What Makes a “Bad” Real Estate Agent?
What makes a "bad" real estate agent? Easy question to ask, but first we need to define what "bad" means. And "good." My first thoughts on what makes a "bad" agent real estate agent: Poor communication - with fellow professionals, and/or with their clients, potential…
Professionalism? Meh, says NAR
tl;dr - the National Association of Realtors likes the status quo; Zillow recognize that quality matters. (more…)
Why Should you Trust Me?
The question is - "Why should you trust me?" The question was there, but I hadn't expressed it. I was researching some headphones the other day at what I perceive to be one of the more credible sites out there, The Wirecutter, and noticed the…
Tinder. For Realtors
This is the perception that good Realtors fight every day. I don't even know what to say, other than, Stop It. What is Tinder? Tinder is an app for iOS (iPhone, iPod Touches, iPads, etc.) and Android devices meant to make it easy to meet new…
Real Estate Licensing in Virginia does not Equate Competence
You know what leads to competence? Practice. "the Principles of Real Estate course doesn't talk about completing a contract" Because ... how often does a real estate agent write a contract, right? :) Note: Principles of Real Estate is the course that all new real…
NAR’s New Ad: Hit or Miss?
It's been a while since I've written about the National Association of Realtors and their sometimes mis-guided, self-serving ad campaigns* and lamentably, today is one of those days where I feel I need to say, "I'm a Realtor, but I reject their current ad campaign."…
But it’s Family! (or Why to Think Twice About Hiring your Family Realtor)
"I'd love to use you as a realtor, but my brother is a Realtor in another part of the state and to not use him would not make much sense for me. It makes viewing houses a bit more inconvenient, but it's family!" or "She's…
Lawrence Yun is Right (My take on the NAR’s Revisions)
“From a consumer's perspective, only the local market information matters and there are no changes to local multiple listing service (MLS) data or local supply-and-demand balance, or to local home prices,” Yun explained. (business insider) True. Ignore the NAR. Read local real estate analysis that…
It’s Not about the NAR’s Numbers, It’s about the NAR’s Credibility
I've tried for an hour to write this story about the National Association of Realtors' revisions of housing data and I can't seem to write anything new that I or others haven't said before. Or more succinctly: @mortgagereports How will they help? More accurate data…
One Way that Real Estate Agents are Like Lawyers
The New York Times notes this regarding law schools: "The fundamental issue is that law schools are producing people who are not capable of being counselors," says Jeffrey W. Carr, the general counsel of FMC Technologies, a Houston company that makes oil drilling equipment. They…