By Patti Stern, PJ & Company Staging and Interior Decorating What is the key to staging a home in appealing to a broad demographic? Presenting a property’s main rooms so buyers can see its true potential beyond what they read in the listing. A room showcased in a way that features the best use of… Continue Reading Before and After Photos: How Staging Can Make a Big Difference
Looking at data from the 2018 Member Profile we recognize REALTORS® for their hard work and successes this Labor Day. Sixty-five percent of REALTORS® are licensed as sales agents, 21 percent as brokers, 15 percent as broker associates, and two percent as appraisers. The majority of REALTORS® specialize in residential brokerage at 70 percent, with commercial brokerage… Continue Reading Labor Day 2018: Celebrating Hard-Working REALTORS®
Conserving plastic objects, why we spend so much money at Target, live like a Hobbit, favorite decorating accessories, and a tomato fight festival. Build your own Hobbit House (Hobbit not included). How long should you sleep? The problems conserving plastic items, such as Neil Armstrong’s spacesuit, the first artificial heart and a lifelike sculpture. … Continue Reading What We’re Reading: August 27-August 31
Theatrical Projection enhanced by technology to bring genuine American story to life Today, the National Museum of American History’s opens its exhibition, “Within These Walls.” This exhibit will tell the story of over 200 years of American history through a partially reconstructed Georgian-style, two-and-a-half-story timber-framed house that stood from Colonial days through the mid-1960s in… Continue Reading National Museum of American History Opens “Within These Walls” Exhibit with Help from NAR
Amid tight supply, home prices are still increasing although at a slower pace. Nationally, the median price of existing homes sold in July 2018 rose to $269,600, up 4.5% from one year ago, but slower than the 5.7% appreciation in 2017. As another indicator, the median list prices of homes listed on Realtor.com increased in… Continue Reading Prices of Homes for Sale Typically Increased in 81 Percent of Metro Areas in July 2018
NAR released a summary of pending home sales data showing that July’s pending home sales pace was down 0.7 percent last month and fell 2.3 percent from a year ago. Pending sales represent homes that have a signed contract to purchase on them but have yet to close. They tend to lead existing-home sales data… Continue Reading July 2018 Pending Home Sales
NAR CEO Bob Goldberg sat down with DocuSign Chief Product Officer Ron Hirson during NAR’s inaugural Innovation, Opportunity & Investment Summit in San Francisco. To an audience of more than 500 innovators, investors and Realtors®, the discussion focused on DocuSign’s journey from start-up to IPO, and how partnering with NAR helped shape their product and… Continue Reading NAR and DocuSign Discuss the Future of Real Estate Tech Together
By Brandon Doyle I’m an avid reader and an author in addition to being a real estate professional. I know firsthand how influential books can be on a person’s life and career. After much debate, I’ve come up with my top 10 book recommendations for real estate agents. These titles are in no particular order,… Continue Reading The Ultimate List of Book Recommendations for Agents
I live in a bustling neighborhood in Chicago called Boystown, the city’s best-known gay enclave, with a plethora of bars, shops, and other businesses tailored for the LGBT community. Having moved to Chicago a little more than five years ago, I’m always taken aback when natives tell me, “You wouldn’t have wanted to live in… Continue Reading The Problem With Gentrification
In a monthly survey of REALTORS®, respondents are asked “Compared to the same month last year, how would you rate the past month’s traffic in neighborhood(s) or area(s) where you make most of your sales?” Respondents rate seller traffic as “Stronger” (100), “Stable” (50), or “Weaker” (0) and the responses are compiled into a diffusion… Continue Reading With Higher Mortgage Rates and Home Prices, REALTORS® Reported Slower Homebuying in July 2018