Kristina Irvine, Coldwell Banker Realty-Schaumburg

09/29/2026

Your listing presentation probably isn’t the problem. How you’re preparing for it might be. 👀

For a long time, I thought preparing for a listing appointment meant knowing my comps, having my presentation ready and being prepared to answer objections.

And yes, those things matter.

But after hundreds of transactions, I’ve realized some of the most important preparation happens before I ever start thinking about what I’m going to say.

I’m thinking about the seller.

What are they worried about that they haven’t told me yet?

What could happen during this process that I can prepare them for now?

Where am I telling them how good I am instead of creating an experience that lets them see it for themselves?

What have I lived through in this business that could help this particular seller make a better decision?

And maybe most importantly…

When do they actually need to know it?

Because sometimes the answer is BEFORE you’re sitting at their kitchen table.

That shift changed the way I prepare for listing appointments.

So I put the 5 questions I use into this carousel because I want you to save it and pull it back up before your next appointment.

And once you’ve figured out what you do want to communicate, there’s one more question worth asking:

What are you saying that might actually be working against you? 😬

I found 7 phrases Realtors say ALL THE TIME on listing appointments that sound completely normal and professional… but can unintentionally create friction with a seller.

I’ve said some of them too.

Comment 7 THINGS and I’ll send you the free guide. 👇

09/25/2026

You don’t need a $50,000 renovation to sell your home for top dollar.

Here’s the truth most homeowners don’t hear enough: buyers aren’t looking for brand new. They’re looking for clean, cared-for, and move-in ready.

A fresh coat of paint, updated hardware, and a little curb appeal can do more for your bottom line than a full remodel ever could.

My job isn’t to talk you into spending more than you need to. It’s to tell you exactly where your money will actually make a difference — and where it won’t.

Every home is different, and I can help you figure out what’s actually worth doing, so you get top dollar without the extra expenses that don’t move the needle.

Save this before you spend a dollar on updates, and share it with someone who’s thinking about selling in the Chicago Suburbs. If you’d like a second set of eyes on your home before you list, I’m happy to walk through it with you.

Hi, I’m Kristina your Chicago Suburban Realtor®, here to make sure you never spend more than you have to before you sell.

09/09/2026

If I were looking for a house that…

✨ Was tucked away on a quiet cul-de-sac
📍 Was in the sought-after Oakhurst community with Naperville District 204 schools
🏡 Had over 2,000 sq ft PLUS a full basement
🛏️ Had 3 bedrooms + 2.5 bathrooms
🔥 Had a big cozy family room with a brick fireplace
🍽️ Had an updated kitchen with granite + stainless steel appliances
🌳 Had a fenced backyard where the dogs could RUN
☕ Had a deck made for slow morning coffee
🔥 Had a fire pit ready for cool Illinois fall nights
🎉 Had plenty of space to entertain friends and family
🙌 Had a huge finished basement rec room PLUS storage AND unfinished space to grow into
🏋️ Gave me options for a gym, office, playroom, movie room or hobby space
🚆 Was just minutes from the Route 59 Metra + I-88
🛍️ Had shopping, restaurants, parks and bike trails close by
💰 AND already had some of the expensive stuff handled…

✔️ Roof — 2023
✔️ A/C — 2024
✔️ Backup sump — 2025
✔️ Furnace — 2026

THIS would be the one I would buy. 🏡❤️

📩 DM me for more info!

09/06/2026

If I were looking for a home in Oakhurst with Naperville schools, room to actually LIVE, and a backyard made for Illinois fall nights… THIS is the one I’d buy. 🏡🍂

Tucked away on a quiet cul-de-sac, this home has the space, updates AND location.

✨ Updated kitchen with granite + stainless steel
🔥 Brick fireplace made for cozy Sundays
🌳 Fenced backyard, refreshed deck + fire pit area
🙌 Finished basement + room to grow
🏡 Newer LVP upstairs
💰 Roof 2023 | A/C 2024 | Furnace 2026 | Backup sump 2025
🚆 Minutes to Route 59 Metra, I-88, shopping, restaurants, parks + trails

Morning coffee on the deck. Dogs running around the yard. Friends around the fire pit. Movie nights by the fireplace.

You can entertain here. Slow down here. Grow here. Make memories here.

And trust me… you’re going to want to see that backyard in person. 😍

Comment “OAKHURST” and I’ll send you the deets!

