Crystal Ball Real Estate

Zillow and Trulia - not too good!

Realtors are beginning to see the advantage being taken by the ' lead providers' as they use our information, photos, intellectual information and then sell it back - not always correct and misleading in that sometimes the ' subscribers" get the 'leads' and not the Realtor who generated the information -doesn't that sound screwy? and the public uses the 'information' to assess the market - which is not an accurate tally of business.

What works in Real Estate advertising?

Sellers always ask what advertising you do for them? A good question - the selling starts with a motivated seller - not one ' testing' the market. The professional agent can make suggestions for adding value to the property - i.e., a building inspection prior to listing so the seller knows what a buyer will find- and take care of problems that might occur...driippy faucets, electrical connections that dont work, asbestos, oil tank and condition, location,wall paper that is all over, wall to wall carpeting that is old or dated. Photos of the property help - 80% of buyers study the MLS information before calling an agent to actually ' see' a home. Newspaper ads are nice, but dont sell anything. Immediate information does - videos, floor plans, internet access is where today's buyer starts,, and continues till closing. Post cards - an old fashioned mode of communication - still registers with the neighbors and homeowners near the home for sale - they are curious = and want to know what is going on in a neighborhood. Easy access - to a property - with the use of a key box - in our system the user is immediately identified on my computer - as to time of use and what office that agent is with - Having to deal with dogs, sleeping infants as reasons to delay a showing are a deterrent. This is a job - and Realtors like to do it as quickly as possible - and not have to make 4 phone calls to find out how to show a property. Good information is vital - i phones, i pads, etc all the tools of today's buyer - are in use. Word of mouth!!!! very important -the Realtor's community connections, via Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin -are part o the puzzle. Then the most important aspect is the price. Determined by the seller - with the information provided by the Realtor - realistic and adjusted to conditions of the market place. Rejection, by the agents and by the buyers indicates an out of step price, and lamenting about the market is not a solution. The prices of homes in 2005 and 2006 will not be renewed for years. (now North Dakota has that kind of a market due to the oil being harvested there) but in general, the leveling off is still taking place - and home owners who purchased their homes during that period should be happy they had the house they loved for these years - and paid a lot for that joy. So after all is written and done - make the price the most attractive aspect of the home sale - and get on with your life.

What the millennium generation wants?

Interesting session on the 17to 35 aged buyers....smaller, economical places...close to work...and to the jobs they like...how to sell them homes in a quick and accurate way with information ,,,,with interpretations of market conditions..what a CRS can provide.(Certified Residential Specialist )...all those letters that mean more education And training that can help them make wise decisions.

CRS sell a Bration 2012,

Great sessions at ArizonaGrand Resort with about 400 other CRS Realtors from US, and about 40 Realtors from Spain. Topics include technology,Google apps and a host of topics and marketing approaches...e.g QR codes on sign riders...videos on web sites, neighborhood photos etc...lots to do...

Sell abration - CRS days!

Leaving for Phoenix this morning for 3 days of CRS classes and networking - this is the event I won the tuition for at last year's event -always a good learning experience and seeing old friends - probably the 9th or 10th one I've gone to. Of course, the one in Hawaii was great too. Wonder where it will be next year?That's Certiied Real estate Specialist - just renewed the CIPS membership - that just ends up being 2 free breakfasts at meetings - one at the mid-year meeting in DC and one at the NAR meeting - also good networking. (Certified International Property Specialist)

Cold weather and Real Estate!

It is cold - and that brings out buyers who are buyers -others stay home and bake cookies to eat during the play off games - ( which start late enough)

The 'homing' instinct comes out - and before Memorial Day and vacation planning, anyone who has contemplated buying - will be looking in the next few months. Priced right - the house will get sold. ( also clean, attractive and with the number of rooms/baths the buyer expects for that amount of money)

If they comment 'the house is too small', or the 'kitchen is too old' the rest of the sentence is ' for that amount of money' ...they won't say that, but that is the rest of the 'line'. If you get that feedback a few times, adjust the price to accommodate the ' size' factor or the 'new' factor of the house.

Crystal Ball....sparkles!

All indicators are that a good market is around the corner -interest rates are still low - pent up demand for housing is lurking behind the curtains -lots of renters want to get 'out' and have their own washer dryer, garage and space. All predictors say that too - we have seen lots of activity and calls - so, if you are a buyer, you might just have to deal with multiple offers - we are in a desirable area, near trains, buses and the main world airports. We have sidewalks, trees, shops, great restaurants over 250 clubs and organizations and civic and service clubs. And oddly enough = when you see something you like, there might just be a similar purchaser ....and if sellers aim to please -they'll get it all together.Bright sparkly house,clean windows, right price, easy to show and motivation.

New Hampshire primary

I just love these commentators on msnbc What will Florida bring?

New Hampshire primary

I just love these commentators on msnbc What will Florida bring?

Rental market buzzzzzzy!

We are getting many rental calls - and many people are renting! Why? Cheaper than buying a house. Less work than owning a house. A good way to check out a town. To get children in the school system ( a very good one!) From house rentals at $ 5,000 to small apartments at $1,000 - there is a movement. We charge a finders' fee - one months's rent - require 1 and 1/2 month security for landlord - a credit check and if there are pets - a good reference for the pets too. There are apartments, and two family homes - condos and single family houses. Apartments over commercial areas - and the always favorite ' carriage house' ( sounds romantic - many times is small, and over a garage!) but secluded and in a pretty area. The tenant pays the fee - the landlord sometimes will pay the fee to entice a quick rental -but the competition still creates the demand - and the tenants pay. Craigs' list is also a source of information =- be wary of scams tho - we had one where the landlord was asking for a deposit -sent to Nigeria - on a property that was not even on the market....information had been gleaned from a mls system, incorrect and with a very attractive low rent. The local paper - the weekly paper - the Montclair Times runs rental ads, and some apartment buildings have signs outside with phone numbers . Landlords call us to list properties because we do the credit checks and are able to show the properties at any time ----