Best Advice to Home Sellers: “Tell What You Know” (Whatever That Is) [Note to Readers: 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.] Homeowners can be forgiven for not knowing the...Read More
Pluses & Minuses (2 Apiece) At least in my experience, for every long-time homeowner who’s (overly) invested in their home, psychologically-speaking, and can only see it through rose-colored glasses, there are another 3 (or 10!) hoping their home is a teardown, especially if it’s located in a hot area. Ditto for the listing agent waiting in...Read More
. . . and Isn’t Likely to Volunteer Fake it till you make it.” —Career advice to newbie real estate agents. In a hyper-competitive field where sales bluster is an ever-present temptation, real estate agents aren’t exactly the type to betray ignorance or confess a lack of confidence. And even consummate Realtors with years of...Read More
The First Second to Know Want to know who just got a plum, new job out-of-town? Is about to lose their current one? Getting divorced? Just had a financial windfall? Or, for that matter, any number of other highly personal news? Ask their Realtor. Loose Lips Sink . . . Realtors Except, of course, that a good Realtor will never...Read More
“That’s Rich” may not have the protean meanings of some other phrases, like “Shut Up!!” or “Hot Dog!” See, “Shut Up!” Has 9 Different Meanings? Shut Up!! (No, YOU Shut Up!)”; and “The Many Guises of “Hot Dog.'” But, it has more definitions than you might initially guess: One. Caloric. “That chocolate cake sure is rich.”...Read More
Beauty in the Eye of the Beholder Buyer When should a listing agent (representing the Seller) explicitly acknowledge in their marketing that a home “needs cosmetic updates” (or the equivalent)? Less often than you might guess. Here are my three reasons why: One. The pictures tell the story. For years, websites like EdinaRealty.com have allowed...Read More
