Image is not “everything”
I may have the opportunity to contribute to a discussion (a Virginia Association of Realtors "workgroup") regarding how to improve Realtors' image. I try to enter everything with an open mind; that said, my first thought is a simple one - improve the product. I…
Century 21’s bad commercial
This Century 21 ad is troublesome because it shows a Century 21 agent pressuring a couple to make an offer on a house. With this part, I don't have an issue - more often than not, one half of the couple has more say than…
One bad apple …
Read below for an email from one of my clients. The takeaways are as follows:1) I have exceptional clients - calm, understanding and desirous to sell their house. 2) My clients did what they had to do in order to attempt to sell their house;…
The future of Realtor.com, etc.
Inman has a simple question: If Zillow competes with Realtor.com, will (and how will) some of the folks at NAR ... position the Seattle company as bad for the industry?That is an interesting question. With such a vast number of innovative tools, which ones will…
Aim high and eminent domain.
You'd think they'd have something better to attend to. Real Estate Board; educational requirements for licensure. Provides that as a condition of licensure as a real estate salesperson or broker, an applicant must have at a minimum a high school diploma or its equivalent. The…
End of year Realtor stats
It's time for my brief analysis of Realtor activity for 2005. More detailed market statistics will be coming soon; I just wish our MLS had a more robust statistical engine, like those used on my favorite NoVa. blog. Definition of a "side" - when an…
A shift to Buyer’s Agents
I wish I could reprint this entire article (subscription required), but don't want to run afoul of any applicable copyright laws. The housing market is changing faster than Kate Moss' career after the cocaine photo leak. ... We expect to see agents lining up for…
Get a new hobby!
In a report that is indicative of the what happens when barriers to entry are low - A 46.1 percent increase in the number of Realtors in Massachusetts since 2001 means there is now one Realtor for every 1.6 houses sold in the state so…
Due diligence.
I have been waiting for this article to be posted at The HooK since I read it on Thursday. All buyers and sellers should read it. This is a great opening paragraph from the Fearless Consumer's column - Talk about a rude surprise: When sewage…
This is what I’ve been saying!
According to the one million-plus-member National Association of Realtors, 86% of new real estate licensees exit the business within a year. And only 7% go on to their first license renewal. Obviously, the high turnover rate has negative consequences for consumers as well as for…