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

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

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

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”

What is it? Five Street aggregates, distributes and immediately gratifies online leads from all major syndication platforms and other generation services. By incorporating automated follow up, customized routing options to others on your team, (or referral sources), and basic

Home seller incentives became quite common during the down years, but are they still common in 2013? During the months following the housing downturn in 2008, homebuyers found themselves in a interesting position – they were in charge. With

What kind of property did home sellers move into? And what factors altered the nature of that property? We investigate. Home sellers, as we previously reported, sell their homes for a number of reasons, but there generally is one

After decreasing the loan limits for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in 2011, it appears the government is prepping for another mandated decline. In an effort to further lessen the government’s role in the housing market, federal officials are

In multiple offer situations, how can agents make their client stand out from the rest of the pack? In her latest blog, Anna Mayer-Huls explains how. About a month ago, my sellers were in a multiple offer situation. The

Much has been written about how rising mortgage rates will impact the housing market, but now we have a glimpse at how they’re affecting consumers. The dramatic rise in mortgage rates has been the major story in housing this

According to Zillow, its home improvement app, Zillow Digs, has seen a dramatic increase in user engagement, and in five months since its launch, nearly 50,000 photos have been added by users, representing a 236 percent growth. On the

“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” Arthur C. Clarke  I’ve never claimed to be a guru when it comes to technology, but I will say this: you’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone who is more of a