Tips - Real Estate, Updates, News & Tips

REALTORS: 7 ways to make your listing look more expensive

A more luxe-looking home will sell for a higher priceAs a listing agent, it’s your job to help your clients get the most out of their sale. Anything you can do to make the house look more expensive is likely to help boost buyer interest and sales price.But how do you make listings look more expensive?The methods range from very simple to completely replacing older or dated items. Encourage your client to think of any updates as an investment i

Read More

Where Owners Forget to Lock Their Doors

A burglary occurs about every 20 seconds, and some homeowners may be making it too easy for intruders. A burglar may knock on the door first to check if a resident is home. Some will then test the doorknob—if it’s unlocked, they’ve got easy access.In a survey of 1,000 consumers across the country, home security review website SafeHome found that many residents lock their doors, but many also forget to do so. For example, residents in the

Read More

REALTORS: 19 Tips to Get More Client Reviews

19 Ways to Get More Real Estate Agent Reviews from Premier Agent | Zillow & TruliaHere are 19 tips from real estate agents who have dozens — if not hundreds — of reviews:Be upfront with your clients Ask for reviews. Very few people will just write a real estate agent review on their own. You have to ask them to do it. If you’re just starting out, aim to get at least five reviews.“A big change we made — one that changes the bal

Read More

What Pets Secretly Loathe About Your Home

More homeowners are putting an emphasis on their pets’ priorities when home shopping, according to recent surveys. For example, a third of recent home buyers ages 18 to 36 say their decision to purchase was based on the desire for a larger property with a yard for their dog, according to a survey by Harris Poll conducted for SunTrust Mortgage. Further, 33 percent of 412 young adults surveyed listed their pet as their top homebuying motivation.

Read More

6 Extra Costs In A Home Buyer’s Budget

Most home buyers put in the effort to save for their down payment, but that is only a fraction of the cost they should expect for homeownership. There are many other lesser-known costs that can sometimes come as a shock to buyers. Make sure your home shoppers plan accordingly for the following extra expenses, including:Earnest money: The amount of earnest money required varies by state and local market. In a slower market, $500 to $1,000 migh

Read More

Home Features, Not Brands, Lure Young Buyers

Home features—particularly those that are technology-based—have a stronger pull on millennial home shoppers than the promotion of brand names, according to a new survey by John Burns Real Estate Consulting, conducted with 20,000 new home shoppers. Millennials tended to show a preference for tech-focused amenities that could make their lives simpler.Young adults born in the 1980s and 1990s are half as likely as their parents’ generation to

Read More

Kitchen Updates That Don’t Require a Remodel

If your sellers are looking for ways to improve their kitchen before listing, or if your buyers want to make cost-effective updates to a dated kitchen in their newly purchased home, professional organizer Colleen Klimczak, owner of Peace of Mind Professional Organizing, has five tips. Install under-cabinet lighting. This simple project is low in cost and leaves a big impact, giving the whole kitchen a beautiful glow. Try LED rope lights that pl

Read More

REALTORS: 5 Reasons You’re Getting Few Online Leads

Many people may be visiting your website or blog, but if they aren’t moved to contact you, it’s time to rethink your lead conversion strategy. Jayson DeMers, a columnist for Forbes.com, points out several ways marketers are unknowingly sabotaging their conversion rates.Serving up mediocre content: “If a visitor comes to your site and starts reading your content, but finds it to be thin, unoriginal, or inaccurate, they’ll instantly lose t

Read More

REALTORS: Buyers Want ‘Sold’ Photo Shoot After Closing

Instead of popping the champagne after your clients officially become new homeowners, how about setting up a photo shoot to help them document the occasion?First-time buyers are showing greater interest in sharing their status as new homeowners with their peers online, so many real estate pros are staging photo shoots to help them capture and share the moment on social media. The photos may include props such as a “First Home” sign, or the bu

Read More

REALTORS: 9 tips to dominate video marketing

Video is the future, dive in now and avoid playing catch-upDo you hate the feeling of playing catch up? I know I do.It’s an awful feeling — you already have a million tasks to perform every day, but then in the back of your head you also know that big picture changes are needed in your business because you’re slipping further and further behind the competition.Ugh.So here’s an opportunity, or a warning. It all depends on how you act on it

Read More

This website includes images sourced from third party websites including Adobe, Getty Images, and as otherwise noted.