"Quality is not an act, it's a habit." - Aristotle | One of the most widespread and frustrating real estate trends to emerge last year was listing withdrawals. As the housing landscape shifted to reflect more inventory but with higher homeowner costs, the market stalled. In response, disappointed sellers yanked their homes off the market when over-asking offers, waived inspections and quick, all-cash closings didn't flood in as they did during the pandemic. Arguably, most of these thwarted sellers still want to sell but are biding their time. And as time marches on, more and more would-be sellers are moving from "want to" to "have to." Will 2026 be when all this changes? It's harder than ever to read the tea leaves but here's a breakdown on what shadow inventory is and how to make the … [Read more...] about What Shadow Inventory Is and How to Make the Most of It
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How to Become One of the Vital Few
The "Pareto Principle" states that eighty percent of results come from twenty percent of efforts. This is widely known in real estate as the "80/20" rule, wherein roughly twenty percent of agents make up eighty percent of sales. This dynamic is understood as becoming part of the "vital few"--or, the twenty percent. Clearly, you want to firmly plant your business in the land of the twenty. And there is no better way to establish that trend for yourself and your business than by identifying and prioritizing the 20 percent of tasks within your control that will lead to 80 percent of your sales results. Following are some tried and true methods on how to become one of the vital few: … [Read more...] about How to Become One of the Vital Few
Ways to Avoid Deal Cancellations
Owning a home has many advantages, such as being able to call your own shots and building equity over time. After all, it's a foundational part of the American Dream. But it can also be expensive, especially when it comes to maintenance and repairs. Meanwhile, would-be homeowners are being further spooked with high interest rates, high property taxes, expensive insurance and an uncertain employment market. As such, many buyers are priced out of the market altogether or choosing to sit on the sidelines in the hope that prices will ratchet down. In today's market dynamics, renting often makes more sense than buying. Recent statistics show that almost 15% of pending home sales fell through in the month of June alone. A good number of buyers are choosing to back out of deals as they sense a … [Read more...] about Ways to Avoid Deal Cancellations
9 Great Things Agents Love About the Fall Market
Hopefully home sales were brisk during the spring sell season, despite the fact that the current real estate market has been described as "frozen." The good news is that there's still time to make your mark for the year as fall approaches. Fall can be a surprising "sweet spot" for many agents. Here are 9 great things about the fall market: … [Read more...] about 9 Great Things Agents Love About the Fall Market
The Latest on the Clear Cooperation Policy
For the last few years the subject of what's known as the Clear Cooperation Policy (CCP) has caused quite a stir in the real estate world. In 2020 a lawsuit was filed against NAR, the author of CCP, only to be dismissed and revived a number of times. The gist of it alleges that NAR's CCP rule is anticompetitive and violates antitrust laws. With what appears to be a way to satisfy both sides--those that want to keep it and those that want it gone--NAR announced on March 25 a compromise of sorts by adding a complementary option. Here's the latest on the Clear Cooperation Policy: … [Read more...] about The Latest on the Clear Cooperation Policy