“$2,000 bonus to Realtor at closing.” –Excerpt, “Agent Remarks” section of MLS listing Most Realtors (at least the ones I know) are bottom line-oriented. So, is “goosing” the payout offered to Buyers’ agents a good way to move a listing faster and/or for more money? In my experience, yes — up to a point. It’s...Read More
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 hasn’t...Read More
“Dear Listing Agent: Please Call to Discuss My Client’s Offer” It doesn’t happen often, but once in awhile a Buyer’s agent will shoot an offer to a Listing Agent (representing the Seller) and wait for a response. And wait, and wait, and wait (note to laymen: “Realtor time” is faster than “normal time.” So, a...Read More
When to Hold Onto an Offer, Or, It Takes Two (**Four?) to Tango The first question a Buyer’s agent contemplating writing an offer this weekend should ask is, “is there anyone around to receive it* (and then respond)? Assuming the answer is “no,” either because the listing agent and/or homeowner are unavailable, what do you...Read More
Five Job Duties In “Realtor Job Description,” I summarized what good agents do in their capacity as a “Listing agent” (representing Sellers) and as a “Buyer’s agent” representing . . . . (obvious, right? Except that after closing, the Buyer’s Agent is referred to as the “Selling agent”). In this post, I’ll discuss modern Realtors’ five...Read More
How to Go From 13,000 Homes for Sale to . . . 20 (or Zero!) Water, water, everywhere, Nor any drop to drink. –Samuel Taylor Coleridge, “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” Yes, inventory is notoriously tight this Spring. But there ARE 13,000 homes for sale in the Twin Cities at the moment, spanning literally dozens...Read More
