Tackling the Big Stuff ” or Just Cosmetics? Occasionally, I see a listing agent who takes pains to assure Buyers’ agents in the “Agent Remarks” field on MLS (seen only by Realtors) that the home “is not a flip.” What’s going on? The listing agent (representing the Seller) wants Buyers to know that the home...Read More
Home Buyer Dis: “Looks Like Too Many Trips to Home Depot” What makes a home “stuck in Pergatory?” Too much Pergo, for one thing (sorry, bad pun). For those who don’t know, Pergo is a laminate made to look like hardwood floors, and is about half the price per square foot as the real thing....Read More
Negotiating One Deal ” or Two?? [Note to Readers: The views expressed here are solely those of Ross Kaplan, and do not represent Edina Realty, Berkshire Hathaway, or any other entity referenced. If you need legal advice, please consult an attorney.] Good agents instinctively know that “he who negotiates least, negotiates best.” Which is why...Read More
When “Sold” Doesn’t Mean “Sold” At least in Minnesota, when you see a “Sold” rider above a “For Sale” sign in front of a house, it doesn’t mean “Sold” ” it means “Pending.” Huh?? The (admittedly confusing) convention is to pronounce a home that’s under contract and past Inspection ” but not yet closed ”...Read More
MLS: “$10,000 Agent Selling Bonus!” My gut tells me that Realtor sales incentives generally don’t work, based on the following, three-step logic: 1) Anything effective tends to be copied in the marketplace; 2) Empirically, home sellers (and their agents) seldom offer sales incentives to Buyers’ agents (above and beyond the payout commission, that is); 3) Ergo,...Read More
English, Please! To be fair to the listing agent (representing the Seller), the sentence above was in the “Agent Remarks” field on MLS, not the “Public Remarks” section. But, for the benefit of Buyers whose agents print out the unabridged, “Agent Full” report (I do for my clients), here’s the translation: “This 1925 Linden Hills...Read More
