Strong school districts are often a top selling point for certain neighborhoods, but how do they translate to the median price of the area? It’s gotta be among the most common of questions that real estate agents receive –

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

How do American consumers feel about not only the housing market, but their chances at homeownership? A new Bankrate.com survey provides insight. There are many reasons for homeownership. From privacy, to expression, to carving ones own unique niche in

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

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) stated on Friday that it would need approximately $1.7 billion in Treasury funds for the 2013 fiscal year, though there are some intriguing caveats to the nature of the bailout funds. This is the

A government shutdown is looming in Washington, and should one occur, it could have wide-ranging effects on the nation’s economy – including housing. Well, it’s that time again. As you’ve surely seen in the headlines, political gridlock has once

Luxury homebuyers have needs that set them apart from other homebuyers; how do those needs, then, translate to the services provided by agents? Real estate is, at its heart, a service-based industry. As the real estate agent, you 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,

Luxury homebuyers are a unique brand of consumer – what sentiments are most prevalent when they are searching for homes? Any real estate agent will tell you that the luxury homebuyer is a unique brand of consumer, one with

Any good real estate agent or home builder knows that high quality photos can make or break a home sale. Luckily for you, one of the most popular social media tools out there today, Instagram, thrives on the sharing

Home prices have risen and mortgage rates have shot up by more than a percentage point – is it still cheaper to buy than rent in the Windy City? The housing market of 2009, 2010 and 2011 was a

Recently spotted in the wild was a sign that read, “Real Books Priced Lower Than E-Books,” photographed at The Strand bookstore in New York City, a popular hotspot for locals and tourists alike. With strong competition from digital books,

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

Baird & Warner is reaching out to buyers and sellers through unique forms of advertising. Their campaign has been seen on CTA buses, billboards, online and print outlets across the Chicagoland area. And on Sept. 17, they launched their newest way

The housing market has undergone yet another pronounced change in the last couple months, bringing about a whole new set of trends to follow. It was early 2013, and it finally seemed, after a prolonged slumber, that housing was

Everyone has been holding their breath on when the higher mortgage rates will impact home sales; when exactly will that happen, though? When mortgage rates began their dramatic rise back in May, it was more a matter of “when”