home seller Archives - Page 19 of 31 - Real Estate News and Commentary

December 2, 2015August 27, 2019

Feng shui and your home sale

Staging a Home — From greenhomegnome.com

It didn’t seem that long ago when feng shui was important to almost every home buyer and seller. And if Google Trends is an indication of relevance, the diminishing number of searches for feng shui over the last decade indicates reduced interest. Perhaps the bursting housing bubble shifted everyone’s attention; buyers’ were determined to get distressed properties at a deal, while sellers were determined to get a model home look through staging. Although seemingly having lost significance in the housing market, feng shui is once again becoming a top concern for buyers and sellers.

If you’re not familiar with the concept, Merriam Webster (merriam-webster.com) defines feng shui as “…a Chinese system for positioning a building and the objects within a building in a way that is thought to agree with spiritual forces and to bring health and happiness.” The International Feng Shui Guild (ifsguild.org) adds that feng shui is derived from the Chinese philosophy of Taoism and has been practiced for aver 5,000 years. Furthermore, it is based in science and nature to help you live a healthy and prosperous life!

You may already be familiar with some feng shui principles, as a few basics of home staging share similar tasks. For example, de-cluttering, maximizing space and creating a “light filled home” are some of the preparations prescribed to stage a home for sale. And according to feng shui principles, these undertakings are vital in channeling a home’s energy flow. Although there may be some crossover, take caution not to confuse home staging with feng shui; staging a home is not the same as following feng shui principles.

From Realtor.org

One of the reasons for the surging focus in feng shui is the increase of home buyers from China. According to the National Association of Realtors® (realtor.org), buyers from China represented about 16% of international home buyers, while purchasing an estimated $28.6 billion of real estate in 2014.

Feng shui is also important to Chinese-Americans, according to a recent survey conducted by Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate and the Asian Real Estate Association of America (Feng Shui a Driver of Home Selection and Investment for Chinese-Americans; bhgre.com; August 11, 2015). The survey revealed that 76% of respondents are familiar with the principles, and half of those respondents practice feng shui, which is “…considered to dictate spatial arrangement and building design to produce a harmonious flow of energy.” When it comes real estate, consider that 81% of respondents indicated that feng shui influenced their buying decisions; and that 79% of respondents indicated that they would pay more for a home that follows feng shui principles. And if you’re selling a home, you should take notice that 75% of respondents indicated that they experienced at least one “deal breaker” conflict of feng shui principles in a home.

If your home doesn’t exactly correspond with feng shui principles, consider offering a “Feng Shui Contingency.” Such a contingency was highlighted in a 2014 Realtor®Mag article about the Seattle housing market and the high concentration of buyers from China (Why You May Need the ‘Feng Shui Contingency; realtormag.realtor.org; September 22, 2014). Much like a home inspection contingency, many buyers are including a contingency to have a feng shui master approve the house. The good news is that some conflicting elements may be remedied (such as landscaping); however, others cannot (such as the home’s physical location and direction).

By Dan Krell
Copyright © 2015

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Disclaimer. This article is not intended to provide nor should it be relied upon for legal and financial advice. Readers should not rely solely on the information contained herein, as it does not purport to be comprehensive or render specific advice. Readers should consult with an attorney regarding local real estate laws and customs as they vary by state and jurisdiction. Using this article without permission is a violation of copyright laws.

November 24, 2015November 23, 2021

Home marketing may be limited due to agents’ personal wealth strategy

From stagingworkstoronto.ca

If you ask a real estate agent about their home sale strategy, you may get a sanctimonious presentation of the best way to sell a house. However, if you question why they advocate specific procedures over others, chances are they will answer “experience.” Even in the face of an abundance of research, many continue to hold on to old and outdated beliefs about how to sell a house. Furthermore, consider that a real estate agent’s strategy to sell your home may not necessarily benefit your bottom line.

The latest study by Allen, Cadena, Rutherford & Rutherford (2015. Effects of real estate brokers’ marketing strategies: Public open houses, broker open houses, MLS virtual tours, and MLS photographs. The Journal of Real Estate Research, 37(3), 343-369) is the most recent extension of home sale strategy research. The study reinforces the outcomes of some strategies, while shedding light on others; and asks a compelling question about agent motives.

The study looked at home sale price, time on market, and the likelihood of a sale in relation to: broker open houses, public open houses, MLS photos, and MLS virtual tours. The results indicated that all four tactics positively influence home sale price. Additionally, conducting public open houses and having MLS photos have a positive influence on time on market. However, there is little evidence that having more than six MLS photos increases that positive effect. Surprisingly, MLS virtual tours and conducting broker open houses have a negative influence on time on market. The authors conclude that as a package all four strategies may be worthwhile to consider when home sale price is the goal, even though the time on market may be slightly extended.

