Passing on Unsaleable Listings Want a good Realtor to list (and ideally, sell) your home? In a Twin Cities market full of fussy Buyers and lots of inventory (with notable exceptions), you’d better meet the following three criteria. One. Be motivated. No, “motivated” doesn’t mean “desperate.” To a Realtor, a “motivated seller” is someone who’s willing...Read More
Keeping the “Pipeline” Full I’m sure I’m not the only Realtor scratching their head (at least a little) about why their recent MLS statistics belie their crazy work weeks (I’ve been going 70-80 hours a week virtually since February). The explanation? MLS statistics are a lagging indicator. They’re also incomplete. Examples What does MLS track by...Read More
“The Goldilocks Approach” Anyone who’s done a Web search — which means everyone — knows the problem: type in an overly broad search, and it returns a zillion hits. However, type in an overly narrow or restrictive search, and it returns zero hits. A home’s list price works the same way, albeit in reverse. Too...Read More
Do Realtors Really Add Value? [Note: Since it appeared more than 3(!) years ago, this post has become one of the all-time most popular on City Lakes Real Estate — just on the earlier (software) version of this blog. I’m re-posting it now for the benefit of blog newcomers, and to make it easier for the search engines to find...Read More
Maybe, But Not Because the Listing Agent Says So Stock market investors are accustomed to analysts who discuss a company’s prospects, and recount a long list of negative or at least worrisome issues. But then they slap a “Buy” rating on the stock, anyways, because they believe “the bad news is already priced in” —...Read More
Yellow Flag: ‘Pending’ Back to ‘Active.’ Fools rush in where angels fear to tread. –Alexander Pope To get their arms around a listing, especially when they have a Buyer in the wings, veteran agents like to poke through the home’s MLS history. How long has the home been on the market? How many price reductions...Read More
