As 2019 draws to a close, we reflect on the significant trends that took place this year in the real estate industry this year, from rising interest rates to changes in how transactions are conducted, and also look ahead to its future influences for sellers and buyers as we enter
In today’s digital, on-demand culture, consumers have come to expect that they can get what they want, when they want. This mindset not only applies to being able to order virtually anything from Amazon with increasingly short delivery times (sometimes even same-day) or watch shows and movies on their
The real estate industry often seems to thrive on exclusivity and a lack of transparency, with certain brokers and agencies gaining reputation boosts from having access to in-the-know listings, while certain properties gain the allure of being semi-private. However, as the term implies, exclusive listings can exclude others, which goes
Real estate fees charged by most brokers and agencies are intentionally unclear to consumers. The lack of transparency in the amount, as well as how it works or who pays them, means that buyers and sellers involved in the transaction are negatively impacted while often times being completely unaware. The
Most consumers generally know how much interest their credit card companies charge or the interest rate of their home mortgages. Both are examples of industries that clearly and easily advertise rates. The Consumer Federation of America (CFA) recently released a report - Hidden Real Estate Commissions: Consumer Costs and Improved
Halloween is this week, with Thanksgiving and the holidays just around the corner. If you plan on selling your home this year, you’re running out of time! Most buyers want to be in their new home before the holidays hit and those calendar days are slipping away if you
At the beginning of the year, I laid out three reasons why I expected the real estate bull market to continue in 2019, and so far this year, my predictions have generally trended in the right direction. However, market conditions are pointing in several uneven ways, and while I generally
As you prepare to sell your home, you are immediately faced with dozens of important decisions, starting with whether or not you should hire a real estate agent. Faced with the cost of large commissions (5-6% of the transaction) charged by “traditional” agents, more home sellers are choosing to try
Time for changeThe real estate industry is long overdue for change as the traditional model for buying and selling homes has felt dated, inefficient and expensive for consumers. With the existing model, home listings are all funneled through a single conglomerate known as the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) where real
After 10 years of economic prosperity, the US residential real estate market is now at a pivotal inflection point. Interest rates are on the rise, tariffs are driving up construction prices and demand is flatlining. Yet home sale prices are still going up, and new technology is expanding access and