Tania Forte

TANIA'S BUYER GUIDE FROM START TO FINISH

LET'S GET

started

I bring results to clients wherever their buying goals take them. Working with the best in the business is the only choice in real estate today. @properties Christie's International Real Estate shares my commitment to offering the most comprehensive and professional marketing, sophisticated technology, and expert market knowledge, supporting the highest standards of service and representation you expect and deserve. With local leadership and national and international reach, I bring results to clients wherever their buying and selling goals take them. Tania Forte

TANIA FORTE

847.894.9360 taniaforte@atproperties.com

REALTOR®

ABOUT ME

bio & accolades

With over 10 years of experience and more than $90 million in sales*, Tania has established herself as a powerhouse in the real estate industry. As a leader in her market, she has a proven track record of delivering exceptional results for her clients. Tania understands that buying or selling a home is one of the most significant decisions anyone will ever make, and she is passionate about building meaningful, lasting relationships to fully understand her clients' needs and exceed their expectations. She is here to guide her clients through one of the biggest investments they will make. Tania’s extensive knowledge of the areas she serves enables her clients to truly maximize the value of their homes—whether they're buying, selling. With Tania's expert guidance, her clients can navigate the real estate process with absolute confidence and clarity.

Tania looks forward to the opportunity to work with new clients and is truly grateful for their business and referrals. She is excited to start the conversation and help her clients achieve their real estate goals.

Learn more about Tania here: QR code to Digital Buyer Presentation

$10-20M

visionary

timeless

*MRED, LLC, based on closed sales data, 01/2014-12/2024

$ 90 +

SOLD*

15 DAYS

ON MARKET*

98.5 %

LIST TO SALES PRICE*

MRED, LLC, 2014-2023, Broker metric 12/23-11/24

The Purchase Process | Step by Step

Buyer Consultation

Obtain Pre-Approval from a Qualified Lender

Get Set up on Zenlist

View Properties

Negotiate Terms

Write an Offer to Purchase

CMA (Comparative Market Analysis)

Decide on Property

Accepted Contract

Submit Initial Earnest Money

Attorney Review & Inspection Period

Submit Balance of Earnest Money

Closing - Congratulations!

Set up Utilities / Schedule Movers / Do Final Walkthrough

Prepare Funds for Closing

Work with Lender to Obtain the Clear to Close

Value in Working With Tania!

Prior to Meeting Client • Building Network (vendors, agents) • Inventory and Market Knowledge • TAN (Top Agent Network) / PLN (Private Listing • Network) / @ App / Network / Zenlist Consultation • Review Buyer Agency Agreement • Discuss Professional Fee • Lender and Attorney Recommendations • Needs assessment/prioritization • Identify timeline • Community Tours • Inventory Knowledge • Provide access to search tools (TAN / PLN / @ App / • Network / Zenlist) • Update with Hotsheet stats • Educate on market data from Infosparks House Hunting • Set up Search in MLS with daily email updates with • results. • TAN / @ Properties App ISO • Monitor inventory daily/more often. • Utilize network to proactively identify inventory match. • Target marketing in desired areas / buildings to find off • market inventory. • Provide assessment of house condition based on visual • inspection from past experiences. • Make sure house qualifies based on buyer financing Show properties • Monitor and manage needs / reprioritize buyer needs • based on feedback and observations. • Make suggestions for other options based on • personal experience working with buyers - get them to • think about things they wouldn’t have • Work with lender to update, provide financial scenarios

Preparing offer/ Contract Negotiation • Provide comps to determine market value • Consult on offer price • Work with lender to get pre approval • Consult with listing agent on seller needs / wants to determine best term for a • competitive offer • Strategize on different offer terms (pros/cons) Contract/Paperwork • Guiding the buyer through the intricate web of legal documents, ensuring understanding • and accuracy to protect the buyers interests. • Review disclosures • Prepare offer

• Follow deadlines • Manage emotions

Under Contract • Facilitate earnest money • Inspector Recommendation • Coordinate communication with lender and attorney • Attend inspection and provide input on inspection findings • Review inspection report with client and attorney • Participate in inspection negotiations • Contractor Recommendations(Insurance, Movers, Trades) • Coordinate access to home (contractor access, etc) • Follow up with lender regarding financing and appraisal contingency • Follow up with attorney throughout the process • Maintain regular communication with listing agent on any issues/ terms • Provide guidance on closing logistics • Utilities transfer guidance • Schedule and attend final walk through, identify potential issues Closing and beyond • Attend closing • Contact for post close issues or questions about the house after closing • Contractor / vendor recommendations for homeowners • Provide annual market reports • Provide settlement statement for tax preparation • Check for homeowners exemption

The Power of Pre-Approval

The first step in any home search, even before touring properties, is finding out exactly how much home you can afford and securing the necessary financing. Once you find a home you love and are ready to make an offer, your mortgage pre-approval letter lets the seller know that you’re serious and fully prepared to buy their home.

