If you are working with out of town buyers or buyers that are not familiar with Chicago, these two new tools are here to help. We all know how difficult it can be to work with clients that do

Think about the last car commercial you saw. At the end, did the voiceover or text on the screen show the dealer’s invoice price? What about MSRP? No. It featured the monthly payment. So why is almost every real

A content sharing service that allows members to “pin” images, videos and other objects to a virtual pin board, the social media site Pinterest is more than the latest hot fad. According to recent web analysis, it was one

By Kristina Jaramillo During a presentation I gave at a small business owner’s boot camp, I was asked a very interesting question by one of the attendees: “I am a real estate agent and not sure how LinkedIn can

By Bob Corcoran “The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” Winston Churchill  I could spend this entire article moaning about the problems real estate has endured over the last three years,

By Rebecca Denison for AGBeat McKinsey & Company released a report about the overwhelming amount of data being created by the Internet called “Big Data.” With the new data coming at us at all times, McKinsey predicted that nearly

I have been writing blog posts for some time and often the topic of participation is discussed. I for one don’t think that word can be over-reinforced, even as a gentle reminder. To participate is to belong; it is

In today’s ever-changing real estate and mortgage market, one always needs to make sure that they are looking out for their client’s best purchasing options. Whether a buyer is financing, or paying cash, is always a factor in what

Although everybody’s situation is unique, there are some instances where homebuyers are able to keep their current primary residence and purchase another home to live in. There are a variety of reasons as to why homeowners would do this.

By Timothy Dwyer Thanks to depreciated home values and historically low interest rates, potential homebuyers have a bargain-hunting mindset. As you prepare for the busy spring real estate season, you will need to differentiate yourself to these value-driven buyers

I know that the northwest suburbs of Chicago are a great place to live, work and play, but do your clients? One of the challenges that real estate agents can have is to showcase the great area that we

In our market, remodeling a home has become part of our housing conversation, whether it is to make a necessary repair in order to sell or a total gut rehab. Hiring a reputable contractor is the beginning, though –

Gone are the days when buyers drive around a neighborhood to search out real estate or page through the Sunday paper for local listings. Today’s buyers begin their search on the Internet. Most of my buyers have looked at

By Bob Corcoran The great American poet John Greenleaf Whittier wrote, “For of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: ‘It might have been!’” And it’s the saddest part of my job: seeing potential left

By Melissa Zavala The short sale listing appointment can be an intimidating and scary meeting for any borrower that is considering listing and/or selling his or her home as a short sale. Some borrowers will tell you all about

How do you sell a home in 30 days or less in today’s market?  The answer is simple and all agents know it – price it right! I know what you are saying – that it is not that