Proof That High Pressure Sales Tactics Don’t Work At least in my experience, the odds of a first showing leading to a consummated transaction are perhaps 1 in 10. The exception to that? If the Buyer’s agent is headed to the airport, or otherwise under acute time pressure. When that’s the case, I’d estimate that the...Read More
Home Maintenance “To Do” List, Late Fall Edition** At least from my perspective as a Realtor, less important than who takes responsibility for blowing out (winterizing) the sprinkler system in the Fall, is that someone does it. If not, the system can rupture due to freezing, causing both extensive flooding and expensive pipe repair. Common...Read More
The Problem(s) With Blind Solicitations In a housing market characterized by still-scarce inventory and frustrated Buyers (especially at lower price points), it seems like an obvious tactic if not smart Realtor marketing: proactive Buyers’ agents who send a blind letter to a targeted block or neighborhood inquiring whether anyone is contemplating selling. While I know...Read More
Listing Agent Retort: “I’ll Tell You Right After You Tell Me How High the Buyer is Willing to Go” You (almost) never hear a listing agent (representing a Seller) say to a Buyer’s agent at the outset of negotiations: “let’s cut to the chase; what’s the most your Buyer will pay for my client’s property?”...Read More
Is There a Statute of Limitations on Asterisk Clauses? [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.] For the uninitiated, an “asterisk clause” Purchase Agreement — invariably for a home...Read More
“The More Things Change” Department Once upon a time, when I started selling real estate in 2002, the worksheet that Buyers and Sellers signed at closing was simply known as . . . the settlement statement (or just the closing worksheet, to avoid any jargon). Then it became the “HUD-1” (HUD stands for “Housing and Urban Development,” the federal...Read More