To get the process moving on obtaining a pre-approval letter, I will connect you with an experienced and trusted mortgage broker/lender.

Here are some of the documents you will need to provide your lender to get the pre-approval process started:

Debts: • Bank statements, last two months • Investments/brokerage firm statements • Net worth of business owned (if applicable)

Income: • Current pay stubs, last two months • W-2s or 1099s, last two years • Tax returns, last two years

Assets: • Bank statements, last two months • Investments/brokerage firm statements • Net worth of business owned (if applicable)

Start your home search!

After securing your pre-approval letter, our next step is to establish your home search criteria using Zenlist, an app compatible with phones and desktops. Zenlist syncs directly with the MLS and includes listings from the Private Listing Network (PLN). You’ll receive real-time notifications for new properties, with options to request tours, save favorites, add comments, and message me directly within the app. Additionally, you can continue searching on other platforms like Zillow or Realtor.com. New inventory typically arrives on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, while Open Houses are commonly held on weekends and announced a few days beforehand. You’re welcome to attend any Open House independently, but remember to put my contact information on the sign- in sheet to avoid being contacted by multiple agents.

Steps To Making An Offer:

There are many factors that influence the market value of a home. I will give you the insight and information you need to make an offer you’re comfortable with. Some of the factors include:

• How long the home has been on the market • If the price has been reduced and by how much • Past list and sale history • How much the home is worth—I will provide a comparable market analysis (CMA) showing the list and sale prices for similar homes in the area of the home you’re interested in • If there are multiple offers • Other items that might be included in the sale (furniture, sound system equipment, etc) • The “list to sale price ratio,” an indication of how competitive the market is for homes in the area • Area market trends (appreciation) • Why the seller is selling and their timeline • Age of mechanicals and appliances • Age of the roof, last time the brick/block was sealed, etc • Any updates/upgrades since seller last purchased the home • If there is an HOA, what is the balance of reserves, any upcoming/planned projects and will a special be assessed Once you decide on your offer’s price and terms, I’ll prepare the paperwork and send it for your e-signature via DocuSign. After your sign-off, I’ll verbally present the offer to the seller’s agent, followed by an email that includes the offer and your pre-approval letter, emphasizing the offer’s main points. Should the seller choose to negotiate, countering on various terms like price, closing date, and more, I’ll strategize with you to secure terms that meet your needs and budget. Negotiations will be handled through calls, texts, or emails. Once an agreement is reached, the updated offer will be sent to you for signing via DocuSign, again. With the offer signed by all parties, you officially enter into a contract, kicking off the transaction timeline.

Attorney Review/Inspection through Closing

Once your offer has been accepted, and both you and the seller have signed the contract, the closing process begins with the Attorney Review and Inspection Period. I will send the fully executed contract along with disclosures to your lender and attorney cc’ing you with your next steps of Home Inspection and Earnest Money deposit. Home Inspection: A home inspection is the most common contingency in place. This is usually conducted 3-5 days after an offer is accepted and at the buyer’s expense, is crucial for evaluating the condition of the property’s exterior, kitchen and bathroom fixtures, appliances, and major systems like heating, cooling, plumbing, and electrical. This step not only ensures the home’s integrity but also protects you by allowing room to negotiate repairs or credits with the seller if any issues are found. It’s a key process that can influence the final terms of the sale, safeguarding your investment. Title Search: Title review involves examining all legal documents related to a property’s ownership to confirm there are no existing claims against its title. To safeguard against potential errors in the records or mistakes during the review, it’s advised to obtain title insurance. Traditionally in Illinois, the seller’s attorney selects the title company and initiates the title search. Similarly, the choice of the title insurance company typically falls to the seller and their attorney, as they are responsible for purchasing both the title search and title insurance on behalf of the buyer(s). Appraisals: As a standard part of the mortgage process, your lender will order an appraisal report to ensure the loan will be guaranteed of the home’s value. This is typically ordered once the attorney review period has concluded. Final Walk-through: Before closing, we will schedule a final walk-through of the property to ensure it is in the same condition as when you signed the sales agreement. At this time, we will also ensure any agreed upon repairs have been made. Closing Costs: In addition to your downpayment, there are a variety of other costs involved in the closing including: • Loan origination fees, appraisals and reports • Surveys and inspections (surveys are typically paid for by the seller) • Mortgage insurance • Hazard insurance • Taxes • Assessments • Title insurance, notary and escrow fees • Recording fees and stamps

