High Profile Agents (and Their Business Models) If working with a Realtor with a huge ego is a deal breaker, you’re in luck: there’s an easy way to identify such agents. Just look up when you’re out and about driving (but only for a second 🙂 ). Hands Off (or is that, “Hand Off??”) At...Read More
Before and After Pix Painting stucco used to be a “no-no”: the exterior paint didn’t adhere well, which meant that, forever after, the home needed frequent re-painting. Which sort of defeated the purpose of stucco in the first place: its famously low maintenance. Now, thanks to more stucco-friendly products, the interval between re-painting is much...Read More
The Case For ” and Against In a microcosm, the considerations for doing an open house over Memorial Day weekend are the same as for deciding whether to list a home during a traditionally slow time of the year (like around the holidays). Here’s how the arguments shape up: Pros: —Not much competition from other open...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
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
Weighing Advertising Cost vs. Perceived Value “Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is, I don’t know which half.” –John Wanamaker. So, how do Realtors tell if they’re spending their precious marketing dollars wisely? It’s purely anecdotal, but here’s my test: I simply ask whether my intended audience’s perception of value...Read More
