“It Only Takes One” Q: What do you call the person who finishes last in their medical school class? A. “Doctor.” It may surprise non-Realtors to hear that even well-prepped, well-priced homes ” destined to sell quickly for full price or very close ” typically collect more “Nay’s” than “Yea’s” from prospective Buyers. But it’s...Read More
Realtors’ Investment: Skill, Time, & Marketing $$$ How long should a listing contract be? The short answer: “long enough to sell the property being listed.” How long that is ” assuming that the home is well-priced, staged, and marketed ” is typically a function of price. Under $250k in the Twin Cities today, you’d estimate 20-40...Read More
TV Realtors Manuever For Listings Who’s the “she” in the “She lied. She Cheated. She Won?” tag line (above)? Phi Dunphy arch-rival Realtor Mitzi Roth, played by a very believable Ellen Barkin. In an episode titled, “Send Out the Clowns,” Mitzi outmanuevers Phil for a choice listing by showing up at the Seller’s home at the same time...Read More
The Gold Standard for Staging Advice “Nice listing . . . Congrats!“ —Uttered by exiting Buyers’ agents at a broker open; when the listing agent knows the price is right and the home is likely to sell quickly. See, “Realtor Compliments.“ The equivalent for a staging job well done is when the client appreciatively remarks...Read More
Ala Carte Disclosure vs. “All or Nothing” [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. If you need legal advice, please consult an attorney.] Unlike, say, Minnesota’s mandatory Seller Disclosure, home sellers in multiple offers have complete discretion...Read More
When “Sold” Doesn’t Mean “Sold” At least in Minnesota, when you see a “Sold” rider above a “For Sale” sign in front of a house, it doesn’t mean “Sold” ” it means “Pending.” Huh? The (admittedly confusing) convention is to pronounce a home that’s under contract and past Inspection ” but not yet closed ”...Read More
