Synonyms for “Drip”: ‘Spray,’ ‘Drizzle,’ ‘Bombard’ Thanks to technology, I can now automatically send everyone whose email address I know — and my Rolodex has 1,900 names — a weekly (or daily, or hourly!) real estate “update.” But I don’t. That’s because they’re annoying and impersonal. Speaking (only?) for myself, I like to practice what...Read More
Turning Up the Heat on a (Very) Cold Trail Once every month or so, I get a voicemail like the one I got today: “Hi, this is Bob Smith at Smith Realty. I don’t know if you remember or not, but you showed my client’s home at 123 Elm Street in December(!), when it was...Read More
“Let Us Know If You Want to Buy One” In a Buyer’s market, it’s hardly unusual for home sellers to practically scream their virtues — and lots of them. And then there’s this sign outside a Delano broker’s office that I drove past today (Delano is about 30 miles west of downtown Minneapolis). “We have...Read More
Is Virtual Staging “the Next Big Thing?” The “next big thing” in real estate likely has nothing to do with “social media” (Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.). Rather, my guess is that it’s “virtual staging” — using software to simulate what an empty house would look like (nicely) furnished and accessorized (wall art, area rugs, mirrors, etc.)...Read More
Who Gets to Exercise “Editorial Control?” “Final cut” in the movie business means who gets final say over the editing process. Directors want it because it assures them creative control; the studios want it because they’re bankrolling the film — and want it to make money. Something similar goes on in residential real estate with...Read More
Buyers Who Find Sellers Want to know listing agents’ “dirty little marketing secret?” Sometimes, they don’t find Buyers — Buyers find them. With today’s advanced technology, social networking, etc., it’s increasingly common for Buyers’ Agents to broadcast exactly what their Buyers are looking for. They do that at Realtor meetings; on Broker Web sites (Edina...Read More
