What amenities have proven the most in-demand for luxury homebuyers thus far in 2013? All consumers approach the homebuying experience with a specific set of features and amenities that they most desire in their prospective home, but luxury homebuyers

Recently I observed a fairly new agent fight for a listing with two of Chicago’s top agents and win. With enthusiasm and full attention, the new agent explained that she only takes five clients at a time in order

A common mistake that listing agents often make in front of buyer clients is to talk first and listen later, if at all. They tend to talk nonstop from the start of the showing to the end, often volunteering information

According to a 2012 HomeGain survey, interior painting has an ROI of 107 percent for home sellers when preparing a home for the market. While Taupe and Navajo White were hot a few years back, shades of grey are

“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” -Oscar Wilde In my first post on marketing strategy, I opined on how many real estate agents’ sabotage their approaches to self-marketing with a lack of strategic planning. More than just a budget,

Let’s face it: business relationships can be tough, and some even adversely impact careers and the bottom line. Although relationships are a fundamental aspect of the human experience, our dealings with co-workers and superiors, as well as clients and

Home seller incentives became quite common during the down years, but are they still common in 2013? During the months following the housing downturn in 2008, homebuyers found themselves in a interesting position – they were in charge. With

In multiple offer situations, how can agents make their client stand out from the rest of the pack? In her latest blog, Anna Mayer-Huls explains how. About a month ago, my sellers were in a multiple offer situation. The

Everything is in place for your client’s transaction, but the appraisal came in low; what can you do? Michael Hobbs writes about the value of an ROV. Every Realtor has received “that dreaded phone call.” You know the one.

Chicago’s housing market has been putting up some great numbers in 2013; what are the staging secrets behind those numbers? There’s no doubt that the Chicago real estate market this year is at levels it hasn’t been in years.

In an office environment where everyone is using technology, there are definitely some rules of the road you should be following. We risk summoning Captain Obvious with this statement, but it’s worth making nonetheless: technology is pretty much ubiquitous

How do you avoid a deficiency in a short sale? In his latest blog, Joseph C. Alfe explains how with five rules. One of the most frequently asked questions I get, from both brokers and sellers, is how to

Editor’s Note: This is the second part in a two-part series by Tim Brigham. If you missed the first part, click here. Friday, Day 5- Confirmation Day By now any file problems should be out in the open and

This topic is thrown around in our industry almost on a daily basis. Bankers and brokers love to walk into your office and claim to close a loan “faster than EVERYONE else… 10 days… promise…” and then 143 days

Between the Internet, referrals and advertisements, consumers have many options for finding agents; what options, though, ultimately win them over? We are living in an age of overwhelming choice, and real estate is no exception. From the Internet, to

The Internet is vast and the options for homebuyers are plenty, but certain sites command greater attention from buyers – regardless of age. We all know that 90 percent of homebuyers consult the Internet as some point in their