“Highest & Best,” Defined [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.] If this Spring housing market is like any other, it’s guaranteed that at least a few home...Read More
Savvy Strategy for Getting Realtor Referrals Smart Realtors know that the most important people coming through weekend open houses aren’t necessarily checking out the house. Rather, they’re checking out them. Specifically, the open house visitors — often neighbors — want to see if the agent is doing a good job marketing the home, is knowledgeable, easy to talk...Read More
Highest & Best Due When?!? What’s the giveaway that the listing agent who sent the email above Saturday morning is likely a newbie — or, at least, not so experienced handling multiple offers? The 10 a.m. Sunday deadline. Given that the Edina home just debuted on the market Friday, that means Buyers (and their agents)...Read More
To be sure, there are some needle-in-the-haystack properties that truly require Buyer — and Buyer’s agent — patience to find. In the Twin Cities, that includes bigger, updated condo’s near the Lakes (the developers are all building luxury apartments); waterfront estates on Lake Minnetonka; and downtown Minneapolis condo’s with views and over 1,500 square feet...Read More
Realtor Showings, Previews, and “Quasi-Showings” A Realtor showing is straightforward: it’s when an agent privately takes their client through a “For Sale” property. Just the Realtor and client (no homeowner), usually for an hour — much less, if it’s a “pass” for the client. Similarly, a public open house is self-explanatory: it’s when agents throw...Read More
Proof That High Pressure Sales Tactics Don’t Work At least in my experience, the odds of any one showing leading to a consummated transaction are perhaps 1 in 10. The exception to that? If the Buyer’s agent is headed to the airport, or otherwise under acute time pressure. When that’s the case, I’d estimate that...Read More
