clarification.
  • Provide you with relocation and mortgage assistance if appropriate through our affiliated lender and our referral network.
  • Offer reliable advice and useful information to help you make informed decisions along the way.
  • Handle the details that lead your transaction to a smooth, successful close. How Do We Price Property?

    Price is one of the most significant factors potential buyers consider when looking at a property. You do not want your valuable investment to be either under-priced or over-priced - but how do you know what is appropriate? How can you tell what the market will respond to? As your Pacific Union agent, I will help you realize the optimum value for your property.

    The Sterley Team Will
    • Prepare and review a comparable market analysis. This will help determine a pricing strategy for your property.
    • The Sterley Team may recommend obtaining certain inspection reports prior to marketing and review the impact they have on pricing.
    • Provide you with a Seller's Cost (or Net) Sheet that projects the approximate costs of sale.
    • Provide you with updates of market activity in a format that works best for you. This includes:
      1. Newly available comparable properties.
      2. Recent sales of any comparable properties.
      3. Price reductions on available comparables properties.
      4. Expired or canceled listings of comparable properties.
      5. Communication from other sales agents and potential purchasers.
    • Outline your options and make recommendations based on market conditions and your personal situation.
    • Review the pricing strategy as needed.
    Taking Your Property to Market

    "What is being done to sell my property?" is a reasonable question to ask your agent. The Sterley Team Will create a marketing plan specific to your property. The Sterley Team Will educate you about the decision-making process buyers go through so that you may use that information to your advantage. The Sterley Team Will then implement the plan to bring your property to market in the most attractive light.

    The Sterley Team Will
    • Determine a strategy for positioning the property.
    • Utilize the most appropriate marketing resources to alert potential buyers to your property.
    • Maximize the power of the Internet and the MLS (Multiple Listing Service).
    • Expose your property to a wide group of potential buyers and to our broker network to generate interest from a number of qualified parties.
    • Reach out to friends and neighbors who might know of people interested in living in your neighborhood.
    • Utilize our global relocation network, GMAC Global Relocation, if appropriate.
    • Manage all inquiries on the sale of your property.
    • Monitor and communicate feedback I receive along the way.
    • Evaluate the results of actions I take along the way.
    Preparing Your Property for Market

    First impressions count. Before inviting buyers into your property, you'll want to be sure you've done everything to make it as attractive as possible. There are many ways to improve your chances of a sale and as your Pacific Union GMAC Real Estate sales agent I will discuss these with you.

    The Sterley Team Will
    • Advise you as to how to present your property. This may include recommendations for cosmetic changes such as painting, clearing the yard, and arranging the best way to "stage" your property for a visit from potential buyers.
    • Advise you as to whether to obtain a professional inspection prior to placing your property on the market. An inspection generally presents a clear picture of the physical condition of the property and allows us to anticipate issues that may arise during the transaction. (This is not intended to preclude buyers from obtaining their own inspection.)
    • Advise you as to whether to purchase a one-year property protection warranty for the buyer of your property.
    Negotiating the Sale

    Some people enjoy negotiation, others dread it. Either way, when it comes to selling your property it is important to have a capable negotiator on your side. My experience will be available to you at every step.

    The Sterley Team Will
    • Discuss approaches and strategies for negotiating and recommend what I consider to be the best option for each circumstance.
    • Assist in negotiating the best price and terms for your property given existing market conditions and your personal situation.
    • Assist in evaluating the qualifications of any buyer that makes an offer on your property. I will make available a mortgage specialist to arrange for a mortgage approval if requested.
    • Assist you in reviewing the conditions in the offer and their potential impact on the transaction.
    • Revise the Seller's Cost (or Net) Sheet and calculate net proceeds based on the negotiated sales price.
    • Help you make informed decisions.
    • Counsel you on your options for the presentation of offers on your property.
    From Acceptance of Contract to Closing of Sale

    During this time (typically between 30 and 60 days), The Sterley Team Will be there to assist you in handling crucial details so that deadlines are met in order to bring your transaction to a smooth, successful close.

    The Sterley Team Will
    • Verify that escrow has been established, deliver a real time calendar of events, and monitor contingency periods and inspections.
    • Attend inspections as practical or at your request.
    • Strategize with you as to the results of the preliminary title search upon receipt and per contract guidelines.
    • To the extent possible, monitor the purchaser' loan to review that the process is running smoothly.
    • Provide you with timely updates on the status of the closing process.
    • At your direction, actively market the property through the contingency period and beyond based on market conditions.
    • Provide you with copies of all documents executed by both parties which are received by me.
    • Offer you an opportunity to evaluate the services you received via a post-transaction survey from an independent company named Quality Service Certification.

    Our Estates Division Program:

    Unique to Pacific Union

    The Pacific Union Estates Division was formed in 1989 with a simple plan: to build a Bay Area wide network of professional real estate agents who understand the special needs of the owners and buyers of luxury property. We now maintain approximately 200 members in our Estates Division throughout our 18 Bay Area offices, each group being lead by an Estates Director who is a seasoned veteran in Bay Area Luxury Home sales. Some of the features of our Estates Division include:

    • Dedicated Professionals - Pacific Union Estates agents are seasoned professionals trained to listen, learn and succeed in helping you achieve your goals. Each office has a core group of top-producing agents who have dedicated themselves to the art of marketing and selling luxury properties. All Estates agents attend regular meetings and regional networking events to share information on their listings as well as their sales and marketing techniques.
    • Luxury Home Database - We maintain a current and complete database of luxury properties throughout the Bay Area. At a moment's notice we can give you the specifics of properties that are sometimes hard to find; their availability, background information and sales history.
    • Bay Area Wide Network - Our Bay Area Wide network is connected through 18 offices strategically located in San Francisco, Marin, Alameda, Contra Costa, Diablo Valley, Napa Valley, and Sonoma County.
    • Global Network - Pacific Union holds memberships with real estate groups who have members all over the globe.
    • Online Advertising
    • Pacific Union website: PacUnion.com
    • Who's Who in Luxury Real Estate website: LuxuryRealEstate.com
    • New York Times On The Web: NYTimes.com
    • San Francisco Chronicle website: SFGate.com
    • Realtor.com (enhanced with multiple photos and custom text)
    • GMAC Real Estate website: GMACRealEstate.com
    • Luxury Real Estate Affiliations
    • Christie's Great Estates (San Francisco, Marin and Sonoma Counties)
    • Who's Who in Luxury Real Estate
    • Leading Estates of the World
    • Leading International Agents & Developers