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
Coronavirus Arrives in U.S.: Just “Health Care Workers” & “Civilians” Now [Note to Readers: The views expressed here are solely those of Ross Kaplan, and do not represent Edina Realty, Berkshire Hathaway (“Berkshire”), or any other entity referenced. Edina Realty is a subsidiary of Berkshire.] The good news is, we badly needed something to unify...Read More
Passing on Overpriced Listings Everyone knows this famous passage from The Serenity Prayer: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.” —Reinhold Niebuhr Here’s my version for listing agents (Realtors representing home sellers): “God, grant me...Read More
Looking For a Realtor? Or (Lots & Lots of) Compliments? I heard about a prospective home Seller the other day who interviewed seven (!) Realtors to list their home (I wasn’t one of them). To be sure, the home was a multi-million dollar estate on Lake Minnetonka, but still ” seven Realtors?? I’m sure that...Read More
Blast From the Past** [Note to Readers: The views expressed here are solely those of Ross Kaplan, and do not represent Edina Realty, Berkshire Hathaway (“Berkshire”), or any other entity referenced. Edina Realty is a subsidiary of Berkshire.] So . . . exactly how do you get multiple offers for a home in today’s housing...Read More
Rules of Thumb Veteran Realtors know that $1 in deferred maintenance subtracts much more than that from a home’s sales price. The ratio can be 3:1, 4:1 or even higher. While the exact amount is house and buyer-specific, at least anecdotally, there seem to be two factors that widen the discount. One. Price Point. First-time...Read More
