Real Estate Articles Worth Reading

In every industry there are those who strive to be the best and others who are content in just getting by. Without a doubt this describes those who are in the real estate industry.

Some real estate agents are exceptional marketers and will go above and beyond to do everything possible to sell their clients homes.

A great deal of real estate agents however do the bare minimum. One area of the business where this is readily apparent is the effort in which some agents put together the listing remarks in both the multiple listing service and other marketing channels online.

Like exceptional photography, the listing description is an important part of selling homes! Without good listing remarks it is difficult for home buyers to get a good feel for a home. While photos certainly capture the imagination of buyers, the listing description will often cement someones interest in a home.

Some agents really get this and will make a concerted effort to make their clients properties stand out online. They take the time to write vivid descriptions. It is called going the extra mile. Doing what it takes to get the job done comes naturally.

Then there are those who spend very little time at all. Folks this is not the kind of real estate agent you want in your corner.

You don't need your agent to be a poet but someone who can make your home sound better than the average property.

If you are a real estate agent take a look at the article to glean some tips on writing compelling real estate copy. By taking the time in writing your descriptions you will increase the odds of selling your clients homes quicker and for more money.

One of the things that has always drove me nuts about the real estate industry is the ease in which you can get your license and start selling homes. While this may be real estate agent friendly it is certainly not consumer friendly. After all selling a home is usually a persons largest investment. For sellers choosing a real estate agent should be a primary consideration.

For many unfortunately it is not and it shows. There are countless real estate agents who do the bare minimum when it comes to selling a home. In the article you will see 8 things all real estate agents should do for home sellers. This is a good start for those who are thinking about selling their property. When all of these things are done there will be a lot more happy sellers.

The #1 complaint among consumers against real estate agents is a lack of communication. Make sure you have a look at the very funny video that is included within the article that makes fun of real estate agents. It is a true assessment of many agents in the business.

My own personal favorite is the agents who either do not possess the skills to properly price a home or who intentionally mislead a seller in order to get business. This is one of the worst things you can do as an agent and a clear code of ethics violation.

Another pet peeve of mine is real estate agents who do not bother to attend home inspections to represent their respective clients. This is especially true of listing agents who don't bother to show up.

You will also see some excellent additional references to other helpful home selling articles from @Kyle Hiscock

@Kyle Hiscock@Lynn Pineda

@Lynn Pinedaand @Andrew Fortune

Take a look and see all 8 of the things all real estate agents should be doing for their seller clients. If you find the article helpful please consider scooping it or sharing socially.

If you took a survey and asked a home selling what it the worst part of the home sale process I am sure the vast majority would say moving. Without a doubt moving is one royal pain in the butt.

Some people will actually put off selling their home just for the thought of having to go through with the aggravation of moving. There is no question it can be very stressful.

With stress comes the chance you will forget about things you shouldn't! One such thing is actually notifying everyone of your move. There are many people/organizations that should be kept in the loop of your impending move. Unfortunately some people forget about letting everyone know and it becomes a real problem.

In the article you will see a comprehensive list of everyone who should be notified when you are moving. The obvious ones that come to mind right away are friends and family. You may have even recognized the fact the post office should be told.

There are many on the list however that I am quite sure you did not think about.

Take a look at the list and if you find it helpful please consider sharing it socially. While you are reading the article make sure you have a look at @Kyle Hiscock

helpful article on relocating. There are some helpful tips that will keep your stress level to a minimum.

Most people do not put their homes on the market right around the holidays. It is a busy time of year and anything to avoid additional stress is typically what people think about.

Once the holidays are over however many sellers will shift their attention to possibly selling their home. In fact many homeowners will start asking a trusted real estate agent come January if it makes sense to put their home on the market.

The answer of whether you should sell a home now or wait until spring usually boils down to two things -  the individuals circumstances and the local real estate market conditions.

For example in regards to the local market conditions you may want to ask a real estate agent how many homes are for sale in your homes price point. If there are very few homes available to purchase putting the home on the market now may not be a bad idea. Supply and demand will always influence how quickly a home sells and how much it will fetch in the market.

