Write a listing description that sells It is important to keep in mind that real estate listings are often the first time a potential buyer will interact with a property. So when describing the home or condo in a listing, don’t make it just about beds, baths and square footage. Make the listing more appealing to potential buyers by describing …
Foot Traffic from Open Houses and Showings Surge 18 Percent in 2015
An increase in foot traffic at open houses and showings are contributing to higher home sales, according to data from the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) recent Foot Traffic report provided by SentriLock. The report indicates a ten point gain in foot traffic in June 2015, the highest level in twelve months, matching up to the increase in home sales …
Proposed Illinois Advertising Tax Targets Real Estate Agents and Other Small Business Owners
In an effort to increase revenue, Illinois lawmakers are considering enacting an up to 10 percent tax on the purchase of advertising services in the state. Since Realtors® and other small business owners often rely heavily on advertising and other marketing services they would be disproportionately affected substantially increasing their cost of doing business in the state. The Illinois Association …
Making the First Sale of Your New Real Estate Career
Starting a new career in real estate is exciting. You get to be your own boss, meet new people and earn a living helping them to solve their real estate needs. Getting your license was the easy part. Now it’s time to roll up the sleeves and get to work finding people who need your help. In real estate nearly …
First Time Home Buyers Prop-Up Existing Home Sales
The much awaited return of first time home buyers in May gave the market a much needed dose of optimism that hasn’t been seen in years. The one area that has been holding the market back was a lack of first time home buyers. If this trend continues it could be a sign that a stable healthy market is on …
Real Estate Agent Email Marketing Best Practices
Almost anyone with an email account is inundated with email on a daily basis. This can make getting through to your clients rather difficult. But almost as bad as an email that is ignored is one that ends up on the other side of the delete button. That’s not the sort of impression a real estate agent wants to leave …
Why Lowering Your Real Estate Commission Can Be Bad for Clients
In real estate, there are no guarantees, and as a full-time real estate agent, commissions are how you earn a living. For most agents it is their only source of income. One of the challenges facing many agents is maintaining 100 percent real estate commissions. There are always going to be potential clients who want to negotiate a lower price. …
Pending Home Sales is on a Tear, Highest Level in Nine Years
Pending home sales is on a tear across the U.S. reaching its highest level in nine years with the West and Midwest reporting the largest gains, according to figures recently released by the National Association of Realtors® (NAR). Based on the number of contract signings that occurred in April, 2015, the Pending Home Sales Index rose to 112.4, a year-over-year …
5 Marketing Tips to Quickly Boost Real Estate Listings and Sales
Marketing doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive it just needs to be done. And whether you are just starting your real estate career or are a seasoned professional, these five marketing tips can help you spot the opportunities that can help give your sales a boost. Referral marketing Many real estate agents don’t invest as much time in referral …
Appearance Matters for Real Estate Success
Appearance is all about perceptions. And, like it or not, how we are perceived is based, to a large extent, on the image we project through our outward appearance. In real estate where you are your own boss, nobody is going to tell you what to wear. Instead, it will be reflected in your income. Your appearance is the first …