Dangers of Dual Agency: Representing the Seller, and Angling to Represent the Buyer, Too [Editor’s Note: The views expressed here are solely those of Ross Kaplan, and do not represent Edina Realty, Berkshire Hathaway, or any other entity referenced.] I just went through a “For Sale” home on high-profile France Avenue near Minneapolis’ Cedar Lake,...Read More
Giving Agents a Green Light to Go to Bat for Their Clients “No man can serve two masters.” –New Testament [Editor’s Note: The views expressed here are solely those of Ross Kaplan, and do not represent Edina Realty, Berkshire Hathaway, or any other entity referenced.] Unlike, say, many financial advisors, Realtors owe their clients a...Read More
Benign (and Not So Benign) Explanations The benign explanation for why there’s a “For Sale” sign in front of a home, but it’s not formally listed on MLS, is that there’s a brief timing difference. The sign installation companies typically show up anywhere from 3-5 days after receiving an order, and can be behind schedule...Read More
First Come, First Served? Maybe “Owner-occupied offers only through 10/10/2013. Offers will be submitted upon receipt.” –Excerpt, “Agent Remarks” on MLS foreclosure listing Why is the listing agent reassuring Buyers’ agents (the only ones who can see “Agent Remarks” on MLS) that “offers will be submitted upon receipt?” And exactly what do they mean by...Read More
Blast From the Past — Like, 2005 More signs that at least some segments of today’s housing market are overheating: I am hearing about — and running into personally — “For Sale” homes . . . that really aren’t. That is, they sell almost immediately after coming on the market, but the listing agent neglects...Read More
Non-Listed Listed Homes One of the side effects of a seller’s market is more homeowners who believe that they can sell their home without a Realtor (called “For Sale by Owner,” or “FSBO”). Here’s another: homes putatively listed by a Realtor, but nowhere to be found on MLS (Multiple Listing Service, the repository for all...Read More