compromise

How to Compromise Like a Pro

In 1990, General Motors (GM) brand Saturn revolutionized the car-buying experience with its introduction of “no-haggle” pricing. The basic idea: The sticker price on the window was the price of the car. Period. No high-pressure sales tactics. No math. No, “Let me talk to my manager.” No endless back-and-forth. It was a simple, beautiful, transparent […]

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wants

75 Home Features to Consider as You Narrow Your ‘Wants’ List

Buying a home can be one of the most exhilarating, most frustrating experiences of adulthood—whether it’s your first home purchase or your fourth. The not-so-fun parts can be summed up pretty easily: Reality tends to stomp all over our Instagram-worthy dreams of landing the perfect house in the best neighborhood for an I-can’t-believe-we-got-it-for-that price. Like […]

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find new real estate clients

12 Ways to Find New Real Estate Clients

“The person who is waiting for something to turn up might start with their shirt sleeves.” – Garth Henrichs Being self-employed as a real estate professional requires discipline, stick-to-it-iveness, organization, people skills, determination, integrity, and, most importantly, hustle. We can’t simply cross our fingers and wish for success; we have to work for it—particularly if […]

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buying a home

Buying a Home? 13 Questions to Ask When You Think You’ve Found The One

So, you think you’ve found The One: the perfect house in a stellar neighborhood with the cutest little front porch and the most amazing backyard and the biggest closet you’ve ever seen and holy mackerel the bathroom in this place and it’s totally in your price range and…and…and… And… slow down for just a second. […]

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school

Back to School: Preparing Your Kids (and You!) for School in a New City

August is just around the corner, which means it’s about time kiddos trade pool days for school days. The start of a new school year often causes some nerves—in kids and parents. For families who move frequently—a parent in the armed forces receives a PCS Order, or a new business opportunity arises in another city—relocating […]

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new construction

Trends in New Construction Homes

“For sures” are generally few and far between in the real estate industry. However, today we can say with absolute certainty that there for sure aren’t enough new construction houses on the market to meet buyer demand. According to June 2017 figures from the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, starting builds […]

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PCS orders

PCS Orders: How to Make Smart Decisions Fast

Moving to a new area is always challenging and time consuming—even when it’s a planned relocation. Imagine, then, being ordered at random to relocate you and your family. This is a reality for members of the armed forces who receive PCS Orders —Permanent Change of Station. A PCS can feel overwhelming: Suddenly there are a […]

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Pick Me! Pick Me! Building Your Real Estate Brand

Imagine yourself as a third or fourth grade kid. You’re in your school gymnasium for an end-of-year assembly, and there’s a special guest of some kind—maybe it’s a magician or one of those guys who bring snakes and tarantulas to kids’ birthday parties. Whoever it is, you are entranced. It’s the coolest thing you’ve ever […]

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buy vs rent

Buy vs Rent: 2 Factors to Consider

America’s homeownership is still hovering near all-time lows, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This leaves more Americans renting than ever before. Does that mean you’re destined to rent for years to come? That depends. The decision to buy vs rent is a personal one. While there’s no exact science, there are two factors to consider, […]

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smart home

Get Smart about Smart Homes

Fact: 46% of consumers want their current or next home to have smart home technology, according to Realtor magazine. However, in a recent survey, 22% of realtors said although their clients are interested in whole-home technology, more than 50% of them were unfamiliar with the types of smart technology available. According to Realtor.com, smart home […]

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real estate agent

Real Estate Agent vs. FSBO

So, you’ve decided to put your home on the market. Bet we can guess the question rolling around in your head: Do I really need a real estate agent to help me sell this place? Maybe not. That may seem like a strange thing for real estate firm to say. But we value integrity above […]

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5 Biggest Listing Mistakes

If you’ve recently decided to sell your home, your timing couldn’t be better. Some experts are saying we’re in the “strongest seller’s market ever.” With homes entering and exiting the market at lightning speed, an average of 62 days nationwide, it’s reasonable to assume yours will sell quickly, too. And it gets better: The median […]

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home staging

Responding to the Top 4 “BUTS” of Home Staging

Every real estate professional’s been there. You meet with a new client about selling their home. You talk timeline, and the client seems excited. You discuss price point, and the client smiles hopefully. You say the word staging, and the nodding and smiling abruptly end. You know what’s coming next: “But…” Whether your clients have […]

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Sell My Home

4 Weekend Projects That Can Help You Sell Your Home Fast

If you’re like most people, your two biggest concerns when you put your home on the market involve time and money. How long will it take to sell my home? How much am I going to get for it? There are a numbers of factors that influence the answer to both of those questions, many […]

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flipping

House Flipping 201: How to Be a Flipping Rock Star

In a recent post, House Flipping 101, we shared some foundational principles to set you up for success. We emphasized finding the right property, offered some broad-strokes tips on controlling costs, and provided quick tips on selling smart. In this post, we take a closer look at the actual flipping process. Answer these three questions honestly and […]

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downsizing

The Ups and Downs of Downsizing

While new homes are getting bigger and bigger—gaining nearly 15% more square footage since 1990—many current homeowners are thinking about ditching their big digs for smaller spaces. Whether you’re a Boomer who’s tired of cleaning a large, empty nest or a Gen Xer who’s intrigued by minimalism, downsizing may be just the change you need. […]

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real estate demographics

How To (Legally) Market to Specific Demographics

For marketers, the path to success is paved with confident responses to three questions: Who is your audience? What does your audience need /want? How does your product meet that need/want? The same holds true for real estate professionals. A keen understanding of different buyer groups’ unique preferences can help you advertise and show properties more […]

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real estate agent

The Do’s and Don’ts of Choosing a Real Estate Agent

According to recent figures reported by the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), there are 86,000 real estate brokerage firms and approximately 2 million active real estate licenses in the United States. With so many options, how can you be certain you’re hiring a good agent? That’s an important question—one that many consumers don’t bother considering, […]

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safety

26 Safety Tips for Real Estate Agents

The 2014 murder of real estate agent Beverly Carter was a sobering reminder of the dangers inherent to the real estate profession. Fortunately, Carter’s case is relatively rare. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, four real estate brokers or sales agents were victims of homicides from 2011 through 2015. It appears other types of […]

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invisible pets

9 Ways to Make Pets Invisible to Potential Home Buyers

You’ve put your home on the market, and you’re anxiously anticipating a successful first showing. You’ve done everything your real estate agent recommended—from putting away family photos to repainting the hot pink wall in your daughter’s room. Now you have one last thing to deal with: your pets. We know what you’re thinking. Is your […]

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