Four Ways to Tell In the history of mankind, no first-time Mother has ever under-dressed their newborn in the winter. –Manhattan Pediatrician So which pediatrician uttered the above line? Mine (and my wife’s). What prompted that comment were the 3 layers of clothing my wife had already put on our newborn son (this was 11...Read More
Tom Sawyer would be impressed by one of my favorite stagers. Sawyer, of course, managed to get paid both by the homeowner whose fence he painted, and the boys who paid him for the privilege of actually painting it. By contrast, depending on the project, my stager gets paid by one of four parties: 1) my client (the homeowner); 2)...Read More
Managing Client Expectations Real Estate Rule #1: It’s not a done deal till the Seller leaves the closing with a check. Real Estate Rule #2: It’s not an offer till the listing agent has it in hand. One of the most exciting pieces of news a listing agent can deliver to a Seller is that...Read More
Surefire Signs How does a Realtor tell if a home they’re listing is primed to sell? (see also, “Listings and Pots of Water“; “Buyer Feedback: ‘Win, Place, or Show'”). The starting point is their own knowledge of the home relative to nearby, competing homes — as well as the Comp’s (“Comparable Sold Properties”). To sell...Read More
Why It’s Smart to Be Nice to Appraisers As I’ve written previously (“Appraisers vs. Realtors vs. Trulia“), Realtors active in an area will often field calls from appraisers trying to establish the value of similar, nearby homes. Whether the bank they’re working for is considering a new mortgage or refinancing an existing one, the questions...Read More
Second Bite at the Apple One of the cornerstones of a good home marketing campaign is exposure on Broker Tour. Held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Tuesday (at least in the Twin Cities), that’s when agents showcase their new listings to the Broker community, and other agents get to efficiently keep up with all the new inventory (and frequently, get a...Read More
