3,000 Bonus Points vs. $60 Quick! Which sounds more valuable? Sixty dollars, or 3,000 bonus points? If you guessed the latter, you’d have lots of company — and be flat wrong (at least, according to the terms of a year-end credit card promotion I just received). Conversion Confusion Assuming 15,000 points converts into a $300...Read More
(Adult) Kids Who Recommend Their Realtor to Their Parents As Millennials become more active in the housing market (yay!), their Realtors (myself included) are enjoying a fringe benefit: a leg up marketing to their Baby Boomer parents. I see two reasons why “the kids’ Realtor” has the inside track landing their parents’ business — often,...Read More
So THAT’S Why It’s Been For Sale Forever (Maybe) As I tell clients, the “good stuff” on MLS is invariably buried in the “Agent Remarks” field — which consumers can’t see — rather than the “Public Remarks” field, which they can. Even so, I can’t previously recall a listing agent trying to defuse a VERY...Read More
“Nice Try” Department I give the listing agent (representing the Seller) credit for trying: the line (above) certainly sounds like a compliment. And it may even have been true, once upon a time. But, best guesses are: a) the home was built a long time ago; and b) it’s hardly beautiful now (there were no pictures accompanying...Read More
Market Exposure > Days on Market; When 1 Week on the Market ≠1 Week on the Market I’m a big fan of aggressive, pre-list marketing. One of the easiest (and cheapest!) methods, especially for a home in a high-profile, high-demand location: install the “For Sale” sign early, and attach a “Coming Soon” rider (note:...Read More
Three Bathrooms? Or 1.75? I just previewed a Golden Valley home for out-of-town clients, and now understand why the home — which appears well-priced and is located in a “demand” neighborhood — has been sitting on the market since last Fall, at ever-lower prices. Strike #1 was the number of Bathrooms. According to MLS —...Read More
