Cottingham Chalk Listing Presentation -2025 with Sellers Checklist
your home SELLING
SIMPLY THE BEST
Cottingham Chalk consistently outperforms the market. Our agents draw on the collective knowledge and experience of our company. No house or person is the same. We get that. As a boutique firm, we’re able to provide a customized and tailored experience. Simply put, we set the standard for real estate excellence in Charlotte.
Our invitation-only network was responsible for $272 billion in annual home sales volume among the top 500 U.S. real estate firms in 2024.
2024 U.S. HOME SALES VOLUME AMONG THE TOP 500 U.S. REAL ESTATE FIRMS.
Volume shown in billions of dollars.
LEADINGRE*
KELLER WILLIAMS
COMPASS
COLDWELL BANKER
BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES
EXP REALTY
RE/MAX
THE REAL BROKERAGE, INC.
CENTURY 21
DOUGLAS ELLIMAN
REDFIN
HOMESMART SIDE
UNITED REAL ESTATE
SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY
$25 $24 $21 $21
*Volume(s) included in LeadingRE Home Sales Volume may replicate volume(s) set forth elsewhere in this chart, as LeadingRE member firms may be affiliated with other real estate organizations.
AT A GLANCE COTTINGHAM CHALK
Daniel Cottingham President
Dan Cottingham Co-Founder & Chairman
Leigh C. Corso VP of Branding & Engagement
Built on a foundation of integrity and trust, Cottingham Chalk has a long history of serving the Charlotte community.
From the beginning, our focus has been on people. Attracting the best brokers to build their careers under our roof and empowering them to provide excellent service to our community, and in turn, attracting the best clientele to trust us to shepherd them through the process of buying or selling a home.
We identify wonderful people and develop them into excellent real estate agents, not the other way around. Our focus on homegrown talent has created a collaborative environment where brokers work together, share ideas, and support each other — and our clients reap the benefits of working with agents who are their best selves. Our brokers start here, learn here, grow here, and flourish here. They are leaders in our community and our industry.
Now in our second generation of leadership, we are a family business more than ever. We help each other, we trust each other, we care about each other. When you work at Cottingham Chalk, you are part of the family. When you hire a Cottingham Chalk broker, you have the entire company in your corner.
As a local, independent company, we are free to focus on the big picture as opposed to next quarter’s numbers. We can stay the course when it is the right path, and we can adjust quickly when change is appropriate. As an exclusive member of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®, we are equipped with market leading resources to serve our clients both locally and around the globe.
MEET OUR MARKETING TEAM
Successfully marketing a home requires industry know-how, skill and relationships. The award-winning Cottingham Chalk marketing team understands the complexities of marketing a home specific to each of Charlotte’s unique neighborhoods. Our team assists our agents with the following, making sure your home looks its best and gets in front of as many targeted potential buyers as possible:
Nicole Hannon Senior Marketing Coordinator
Meade Dadkhah Senior Marketing Coordinator
“Our team is constantly innovating and staying on top of industry best practices so that we can incorporate the most effective tools available when marketing our homes. Showcasing your home looking its best to the most targeted audience possible is our goal with each home that we are entrusted to help sell.”
MEET OUR RELOCATION TEAM
This dynamite team has received numerous awards recognizing their excellence in service. Suzanne Lail brings over 30 years of real estate experience to her position as Relocation Director. She cultivates relationships with corporations relocating to our area and is often involved in the recruiting process, working closely with global relocation management companies and training our brokers on the process. She counsels transferees moving into and out of Charlotte, making sure to maximize their relocation benefits. Melissa Alatsis’ background in marketing, program development and client services makes her excel as our Relocation Coordinator. She fosters our affiliation with Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® by growing our broker-to-broker referral business. With this elite, invitation-only affiliation, we are proud to give our sellers incredible global exposure.
Consistent nominees, leaders & winners of the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® annual conference awards
I’M LOCAL I’M GLOBAL
Local Expertise, Global Connections, Powerful Marketing
As a member of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® (LeadingRE) and Luxury Portfolio International®, Cottingham Chalk can advertise your luxury listing around the globe. LeadingRE is a network of over 560 independentlyowned firms in over 70 countries on 6 continents. Membership in LeadingRE is by invitation only and reserved for market leaders. Cottingham Chalk is proud to have been affiliated with this organization for many years.
100
BILLION IN HOME SALES VOLUME IN 2022
24,000
AFFILIATE-TO-AFFILIATE
CLIENT INTRODUCTIONS MADE EACH YEAR
COUNTRIES WHERE INTRODUCTIONS WERE MADE IN 2022
190
CLIENT INTRODUCTIONS MADE DAILY WORLDWIDE
ANALYZE YOUR HOME
Effectively pricing your home is critical. As experts in the Charlotte market, we take a targeted and tailored approach to prepare a top notch pricing strategy and game plan.
