Selling, from the first number to the closing table.
How I price, prepare, market and negotiate a sale in Chicago and the north and northwest suburbs. Worth reading even if you're a year out. It changes what people do before they list.
- 113Homes soldClosed sales on Zillow
- $47MIn closed salesCareer total, as listing or buyer’s agent
- 5.0Average ratingFrom 35 reviews
; opens in a new tab - Top5%Chicagoland area
Realtor
A clear plan.
From start to sold.
Six stages, from the first number to the closing table. None of it should come as a surprise, so here it is in advance.
01 We price it
I pull the closed sales that actually compete with your house, not the ones that flatter it, and walk you through the range. You see the comparable sales behind the number.
Timing: Before anything else
- Comparable sales
- A price range
- What you'd net
02 I walk the house
Then a straight list of what's worth fixing and what isn't. Some repairs return more than they cost. Most cosmetic ones don't.
Timing: Week one
- Walk-through
- Repair list
- Staging advice
03 Photographed and filmed
Professional photography and a listing video, on every listing, whatever the price. Floor plans where they help a buyer understand the house.
Timing: Weeks two to three
- Photography
- Listing video
- Floor plan
04 It goes to market on purpose
Sometimes that means everywhere on day one. Sometimes it means a private launch to agents and their buyers first. We decide that together, and it's your call.
Timing: Launch
- MLS and the major portals
- Instagram and Facebook campaigns
- Direct outreach to agents
05 Showings and offers
Feedback after every showing, an honest read on whether the market agrees with our price, and offers compared on their terms, not only the headline number.
Timing: On the market
- Showing feedback
- Offer comparison
- Counteroffers
06 Getting it closed
Inspection, appraisal, the buyer's mortgage and the final walk-through. This is where most deals wobble, and where most of my work happens.
Timing: Contract to closing
- Inspection
- Appraisal
- Closing
On every listing.
Every listing gets all of it. There’s no premium tier.
- Pricing from the real competitionThe closed and pending sales that genuinely compete with your house, a range, and an estimate of what you'd net after costs.
- Professional photographyOn every listing, whatever the price.
- A listing videoFilmed and edited for the MLS, the portals and social feeds.
- The MLS and the major portalsZillow, Realtor.com, Redfin, Homes.com and the brokerage sites the MLS feeds.
- Instagram and Facebook campaignsPaid campaigns run under Meta's housing-ad rules, aimed at an area rather than at kinds of people.
- Direct outreach to agentsThe agents most likely to have a buyer for your house hear about it from me, not from an alert.
- Feedback after every showingCollected and passed on, including the parts that are uncomfortable to hear.
- Offers compared side by sidePrice, terms, contingencies, financing and timing. The strongest offer isn't always the biggest one.
Recently closed.
A few recent sales, with my role in each.
- Closed
Des Plaines
3-bed home
- Closed price
- $505,804
Represented the seller
Closed Sep 2026
- Closed
Des Plaines
3-bed home
- Closed price
- $515,000
Represented the seller
Closed Sep 2026
- Closed
Westmont
2-bed home
- Closed price
- $449,000
Represented the buyer
Closed Sep 2026
- Closed
Des Plaines
3-bed home
- Closed price
- $493,000
Represented the seller
Closed Sep 2026
- Closed
Des Plaines
3-bed home
- Closed price
- $474,990
Represented the seller
Closed Aug 2026
From the public sales record on Zillow, where all 113 are listed.
What did the homes on your street sell for?
Give me the address and I'll email you the recent closed sales around it, with prices and dates. Real sales, not an automated estimate, and I'll reply by email.
5.0 from 35 Zillow reviews · 113 homes sold
What sellers said.
He negotiated outstanding terms, handled every detail from start to finish, and made what could have been a stressful process feel effortless.
liliyabSold a condo, Lincoln Park, Chicago · Zillow
Mark was a pleasure to work with! Process was easy and fast. Property sold within 10 day over the asking price!
Elaine FieldSold a condo, Buffalo Grove · Zillow
Mark listed & sold our condo and was expert, professional, and thorough. I recommend him enthusiastically. His knowledge of the area ensured a fair list price (and a timely sale), his contacts helped us get the property ready to list, and he has strong negotiating skills.
Glenn MillsSold a condo, Arlington Heights · Zillow
I literally couldn't recommend Mark more! He helped us found 2 warehouses to lease and also helped us sell our house.
jerryliu960317Sold a house, and leased commercial space, Glenview · Zillow
If you want a care free, easy and calm experience with buying or selling – Mark is your agent.
dpasikhovSold a condo, Arlington Heights · Zillow
Rating and count checked against Zillow on .
Seller questions.
How long will it take to sell?
It depends on the price, the house and the season far more than on anything I could promise here. I'll show you how long homes like yours nearby have actually taken, which is a better guide than any average.
Should I renovate before listing?
Usually not much. Paint, the repairs a buyer's inspector would flag, and a deep clean tend to return more than they cost. New kitchens and bathrooms rarely do. I'll tell you which is which for your house before you spend anything.
What is a private launch?
Marketing a home to agents and their buyers before it appears on the public sites. It can help in some situations and hurt in others. MLS rules allow it only with your written consent, so we'd decide it together and only if it's in your interest.
What do you charge?
Commission is negotiable and agreed in writing before the home goes on the market. What you offer a buyer's agent is a separate decision, and I'll lay out the trade-offs.
Can I end the listing agreement?
Before you sign, we'll go through how long it runs and how it can be ended, so there's nothing in it you discover later.
Do you sell homes at every price?
Yes. Every listing gets the same photography, video and marketing plan. The size of the house doesn't change how much attention the sale gets.
Get a pricing call.
Tell me where the home is and roughly when you're thinking. I'll pull the comparable sales and come back to you personally with a range and the reasoning behind it.
Ask for a pricing call
Leave your number and choose how you’d like me to get in touch.