However, if your goal is a successful home sale, you may consider another strategy. The study concluded that the probability of your home sale success increases when you have broker open houses, MLS virtual tours, and eight or more MLS photographs. The study found that public open houses actually decrease the probability of a successful home sale.

In light of these findings about home sale price and success of sale, the authors rhetorically ask: “Why do all sellers/brokers not use these marketing strategies in every transaction effort?” They propose that, “Perhaps the answer is that brokers follow a wealth maximization strategy that may result in an agency problem with sellers.”

It should come as no surprise that there are agents who have a “wealth maximization strategy” for themselves, and place their own needs before their client’s. However, the authors’ suggestion about agent motives could be problematic with respect to the National Association of Realtors® Code of Ethics (realtor.org). For example, Standard of Practice 11-2 indicates that, “The obligations of the Code of Ethics… shall be interpreted and applied in accordance with the standards of competence and practice which clients and the public reasonably require to protect their rights and interests considering the complexity of the transaction, the availability of expert assistance, and, where the Realtor® is an agent or subagent, the obligations of a fiduciary.”

If you’re selling your home, one takeaway you might have from this study is that you should exercise due diligence when choosing your listing agent. Consider discussing the sales strategy, and getting it in writing. Additionally, protect yourself by ensuring that your listing agreement can be terminated without penalty and within a reasonable amount of time.

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Copyright © Dan Krell

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November 11, 2015October 20, 2020

The open house – still important when selling a home

Have you wondered how the open house tradition evolved? Earlier this year, Realtor.com detailed its history. Apparently, the first recorded open house was over one hundred years ago and described as “open for inspection.” The inspection was held over days or weeks allowing home buyers to inspect the home’s structure, layout, and features. It wasn’t until the 1950’s when the more familiar format and term “open house” took hold (Rachel Stults, A Brief History of Opening Our Homes to Total Strangers (aka the Open House); realtor.com; April 21^st, 2015).

Transformation of the open house can be gauged along with licensing, sales and cultural trends. If you were selling your home one hundred years ago, having your home open to buyers for a week or two made sense because it allowed prospects to see what they were getting. In a time before licensed home inspectors, the internet and virtual tours; a week of inspection was an important selling tool.

Home buyers are once again taking the time to “inspect” homes through multiple visits; usually initiated at the open house. The internet has empowered buyers to be proactive, giving them the means to search on their own; often visiting open houses without an agent. Seeing a home virtually is just the first step, visiting the home logically follows. The visits give buyers the ability to view the home with their own eyes (not the camera’s); as well as being able to make the all important emotional connection – deciding if they can live in the home.

Regardless of what you hear about the effectiveness of the open house, it’s still an important sales tool. And if you’re planning on having one or several, there are a few important points to keep in mind:

Advertise. You could say… “if you advertise they will come.” Most open house advertisements have moved away from the Sunday classified section to online real estate portals. I can tell you that when I ask visitors how they found out about the open house, the overwhelming answer is that they saw it advertised online. When setting up your online open house announcement, make sure that there is an enticing and brief description of the home to grab the buyer’s attention.

Make sure the advertised times for your open are accurate. More importantly, confirm your agent is at the home on time, if not early. A common faux-pas is not having anyone at the home when the open house is planned to begin. And unfortunately, a buyer left waiting to get in will more than not move on to the next open house.

Prepare. Organizing an open house offers the opportunity for you to focus on the details. No matter how much de-cluttering you have undertaken prior to listing your home, you can always tidy-up. Additionally, pay close attention to your home’s curb appeal, as it can be the difference between buyers entering the home or driving on.

Finally, make sure your agent is working the open house to sell your home. Agents know that many buyers visit open houses without an agent. And in the past, many agents advocated to have the opens not for the seller’s sake, but instead to build their buyer pipeline. Knowing this, the Maryland Real Estate Commission reminded listing agents a few years ago of their duty to their seller, clarifying their role at the open house.

By Dan Krell
Copyright © 2015

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October 7, 2015November 23, 2021

Real estate agents getting back to basics and focus on relationships

Don’t be surprised when you’re getting more real estate agent phone calls, or seeing more agents at your doorstep. You may be surprised to know that in this increasingly tech dependent world, agents are getting back to business basics; which is founded in personal introductions, building relationships, and providing personal service.

You see, many real estate agents (like the rest of the population), are realizing the limitations of the internet. What was once the promise of a new market place for products and services has become a super-saturated arena of information, advice, and “content” clamoring for your attention; and is a growing disappointment for many due to the increasing irrelevance of information, not to mention the surge of fraud and hacking.

The National Association of Realtors® (realtor.org) has reported on the growth of internet use in real estate over the last fifteen years in their annual Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers (the 2014 Profile indicated that 92% of buyers “use the internet in some way in their home search process…”). And although the statistic is astounding, it is becoming clear that is still not wholly understood how home buyers and sellers use the internet.