industry leader

@properties Christie’s International Real Estate has one overarching mission: to provide the very best experience when it comes to buying or selling a home. Combining cutting-edge technology with upscale marketing, our firm was founded in 2000 and quickly became a driving force in Chicago real estate and beyond. Over the next two decades, the company grew into one of the largest brokerage firms in the country, acquiring the Christie’s International Real Estate global luxury network in 2021. Today, @properties Christie’s International Real Estate is the nation’s 8th largest brokerage firm by sales volume and widely considered one of the most innovative companies in the industry. Still, the core values behind our founding remain the same – from our focus on relationships, innovation, excellence, and impact, to the love that goes into everything we do.

Source: #1 market share in Chicago and Chicagoland based on closed sales volume data from MRED, 1-1-23 to 12-31-23. 8th largest brokerage firm in the nation by sales volume, according to the 2023 RealTrends 500 Ranking.

@properties’ digital CMA

A Comparative Market Analysis (or CMA) is one of the most important pricing tools a real estate agent offers. This report evaluates a home alongside other properties – closed, active, and pending “comparables” – taking into account property features, location, size, condition, and other factors. Unlike a traditional, static CMA, our proprietary Digital CMA is a dynamic report that uses real-time data from the local MLS. It allows you to add comments to individual listings, pin new properties to your CMA, and receive e-mail alerts with information on newly-listed properties as well as status changes to current listings. Your @properties Christie’s International Real Estate agent will prepare a Digital CMA to help you make the most informed offer based on the market right here, right now.

closing milestones

The time between contract signing and closing, known as escrow, requires keeping track of many important tasks, deadlines, and documents. To help you along the way, @properties Christie’s International Real Estate developed Closing Milestones, a digital roadmap that guides homebuyers through this process, making it easy and stress-free.

@agent app

Leveraging @properties Christie’s International Real Estate’s “market within a market,” our agents use an internal mobile app for company-wide communication. The exclusive @agent app allows our agents to match homebuyers with homes for sale, including pre-market listings. That means our agents have the inside scoop on properties that are soon to be listed, giving buyers an early opportunity to view and purchase during a time when others are waiting for properties to hit the market. Beyond connecting buyers and sellers, the @agent app aggregates the knowledge base of all of our agents in a search- able database, making it a great resource for recommendations on everything from vendors and service providers to local businesses.

Past Closed Sales

committed to excellence

With the scale and resources of a leading national brokerage firm, our agents deliver the best service in local real estate. When a strong agent is backed by one of the nation’s most innovative real estate brands, the results are unmatched. At @properties Christie's International Real Estate, our in-house marketing and technology teams produce best-in-class programs and products that give home sellers a competitive advantage in the marketplace. Bottom line: We offer the finest resources to ensure your home sale is the best you’ve ever experienced.

PROVEN SUCCESS

testimonials

TESTIMONIAL

"Couldn't have asked for a better experience working with Tania. She had our best interests at heart and was reasonable, professional, and extremely communicative throughout the entire home buying process. She also is very knowledgeable and provides excellent resources or referrals when asked. 10/10 recommend working with Tania and will send anyone moving her way! ”

– Former Client

TESTIMONIAL

" Tania did an excellent job in supporting us in finding a new home in the Chicagoland area. We began our search in Park Ridge and eventually expanded to include Elmhurst. Tania knew the area incredibly well. She was always available and responsiveness was like nothing I have seen. The market was very tough when we bought with inventory being incredibly low. Tania stayed focused and found us our forever home. She was always present and continually advocating for us. It is without hesitation that I 100% recommend Tania Forte. If you are buying or selling I am confident you will be extremely happy to work with her. I will recommend her to all of friends and family! "

– Former Client

ARE YOU

ready?

I'd love to help with all of your real estate needs.

If you're thinking about making a move or looking for more information about your local market, reach out anytime. Tania Forte

Tania Forte

847.894.9360 taniaforte@atproperties.com TE REALTOR®

atproperties.com

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Tania Forte | Buyer Book