The year-over-year averages of existing home sales across the country were up 2.1% in November, according to the National Association of Realtors. This is the second month in a row that average home sales outpaced levels from the previous year. Although November 2014 home sales were up compared to the same period in 2013, total existing home sales were down …
Chicago Median Home Prices Climb 7.1 Percent in November
The year-over-year averages of existing home sales across the country were up 2.1% in November, according to the National Association of Realtors. This is the second month in a row that average home sales outpaced levels from the previous year. Although November 2014 home sales were up compared to the same period in 2013, total existing home sales were down …
Top 5 Real Estate Apps for Agents and Brokers
It’s difficult to be a real estate agent or a broker without a mobile device. Today, a smart phone or tablet is as important to a real estate business as the fax machine was back in the day. With these time saving apps, agents and brokers can take their office with them wherever they go, find new prospects, manage transactions …
Customer Service is Key to Building Leasing Agent Career
Renters trying to find single family homes, condominiums and other types of properties to rent often turn to real estate leasing agents for assistance. In Chicago and other hot rental markets around the country, renters are facing stiff competition for rental properties due to an increase in demand over the past few years. In some cases, renters have become frustrated …
Do Real Estate Listings with Virtual Tours Sell Faster?
As you probably know by now the majority of prospective home buyers are using the internet to research properties, but what you may not realize is that nearly half are starting their property search online first, according to the National Association of Realtors®. And, this figure is only going to grow. This means that property listings need to be optimized …
Demographic Shift is Redefining the Typical Home Buyer
The demographic shift in the U.S. population is having a big impact in the real estate market and is redefining the typical home buyer in more ways than one. While there are other statistics to consider, the primary identifying factor stitching the patterns of home ownership together can be traced to generational differences amidst an improving economic outlook. One of …
How to Manage Unrealistic Buyers Expectations and Limited Inventory
It is not uncommon for many prospective home buyers who are not educated about current local market conditions to have unrealistic expectations. Often they are unaware of how quickly the market is moving. While the housing crash is still fresh on the minds of many consumers, the lower prices and higher inventory levels of the past are no longer prevalent …
Chicago October Existing Home Values Up from Last Year
Home values in the Chicago real estate market continue their upward trend while selling prices and rentals are beginning to trek slightly downward. The median home values in the City have risen 3.2%, but values are up even higher, 6.4%, in the Chicago Metro area, according to Zillow. However, the median sales price for October 2014 in Chicago was $212/sq. …
Top 5 Networking Tips That Payoff For Real Estate Agents
Networking is an essential part of real estate and the relationships that you form will, to some extent, determine your success. Since selling or buying property is often one of the biggest investments of your client’s life, you need to build trust and credibility with prospective clients. These networking tips should help start off your journey to making valuable real …
Easing Mortgage Restrictions Could Help First Time Home Buyers in 2015
The real estate market has been recovering in many parts of the country, but unless first time buyers and other consumers are able to obtain home mortgages, the market will not be able to fully recover. Onerous mortgage restrictions designed to prevent another housing crisis had the undesirable effect of preventing many individuals who wanted to own a home from …