In real estate, hands-on detailed knowledge—whether it’s the marketing, the community and location, or how homes are actually built—goes a long way.

John Josephitis, a real estate broker with @Properties, is an experienced investor and has renovated many homes and still works on his own rehab projects in his spare time. This experience is critical in selling or buying real estate.

“I have total hands-on knowledge of how properties are built, what’s behind the walls, and what today’s buyers want,” he says. “It’s important not only to make your house look nice to entice a potential buyer to make an offer, but also to be sure the structure and all the components of the house are in working order before listing it. Many home deals are re-priced once a home inspection is completed. The buyer is ultimately purchasing the house, mechanicals, and the fixtures and this is what they focus on once the initial offer is accepted. My degree in chemistry is another advantage for my clients, since I am able to navigate through any environmental aspects such as radon, mold, asbestos, and lead based paint issues.”

He works with his clients before any listing goes live on the market to recommend repairs that he knows an inspector might discover.

“That way, the initial agreed-upon purchase price can’t be easily renegotiated,” he adds.

John’s hands-on experience extends to the community, too. Josephitis is a member of the Lake Forest and Lake Bluff Chamber of Commerce, served as the Village Trustee in Lake Bluff for eight years, was the Chair of the Downtown Development & Economic Committee, and held numerous other community positions. The point is, he knows the community well.

“Being involved in the community over several years allows me to have connections with many residents in Lake Forest and Lake Bluff. In order to successfully sell your home in the Lake Bluff and Lake Forest area, I have to be able to sell it to the business-minded buyer, local agents and out-of-area agents, home inspectors, and appraisers.” he says. “You’re not only selling a house; you have to sell the community too. My clients love the fact that I have such vast knowledge of the community and a unique perspective on local government and zoning that affects properties and their value.”

When it comes to selling, Josephitis relies heavily on new technology like drone videos and extensive on-line marketing. He works in residential real estate in the Lake Bluff and Lake Forest area, as well as in commercial real estate across the Midwest.

“Because I work with commercial properties and am licensed in both Illinois and Wisconsin, I can market a home with the greatest exposure outside the local market place. Exposure of a listing is everything. I have a vast network of friends and clients in the area as well as outside the local market, which creates maximum exposure for my listings,” he says.

This marketing exposure has enabled him to sell homes in the local market to buyers from as close as next-door, Chicagoland, and Wisconsin, and as faraway as Japan and Bahrain in the Middle East.

“In our high-end expensive market, there are a lot of similar homes for sale. Today’s buyers are not too emotional about a particular house, and they usually have two or three favorites that they try to acquire at the best price possible,” Josephitis says. “This means a buyer in this local market is usually not a first-time buyer, they are great negotiators and will try to re-price after inspections. They will walk away from deals without hesitation.”

That’s why he thinks it’s so important for sellers to be shown how to get their house in market-ready condition and how to market the house to the widest possible audience.

So far in 2017, he has closed on 27 transactions, ranging from $125,000 to $6,400,000. Josephitis is a Seller Representative Specialist, an Accredited Buyers Representative, a Military Relocation Specialist and an e-Pro Specialist. He’s worked in the business for 30 years and specializes in the selling and buying of existing residential properties, new home construction and land sales, lake front vacation properties, all-residential and commercial investment properties, leasing of residential and commercial space, commercial lease negotiations, licensed business broker selling existing business, and residential and commercial auctions.

John Josephitis is with @Properties. For more information, call 847.295.0700 or visit atproperties.com.