Best Advice to Home Sellers: “Tell What You Know” Homeowners can be forgiven for not knowing the difference between a special assessment that’s “pending,” vs. one’s that “levied” ” as opposed to one that is assessed and currently payable. Realtors have trouble keeping those terms straight as well. The best advice to give prospective home...Read More
“I’m Not Being Rude . . . I’m Just Being a Realtor” It’s purely anecdotal, but my guess is that nobody can (and does!) end a conversation faster than a veteran Realtor. They/we aren’t being short or abrupt. Rather, we’re just juggling lots of balls, and know that, when a hard-to-reach client pops up on your caller ID...Read More
“Fake it till you make it.” —Career advice to newbie real estate agents. In a hyper-competitive field where sales bluster is an ever-present temptation, real estate agents aren’t exactly the type to betray ignorance or confess a lack of confidence. And even consummate Realtors with years of experience can’t predict the future, any more than...Read More
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 last: the first home “sets the bar” for...Read More
The Email No Prospective Buyer — or Their Agent — Wants to Get Your frustrated client finally found something they’re excited about. Everyone rearranges their schedule to see the property ASAP. Then, just before the showing, the Buyer’s agent receives an email from the listing agent (representing the Seller) that they’ve received an offer. #$@%!#!...Read More
Outsource vs. Do-It-Yourself; Racing the Inspection Clock (or Not) True or false: the $10 home radon tests sold at home improvement stores (Home Depot, Lowe’s, etc.) are less reliable than the $200+ tests performed by professional home inspectors (note: the do-it-yourself kits also charge a $35 lab fee for normal processing turnaround, for a total...Read More