What if you are also going to be purchasing a home under the same market conditions? Maybe there will be nothing for you to move into if there are a low number of homes for sale.

For those that live in a cold weather climate this may also be a consideration. There is no question that everything looks better in the spring. For some properties selling in the winter could be very challenging.

These are just a few of the considerations you should be thinking about when trying to decide between selling in January or waiting until spring.

If you do decide now is a great time to give it a shot make sure you check out some of the exceptional home selling references in the article from @Kyle Hiscock

@madisonmortgage

@Raleigh Realty

These guys have all put together some terrific home selling advice that should not be missed.

If you find the article to be helpful please consider sharing socially and scooping the article.

One of the smartest things you can do as a home owner is have working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors installed in your home? Why? They save lives. Every years tons of people needlessly die in their homes when tragedy could have been prevented by have smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

There are some states that have actually made it a law that all homes have to have smoke and carbon monoxide detectors when sold. Massachusetts is one of these states.

In the article you will see the complete rules and regulations for smoke and carbon monoxide detectors for not only Massachusetts but for every other state as well.

You will see a guide on the types of smoke detectors and where they need to be located in your home. The same is done for carbon monoxide detectors as well. There is also a handy Youtube video that takes you through how vital having these home safety devices are for keeping your family safe.

Take a look and if you feel the article is helpful please consider scooping it for others to see. The more lives that can be saved by having working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors the better off we will be.

You will also see a couple of other helpful articles on home safety as well from @Kyle Hiscock

and @Paul Sian

I hope you find this resource worth reading!

Do you understand the disclosure laws in your area when it comes to sexual deviants? This is a question that real estate agents often get from a home owner who is contemplating selling their property. As a Realtor you better know the laws surrounding the disclosure of a sex offender when selling a home. If you don't understand the laws you could easily end up getting sued!

In the article you will see an in-depth discussion surrounding disclosure laws of sexual offenders. Obviously this could be a concern to anyone but especially those who have kids. In every state there are ways to find out who lives in a specific neighborhood.

You will see some specific references that are excellent for getting to the bottom of the areas safety. If you suspect a sexual offender could live nearby a home you are considering buying ask your real estate agent what they know.

If the agent is not aware then make an appointment to visit the local police department. Have a look at the article and you will see a number of helpful resources as well for finding out about sexual predators.

When buying a home, selecting a neighborhood is critical. Make sure you see some of the top shelf references on selecting a neighborhood from Kyle Hiscock and Anita Clark, two veteran real estate agents.

One of the things I see all the time as a real estate agent who has been working in the industry for the past twenty eight years is Realtor's and consumers placing stock in price per square foot.

When I say placing stock I mean using it as a viable means to calculate the accurate value of a home. Folks rarely does this ever work! Price per square foot is rarely ever a good means of calculating the value of real estate!

There are far too many variables that go into coming up with a homes value to use one broad metric such as price per square foot.

In the article you will see a detailed explanation of why price per square foot is such a poor value indicator. When someone asks me is price per square foot useful my answer is always RARELY.

The only exception of when price per square foot is when you have properties that are extremely uniform. In other words they are located in the same place, have nearly identical features and amenities and were built by the same person.

In this circumstance you can use price per square foot for calculating value and you will come close. Reading the article you will see why this rarely happens. Homes have so many different variables that effect the ultimate value.

Have a look and be sure to check out some of the exceptional references to other home pricing articles from @Kyle Hiscock

@Kyle Hiscock@Karen Highland

These guys have put together articles that are helpful for anyone who is selling a home.

Selling a home is a lot of hard work. Some people think all real estate agents do the same things to market a home. This thinking is so far off base it is amazing.

There are some real estate agents who do an exceptional job of marketing a home and others not so much. In his latest article Joe Manausa stresses the importance of hiring a marketing pro.

There is so much that goes into real estate marketing. It all starts with quality photography as this will be the foundation of everything you do in your efforts.

Both print and digital media need to be exceptional. Many agents only get one or the other down well. You want someone who will do both.

