When Hovering is a Good Thing 90% of life is just showing up. –Woody Allen “Helicopter parent?” Not so good. “Helicopter Realtor?” The best kind. So, what does a “helicopter Realtor” do? Umm, well, they . . . hover. Not just during the initial stage(s) of the listing, when the marketing is coming together, but at key,...Read More
When Less is More Things should be made as simple as possible — but not simpler. –Albert Einstein Listing agents should use as many photos as necessary to convey a sense of the home — but not more. –Real estate corollary; Ross Kaplan Just because MLS allows listing agents to include up to 18 photos...Read More
Real Estate Synonyms — and Antonyms Test your knowledge of real estate marketing and answer the following “True or False” question: “Meticulously maintained” means the same thing as “updated”: A. True B. False Answer: False In fact, “meticulously maintained” is almost always Realtor code for not updated. P.S. : Ditto for synonyms such as “well-loved,”...Read More
The malady? Lack of Buyer urgency — especially amongst the folks coming through weekend open houses (assuming that they really are Buyers). The cure? There’s only one (at least that I know): other, serious Buyer interest in a particular home. Which in turn is a function of the home’s price, condition, and — yup! — good...Read More
Corollary: “Would Your Client Accept $X for Their Home?” I don’t know about other agents, but lately I’ve been seeing an evolution in showing feedback questions regarding price opinions. The forms used to ask whether the Buyer thought the home was priced at market, and if not, what price they thought was right. Now, I’m receiving forms (and emails...Read More
“Go This Way (Not That Way)” The most interesting thing about this morning’s Exceptional Properties meeting — at a $3.5 million chalet-style mansion in Southwest Edina — wasn’t the home, but the route the listing agent marked for Realtors attending the meeting. Especially when a home is tucked away or otherwise hard to find, it’s...Read More