• Preview active competition and recent sales
• Complete a comparative market analysis (CMA)
• Analyze factors affecting saleability:
Location Condition Marketing Price
PREPARE YOUR HOME
We’ll help you prepare your home from the inside out, making sure to highlight all its best features. Showing condition is critical to obtain the highest possible offer. We will help you by providing recommendations and facilitating any necessary updates to maximize your home’s value, such as:
• Professional staging
• Cosmetic updates
• Landscaping
• Minor repairs
• Professional cleaning & decluttering
CAPTURE
YOUR HOME
In this digital age, buyers will see your home online first, so capturing it with quality professional photos is paramount. With our in-house marketing team and longstanding relationships with local real estate photographers, we make sure your home stays at the forefront of buyers’ minds by offering the following services:
• Professional photography
• Matterport VR Tour
• Professionally drawn floor plan with measurements
• Customized property brochure
• High quality print and digital
PRESENT
YOUR HOME
For Sale Sign — We are highly regarded as real estate experts in the Charlotte community. Our sign in your yard signals you’re working with the best.
CMLS “Matrix” Database — Our listings are included on the MLS where Realtors can easily access important information to share with their clients.
Company Tour — Your home will be featured on our new listing Tour. Each Thursday, we invite brokers with potential buyers to preview our new listings.
Broker Event — Host a coffee, luncheon or wine and cheese to invite our network of brokers to view your property and spread the word.
Open House — Effective way to showcase your home to potential buyers.
HOME TOUR
PUBLISH YOUR HOME
Direct Mail — Neighbors love to spread the word. We deliver “Just Listed” postcards within your neighborhood and nearby spots targeting potential buyers when appropriate.
Print Advertising — We have partnerships with select local magazines. You’ll find us in SouthPark Magazine, Charlotte Home Design and Decor Magazine, Myers Park Life, SouthPark Life, QC Exclusive Magazine, and more. We have demographics and reach data to determine where best to publish your home when appropriate.
SOCIAL MEDIA & DIGITAL
• Highlighted on Cottingham Chalk’s social media channels
• Featured on select outside social media channels
• Search engine optimization
• Paid social campaigns
• Email marketing campaigns
• Website syndication
FROM START TO FINISH
SELLERS CHECKLIST
INTERIOR
GENERAL
Walls should be freshly painted (neutral color), free of nail holes, scuff marks and free of any unframed pictures, posters, etc.
Floors should be clean and in good condition
Carpets should be vacuumed; clean them if needed
Clean HVAC registers and grates
Clean all windows and doors; Ensure that all open and close easily
Make certain there are no food or pet odors
Have an aroma that will make a prospective buyer feel at home: fresh bread, cookies, cinnamon on the stove, etc.
Make your house as light, airy and spacious as possible
For every showing, open drapes, turn on lights, remove pets from home, and set the heat/air at a comfortable temperature KITCHEN
Make certain all cabinetry doors and drawers open easily
Ensure all kitchen cabinets, countertops & appliances are clean (inside and out) BEDROOM
Bedrooms should be straight, clean and free of clutter
Remove all clutter from rooms and closets. Clutter will always make a room or even an entire house appear smaller! BATHROOM
Repair or replace faulty wall switches, outlets and light fixtures; make certain all light bulbs work!
Tighten or repair leaky faucets and/or noisy toilets
Bathrooms should be sparkling clean, including tile and grout. Faucets should be polished; bathtubs and showers should be caulked as needed
SELLERS CHECKLIST
Remove all debris from yard (rotting lumber, sticks, leaves, and trash)
Lawn should be cut and trimmed
Spray or remove weeds from driveway, natural areas, patio and sidewalk
Trim/prune shrubbery. If you have older shrubs/trees, trim them for a fresher look
Apply a fresh layer of mulch/pine needles in natural areas and around trees
If you have heavy tree cover, trim to allow additional light
Plant flowers, seasonal bulbs; place “welcome” flowerpots at your entrance
Power wash exterior, patio, sidewalk and stoop
Gutters should be cleaned out; downspouts should be routed away from the house, allowing for proper drainage
Put a new door mat at the front door
Clean screens, windows and storm windows
If necessary, paint exterior. No exposed wood or peeling paint should be visible
Replace any deteriorated exterior siding, etc.
Repair any loose bricks at porches, stoops, etc.
Caulk or mortar any area where there is a gap (brick siding, patio, steps, siding, around chimney, etc.).
Remove any wood debris from the crawl space or basement