Keep in mind you can usually get the best real estate agent for no more money than the worst agent. It makes sense to get your moneys worth when selling your home.

Take a look at the article and scoop it if you find enjoyable.

This is a questions that numerous Realtors across the country get daily. So what is the right answer? It really depends! Whether to sell a home now or wait until spring really depends on the individuals circumstances along with the market in which the home resides.

In his latest article @Raleigh Realty

tackles this question by going out and getting opinions from 12 top real estate agents scattered throughout the country. The reason why the answer can vary so much can be explained quite simply by understanding market conditions.

For example in the Northeast where the weather is cold and snowy during the winter time, selling might not make the most sense. There are far fewer buyers in the market than in the spring.

For those who live in a warm weather state this may not apply at all. This is why it always makes sense to consult with a local real estate agent to get their valuable insights.

As I always explain to folks make sure you are talking to someone who does not need a sale. You want someone who has your best interests at heart.

Do you know how to pick a Real Estate agent? Clearly most people do not. The Real Estate industry has a low satisfaction rating and much of this has to do with people making bad choices when choosing a Realtor.

So who's fault is that? Does the consumer play any role in this? In my opinion they certainly do. Many consumers do not take the necessary time or effort in choosing a real estate agent when selling a home. Consumers do silly things by seeing a real estate sign with an agents name on it or visiting an open house. This is not the best way to choose a real estate agent!

In fact if this is how you go about finding an agent you are bound to make a big mistake. When you are selling a home time should be taken to carefully go through an interview process. There should be multiple agents that are interviewed with questions that will tell you how good the agent will perform.

For example what is the agents list price to sale price ratio? What are the average days on the market? What is the success rate of all the homes the agent has listed?

There is nothing better than a track record for success in real estate.

In the article you will see some of the more common mistakes people make when choosing a Realtor. There are also numerous tips on how to avoid making mistakes in the selection process.

Some of the top real estate bloggers who have written on this topic are featured including: @Kyle Hiscock

@Andrew Fortune

@Anita Clark

@Karen Highland

@Lynn Pineda@Xavier De Buck

@Xavier De Buck

and a few others. Take a look at the article and if you find it helpful please consider sharing it.

If you are out looking for your dream home the possibility exists you will find one that has a shared driveway. The property may have exactly everything you are looking for with the exception of a common drive. Is this something you should be concerned about?

In the article you will see a comprehensive discussion on everything you need to know about how a shared driveway works. Some of the more common questions that buyers have to are answered in the article include how will having a shared driveway affect my re-sale value and will having a common driveway make my property more difficult to sell.

There are of course advantages and disadvantages of having a common drive. We cover all of these in depth. Probably one of the biggest drawbacks of owning a home with a shared drive is if you have a dispute with your neighbor regarding the driveway or anything else for that matter.

When you are sharing with someone else the possibility exists there will be disagreements that become a stress factor in your life.

Common drives are something you should enter into only with all of the fact. Take a look at the article along with other great home buying tips from @Kyle Hiscock

@Kyle Hiscockand @Raleigh Realty

If you find the article helpful please consider scooping it.

One of the questions that real estate agents often are asked is whether or not a seller should put their home on the market in the dead of winter during holiday times. Lets get one thing straight right off the bat - the answer is not cut and dry and really depends on the circumstances of the seller.

For example if a seller finds themselves is a difficult spot financially would it really be a wise move to have them wait four months to get their home on the market? Probably not! Decision making when it comes to listing and selling is often determined by multiple factors.

In fact depending on where you are located could have a big bearing on whether or not selling a home during the holidays makes sense. I think we can all agree that selling a home in Massachusetts vs selling one in Florida is probably not all that similar. What makes sense in one place may not be the case in another.

If you come to the conclusion that selling during the holidays does make sense, following some sound home selling advice should be in order. This is exactly what you will find in the article.

Also if you are on the fence the article could give you motivation to either get going with your move or hold off to a better time to potentially maximize profits.

Take a look at the article and see some of the advice provided along with a post from @madisonmortgage

If you find the article worthwhile please consider scooping it to your readers.