Does listing a property in the MLS prevent any other Realtors from talking or writing about the properties?
Date Archives May 2007
Another Charlottesville-area green development
I have been trying to contact the folks at Bundoran Farm for weeks on behalf of a client, and coincidentally I get a call back on the same day that this article appears in the WSJ.In addition to the recent trend towards green building, organic farming and sustainable living …Developers are also hoping the communities will appeal to buyers because of their location. Even though the farms offer a rural feel, residents won’t have to give up the services of urban life, such as shopping or good medical care…. note: and 10 minutes from Crozet, Virginia)And there you have it – feel good but don’t isolate yourself.Interestingly, the locational focus of the article was not on Charlottesville, it was on Albemarle County. Perhaps a deliberate attempt to achieve a more “rural” appeal?
CurbedPlaces continues to improve
Slowly but surely, they are coming along. Local real estate search site CurbedPlaces continues to improve. There are bugs (the street I grew up on is nowhere to be found, and the map goes blank when I search for it), but it remains intriguing to watch. I still think that ShackPrices remains the local real estate search to beat and/or model.
Realtors are techno-phobes?
After thinking about Greg Sterling’s assertion that Real estate is probably the most interesting local search vertical, given how aggressive and generally savvy its SMB practitioners are (relative to the general population), how inherently local it is and how rich and interesting the consumer-facing sites are becoming…. There is a small subset of the real estate profession (found most glaringly in the RE.net) that is leading the way with implementing new technologies, but the challenge remains – how does one implement cutting-edge technology in a way that will appeal to the general populace without alienating them?… Rather than convince readers to change and use one of the various IMs, I use them all, but have found the right technology for me to make my life easier yet still allow everybody to contact me in the way they feel most comfortable.Quoting myself from an Inman News story:”The challenge that we’re facing from the technology standpoint is that there is not a critical mass yet for bleeding-edge technology. If only one person in the market has heard of it — it’s cool to be in the leading edge but it doesn’t do any good if nobody else is using it.
Smart growth is stupid
So says Randal O’Toole. I have a post in the works, but wanted to note Charlottesville Tomorrow’s video of yesterday’s event.
Finally! We are really no longer the #1 place to live
The “#1 City” slogan is no more. But how does the new one, “A Great Place to Live for All of Our Citizens” work with the new tourist website, Pursue Charlottesville?
Dual Agency, selling advice and how to avoid getting sued
My call to action is still in the works.Often times as agents representing the seller, we receive calls or emails on our listings from potential buyers who are not working with an agent and who want to see our listing, or perhaps even write an offer…. So don’t do it.Greg notes some of the ways to avoid potential lawsuits when selling your home:Your Realtor should help prepare you properly to make sure you are not exposed to risk of lawsuit, but here are a few things to keep in mind.Finally, Daniel writes a very succinct post about pricing one’s home and what to do with that first offer (hint: you may do well to take it) Normally I don’t quote such lengthy parts of posts, but Daniel gave permission and it is very worthwhile:You are selling your house…. You aren’t thrilled with the idea of having to take $10,000 less than your asking price, so what do you do?Remember, more is better sooner…. I know what you are going to say, “but the house is getting showings, and someone could come and make an offer for full price in a week.”