“Pardon my French Condensation” Notwithstanding the oppressive weather in the Twin Cities the past few days, I’ve been busy showing homes. Which means viewing homes with tons of condensation on the windows; walking through basements with leaky or overflowing dehumidifiers; and seeing a/c coils that are laboring mightily. To their credit, in each case the listing...Read More
Now? Is it Warm Enough Now? In a post this Spring titled, “The Strategic Use of ‘Coming Soon!’,” I discussed listing agents who alert prospective Buyers about prospective fixes that will be done when weather permits. The obvious corollary to that post: such tactics are time-limited. So, informing prospective Buyers that “The Garage Door Will be Painted When...Read More
First Things First Every couple months or so, I’m on the receiving end of what I call “the full court press” in my capacity as a listing agent (representing a Seller). So, the Buyer’s agent will call or email me wanting to know what’s been updated in the home (or not), how much the monthly utilities...Read More
“It Takes One to Know One” Which Realtors (besides me) do the best job marketing their listings? Ask other Realtors. While the general public receives Realtor postcards, fridge magnets, solicitations to price their home, etc., Realtor-to-Realtor marketing these days is 99% electronic — specifically, emailed flyers touting pre-listings, new listings, and price reductions. To catch...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
“Shhh! Don’t Tell Anyone My House is for Sale” “Listing agent will not also represent Buyer.” –Clause added to every listing contract I sign If your Realtor will agree to the foregoing clause — as I do on every listing I’ve ever handled — you don’t need to worry about a “pocket listing.” That’s because the Realtor...Read More
