The use of drone photography in marketing homes has become increasingly common. When thoughtfully incorporated into a photo-marketing strategy, professional aerial photos can showcase a home or capture a perspective that ground-based shots just can’t. I am, however, seeing more drone photos in listings that are downright silly and actually hurt the marketing effort. A […]
The Three A’s to Consider in Choosing an Agent
Google “how to choose a Realtor” and your results will be trite, recycled, platitudes (experience, market knowledge, a “go getter,” etc.). The spectrum of competence among Atlanta real estate agents is broad; mediocrity often hides behind name recognition or an unvetted referral. With so much at stake in buying or selling a home, deciding with […]
Smile – You’re on Camera!
If you are a buyer touring a home, be careful of what you say and do; the seller (or the listing agent) may be watching, listening or recording. That’s right, the nanny cam, security camera or other audio and video devices may be active in a home during a showing, watching and listening to what […]
Understanding Seller Disclosure Requirements
Anyone who has bought or sold a home in Georgia is familiar with the Seller Property Disclosure Statement. This multi-page checklist is designed to help sellers disclose to buyers known property defects, as required under Georgia law. The comprehensiveness of the form gives the impression that Georgia imposes a high disclosure standard on Sellers. The disclosure […]
Atlanta Ranked Third in Failed Real Estate Contracts
A recent Bloomberg article, citing a Trulia report, ranked Atlanta as third in the nation for real estate contracts failing to close. The Report indicates that, in 2016, nearly 11% of Atlanta real estate contracts fell through. This is nearly three times the 3.9% national average (the rate for Sage clients is less than 5%) […]
Avoid Real Estate “Over-Share”
I saw a Facebook post late last year showing a photo of a house along with “Love this house! I put an offer in today. Hope I get it!!!” In addition to the dozens of “likes,” the comments revealed how the poster (not our client) had lost out on two other homes that she had […]
The Guaranteed Sale Program Gimmick
Most of us are familiar with Realtor ads that go something like “I guarantee I’ll sell your home in 60 days or I’ll buy it from you.” Everyone reading this post intuitively knows that these guaranteed sales programs (or GSPs) come with fine print. So what’s the deal? A GSP is, in reality, a lead […]
How Accurate is a Zestimate?
All of us are familiar with Zillow.com; perhaps the most popular real estate information web site. In addition to showing active home listings, Zillow shows publically accessible information (such as age, size, taxes and features) on homes not on the market. Included with this information is a “Zestimate” – a home value estimate derived using […]
Pick up the Phone!
Pick Up The Phone! There is a clear trend among real estate agents to replace phone conversations with more time-efficient ways of communicating between each other. Examples include email & text, electronic posting of information and outsourced scheduling of showings. While these shortcuts may make agents more productive, it often comes at the expense of […]
What’s in a Name?
I found myself thanking a listing client last week for characterizing my pricing recommendation/strategy as being “sage” advice. My gratitude came from his connecting the name “Sage” with wisdom, as I’m not sure that everyone actually makes that connection (as opposed to a bush, herb or color). Ten years ago, Jeff and I were brainstorming […]