Tackling the Big Stuff ” or Just Cosmetics? Occasionally, I see a listing agent who takes pains to assure Buyers’ agents in the “Agent Remarks” field on MLS (seen only by Realtors) that the home “is not a flip.” What’s going on? The listing agent (representing the Seller) wants Buyers to know that the home...Read More
Bad Call? The best way to sell a house is to exceed Buyers’ expectations (plus dangle a tempting price, and stir up lots of “pre-list” and “new list” buzz). The corollary? “The best way to lose a Buyer is to disappoint them.” —-Ross Kaplan, “Realtor Sales Secrets”; City Lakes Real Estate Blog. Is it a mistake not to...Read More
Getting Your (Realtor) Money’s Worth “Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is, I don’t know which half.” —John Wanamaker. Fortunately for Realtors, it’s actually pretty easy to tell if the money you shell out on a bus bench each month (about $65 in the Twin Cities) is worth it. Here...Read More
Retail vs. Wholesale Open Houses One of the best, early omens for a new listing is when agents leaving the Broker Open casually toss off compliments like “nice listing,” “good job!,” or simply “congratulations.” What’s another? When several newer, less experienced agents contact you, asking if they can hold a weekend open house at your...Read More
Home Price as a Moving Target “Those who know, don’t talk; and those who talk, don’t know.” —Stock market saying. What’s true in the stock market is also true in real estate. Namely, the value of what Realtors call a “Comparative Market Analysis” (“CMA”) that can be had for free is . . . about what...Read More
Realtors’ Investment: Skill, Time, & Marketing $$$ How long should a listing contract be? The short answer: “long enough to sell the property being listed.” How long that is ” assuming that the home is well-priced, staged, and marketed ” is typically a function of price. Under $250k in the Twin Cities today, you’d estimate 20-40...Read More
