Conventional wisdom generally says that households should typically avoid debt and that retirees should pay off any remaining mortgage debt at the time of retirement. Does it hold up today in a period of very low real and nominal

In the last year, we’ve entered a new world order in real estate, and homebuyers are facing a number of concerns as a result. It’s a new world out there in the U.S. real estate market. Gone are the

Instagram represents a great opportunity for agents to market their listings, but should they only use the app to a certain extent? Instagram is a wonderfully intuitive, wonderfully popular social network, and one that offers real estate agents a

How do consumers search for homes? Is the Internet still king, or are other, more traditional methods still of use? Read on to find out. In today’s housing market, there are a seemingly limitless array of options for how

The saying “there’s an app for that” is very true – there’s an app for just about anything. We asked seven top real estate professionals and consultants who are at the top of their game in tech for their

Many agents swear by their real estate contact relationship management system (or CRM for short), while others simply don’t realize the tremendous business-building benefits a real estate CRM can bring to their business. In this article, I’m going to

It turns out that this whole “Internet” thing is a not just a fad after all. Nope, the Internet, in all of its searchable, meta-tagged, flash-flying glory, is here to stay. The agents of tomorrow have little choice but

A few popular real estate apps/websites have their roots based in Chicago, and some new real estate tech companies have recently sprung up in the city. Check them out, if you haven’t already. ShowingTime (Launched 1999):  ShowingTime has several

We all know how important the Internet is for real estate today, but what features of the Internet do homebuyers most value? Here’s a shocking piece of information – the Internet is an extremely important component for selling real

The National Association of Realtors has approved changes to the Realtor.com website that will open the site to non-Realtor listings and rentals. The National Association of Realtors’ Board of Directors yesterday approved a number of amendments to its popular Realtor.com website

The housing market may be recovering, but is your business in the proper place to capitalize on that comeback? Aaron Woodman explains in his latest blog. The housing market is back in a big way – are you ready

Upscale buyers are a different breed of consumer, and their desires for their residences are outside the beaten path, as a new NAHB survey uncovered. What do the affluent want? That’s the question at the center of a very

How it works: There are different tiers to the Better Voicemail product, (even one specifically designed for real estate lead conversion). I demoed the, “Lead Routing for Realtors” version ($40/mo.) for this article, and was amazed at how much

Compromise is an inevitable component of the homebuying process…or is it? A new NAR survey has tracked what homebuyers do – and do not – compromise on. News flash: the homebuying process can be a darned frustrating experience. You

Google+ may be No. 2 to the almighty Facebook, but there are still notable reasons for agents to consider using it for their real estate business. Facebook is the most widely used social medium on the planet, and we’ve

What do homebuyers seek when buying new construction? Todd Warshauer, the director of sales and marketing for the Chicago Division of William Ryan Homes, explains. Given the success of new homebuilders in the Chicagoland housing market over the years,