Hiding Highlighting Potential Dealbreakers OK, so the listing agent (representing the Seller) didn’t tell prospective Buyers that they may want to skip her client’s “For Sale” Edina home. She told Buyers’ agents. Specifically, the listing agent used an MLS section only visible to Realtors, “Agent Remarks,” to highlight a potential deal breaker: If your clients...Read More
How to Encourage Showings During a Pandemic “The health and safety during the COVID 19 crisis is our top priority. We will not be allowing overlapping showings, and we have supplied sanitation wipes & had sanitizer that we ask you use when entering and exiting the home! As per our MLS, we will not be...Read More
MLS: “Immediate Possession Possible” [Note to Readers: The views expressed here are solely those of Ross Kaplan, and do not represent Edina Realty, Berkshire Hathaway (“Berkshire”), or any other entity referenced. Edina Realty is a subsidiary of Berkshire.] “Minnesota Schools Will Close for Eight Days to Slow Coronavirus” –Headline, Star Tribune (3/15/2020). What do you...Read More
When Doesn’t “Sold” Mean “Sold?” When it comes to residential real estate, when does “Sold” not mean “Sold?” When it means “Pending” (as in, when there’s a big, bold “Sold” sign in front of a “For Sale” home). Huh?!? At least in Minnesota, once the Buyer’s Inspection has been removed,** the convention is to switch...Read More
Putting (Too) Good a Face on Things? It’s a fact of (real estate) life: sales fall through. Buyers change their minds. Inspection issues come up. Buyers can’t get financing* (the honest explanation at least 80% of the time). When any of those (or other) unhappy events occur, listing agents have the demoralizing task of switching...Read More
Fake News vs. Fake Blogs “Those who know, don’t talk; those who talk, don’t know.” –Wall Street saying. “Those who sell, don’t blog; those who blog, don’t sell.” –Real estate corollary. Yeah, yeah, I know the knock on Realtor-bloggers (Exhibit A: yours truly): they — we –don’t actually sell real estate (or at least, not...Read More
