Virtual Staging Traps for the (Legally) Unwary [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 you’re a prospective home Seller, and your listing agent is using virtual photography...Read More
Homes with “Great Personalities” & Other White Lies [Editor’s Note: While I do my best to avoid such euphemisms in my own capacity as a listing agent (representing Sellers), let me offer two (sort of) defenses on behalf of Realtors who are less circumspect: 1) beauty is frequently in the eye of the beholder, i.e.,...Read More
Undermining Seller Credibility Either the Kitchen in the photo above has a walk-in, commercial-sized freezer. Or, something’s not quite right about the photo dimensions. Based on the other Kitchen photos accompanying the listing, the answer is option #2. Never Just One Cockroach So, what is the other reason not to use a wide-angle lens or...Read More
Pre-List Networking Trial Balloon I’ve been in real estate sales for 18 years, and I still have no idea what a “$500-ish” price is. $520k, perhaps? Maybe $485k? In truth, I can imagine a “$500-ish” price falling anywhere between $480k to $530k or even higher. Buyer Trap? Which is no doubt precisely the point, especially...Read More
Law of Diminishing Returns Show me a “For Sale” home that’s open Sunday after Sunday, rain or shine, and I’ll show you a house where: a) the home is likely overpriced and going nowhere in the market; b) a frustrated Realtor is trying to placate an impatient owner; or most likely c) both “a.” and...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