09/06/2026

09/06/2026

Realtors: if you feel like you’re making content and absolutely nobody is watching… KEEP. POSTING. 👀

I walked into my real estate office today and Kim at the front desk stopped me and gave me what might genuinely be one of the best compliments I’ve received.

She told me she sees my TikToks.

She talked about how impressed she was with my videos, my ability to speak on camera and the perspectives I share.

And it immediately reminded me of something I think SO many real estate agents need to hear:

People are watching your content who will never like it, comment on it, share it or tell you they saw it.

Especially when you’re trying to build a personal brand as a Realtor.

You might post a real estate video that gets 300 views and think, “Well, that was pointless.”

Meanwhile, one of those 300 people might remember exactly what you said six months from now when they’re thinking about selling their house.

Your job isn’t to become an influencer.

Your job is to share what you know.

If getting comfortable talking on camera feels awkward, start by talking to yourself.

Seriously.

Open your camera and talk about the conversation you had with a buyer today.

Explain the pricing mistake you wish sellers understood.

Talk about something that happened during a transaction.

Share your opinion about something happening in the real estate market.

Answer the question your client asked you three times this week.

Talk to the camera like you’re talking to ONE person who needs what you know.

Then hit post.

Because creating social media content as a real estate agent isn’t just about views and likes.

It’s about letting people experience YOU before they ever need a Realtor.

Your knowledge.
Your personality.
Your perspective.
The way you communicate.
The way you take care of people.

So if you’ve been wondering whether Realtors should still be making videos for TikTok, Instagram Reels and social media when engagement feels low…

Yes.

Somebody is watching.

You just might not know it yet. ❤️

09/06/2026

One of the strangest parts of being a “high-functioning” autistic person is that the better I function on the outside, the harder it can be for people to understand what’s happening on the inside.

You see me talk to people for a living.
You see me make videos on the internet.
You see me teach, lead, sell, laugh, dance, show up and communicate pretty damn well.

So when I say that social situations can actually be REALLY hard for me, I think sometimes people genuinely don’t understand how both things can be true.

But they are.

Sometimes I’m actively thinking about where to look, when to talk, whether I’ve been talking too long, what someone’s facial expression meant, whether they were joking, whether I responded appropriately, whether I accidentally interrupted them, whether I missed something everyone else somehow knew without anyone saying it.

And sometimes I get it wrong.

The confusing part is that because I can navigate these things successfully a lot of the time, the moments when I can’t are often interpreted as something else.

Rude.
Awkward.
Too much.
Insensitive.
Self-centered.
Weird.

When sometimes the truth is simply: I didn’t understand what was happening in the same way you did.

I’m not sharing this because I want anyone to feel sorry for me. I genuinely love who I am, including the way my brain works.

I’m sharing it because I think we could all stand to leave a little more room for the possibility that someone’s behavior means something different than the story we immediately attach to it.

You don’t have to understand someone’s brain to give them the benefit of your curiosity.

Sometimes “Why would they do that?” deserves to be an actual question instead of a conclusion. ❤️

09/06/2026

I have worked REALLY fu***ng hard to make things work that probably should have been allowed to fall apart. 😂

Businesses. Relationships. Plans. Versions of myself. Expectations I had for what my life was supposed to look like.

For a really long time, I genuinely believed that if something wasn’t working, the answer was obvious:

Try harder.

Do more.

Be better.

Figure it out.

Because quitting meant I failed… and if there is one thing about me, I can be stubborn enough to drag something that is clearly dead another 14 miles just to prove I didn’t give up. 😂

Except experience has taught me something I wish I understood a LOT earlier:

Working harder cannot fix everything.

Sometimes the business model is wrong.

Sometimes the relationship isn’t healthy.

Sometimes you’re in an environment that brings out the worst in you.

Sometimes the expectations you’re trying to meet aren’t even yours.

And sometimes you’re absolutely exhausted not because you’re incapable of doing hard things…but because you’re using all of your energy trying to force something that doesn’t fit anymore.

There is a MASSIVE difference between doing the hard work required to build something you want…

and working yourself into the ground trying to save something you’re afraid to let go of.

I’m still a hard worker. Probably always will be.

I’ve just stopped believing hard work is proof that something deserves to stay.

09/06/2026

THIS is what I mean when I talk about systems.
Not turning humans into checkboxes.
It’s taking everything your humans teach you and making sure you don’t forget it before the next human needs it.
That’s a system I can get behind.
Follow if this is your kind of business conversation.