You may not be surprised to know that home buyers and sellers don’t entirely rely on the internet for choosing their agent. In fact, many choose an agent through friend/family referrals, personal introductions, and even serendipitous meetings (such as visiting an open house). Furthermore, buyers and sellers are increasingly aware of the internet’s limitations as well; as one home buyer’s recent statement of “…this home is not what was advertised on the internet…” illustrates the type of misleading information that is often found.

Although many are just waking up to the fact that “point and click” does not sell homes, “big housing data” knows it generates online revenue by capturing your information and selling it to real estate agents, loan officers, movers, and others. Last year’s acquisition of Trulia by Zillow was thought by many analysts to be an industry game changer by merging two of the most visited real estate portals. However, many did not consider that the move was to increase traffic and revenue for two companies that were reportedly not “yet profitable” on their own, by “grabbing a bigger slice of the advertising market” (Logan, Tim. “Zillow Deal to Buy Trulia Creates Real Estate Digital Ad Juggernaut.” LA Times. 28 July 2014.<latimes.com>).

More recently, HousingWire’s Ben Lane reported on Zillow’s downgrade by Barclays (“Is Zillow in Trouble?” HousingWire. 20 July 2015. <housingwire.com>), referring to a slowdown of traffic due to saturation and competition. Months after the major acquisition, growth of the online real estate portal is “slowing significantly.”

Just as the growth of the internet created markets and changed how real estate agents conduct business; personal needs and attentions are changing how consumers view the internet, as well as producing voids left by agents and brokers who heavily relied on the internet for business.

The NAR’s recent DANGER Report misses the mark by highlighting perceived shortcomings in Realtor® ethics and competency. However, the real issue may be more about the lack of professional intimacy; which is necessary for commitment, integrity, and building trust. While some already know it, others are waking up to the notion that the quality of the professional relationship is vital to the consumer’s satisfaction – and it all begins with an introduction.

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September 30, 2015November 23, 2021

Herding behavior and real estate decisions

Have you ever wondered why real estate trends develop? When we’re buying and selling a home, we like to think we act rationally and with intention. However, our decision making is influenced externally. We are affected by the attitudes of the experts, family and friends, from whom we solicit advice. We are also consciously and unconsciously influenced by information we get from TV, the internet, social media, news papers, and even from eavesdropping conversations. Your decision making may be based on others’ behaviors that signaled it was the correct thing to do, and in turn magnifies and strengthens the signal to others – which is described as herding behavior.

Herding behavior plays a large role in our daily lives, as well as in our real estate choices and conclusions. Decisions about home buying and selling, which agent to hire, sales prices, and even whether or not we should default on our mortgage can be influenced by herding behaviors.

A 2013 study of herding behavior in strategic default revealed significant findings about our vulnerability to information (Luchtenberg & Seiler (2013).The effect of exogenous information signal strength on herding. Review of Behavioral Finance, 5(2),153-174). To refresh your memory, strategic default (allowing a home to go to foreclosure when financially able to pay the mortgage) became a significant trend that was widely covered in the media during 2010-2012. Luchtenberg & Seiler’s research into decision making and herding behavior suggested that those who are susceptible to information can be easily swayed. Their findings among professionals revealed that low consensus information (“weak information signals”) caused herding when asked to make a personal choice; while high consensus information (“strong information signals”) caused herding when providing advice to a friend.

The notion that the housing and financial crises were caused by herding behavior is not new. However, economist Christian Hott researched if housing bubbles are caused by herding behavior (Hott, C. (2012). The influence of herding behaviour on house prices. Journal of European Real Estate Research, 5(3),177-198). Citing others, Hott explains that herding behaviors are formed by those who are “imperfectly informed” and “learn from the decisions” of others; and that people tend to “overestimate the likelihood of an event” to occur to them when they hear it happened to someone else (expecting the same experience that someone else had). Although Hott concluded that herding was not the only contributor to the housing market collapse, and suggested that mortgage banking was also likely responsible; the findings indicated that herding behavior does play a role in home price fluctuations and housing bubbles.

Cognitive dissonance may also be at work to reinforce your herding behaviors. You may act on information that is not widely acknowledged just because the source is significant to you (such as a relative, close friend or co-worker). And the stronger your belief in the information, the more likely you will in turn confidently give the same advice to others, even though it may be inaccurate and/or irrational.

Breaking away from the herd is difficult; buying and selling a home may not seem to be a rational process – even when confronted with facts. People don’t always base decision of logical choices, but rather base decisions on psycho-emotional needs and/or fears (such as status, acceptance, and avoidance of failure). However, seeking balanced information and becoming aware of your motivations may improve your decision making.

Original published at https://dankrell.com/blog/2015/09/30/herding-behavior-can-interfere-with-real-estate-decisions/

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