“Pick a Card House, Any Card House!” I’ve certainly heard the insinuation: by shuffling the order they show a series of homes, Realtors can subtly (or not so subtly) “guide” their Buyer’s decision to buy the home they want them to. Specifically, the supposed strategy is to show the most promising property either first or...Read More
How Well Does a Home “Show?” Savvy Sellers (and their agents) know that buying a home is an inherently emotional process. Accordingly, they take the necessary steps to make sure that — in Realtors’ lingo — the home “shows well.” In a nutshell, that means that the home is made to look as inviting as possible: everything...Read More
“Just Say ‘No'” — Home Seller Version If serious home Buyers (and their Realtors) usually plan their showings well in advance, it’s a good rule of thumb that last-minute showing requests are typically . . . just curious. See, “Dealing with Emergency Showings.” Which is why I give home Sellers I represent permission to say “No,”...Read More
Strategic Use of Showing Feedback Forms It can be a conundrum for both Buyers’ agents and listing agents (representing Sellers): a new-to-market property in a hot neighborhood looks like it’s going to sell quickly, and everyone wants to know what’s going on. Without overplaying their hand. As a listing agent, it’s presumptuous to call an...Read More
Conduit vs. Filter One of the subtlest yet most important judgments Realtors regularly make is, “when do they tell their client about a deal development or given piece of news?” The short answer? It depends. Specifically, it depends on three things: 1) the news; 2) the client; and 3) the Realtor. So, rookie Realtors tend to act...Read More
“The Plausibility Test” One of the biggest questions for Buyers interested in making an offer on a particular home is, “who else is interested?” (i.e., “do I have competition?”). Of course, the ultimate expression of interest is an actual, written offer; if the listing agent has received one (or more) — believe me, you’ll know. See, “Is...Read More
