The Illusion of the Celebrity Agent
A short time ago, a past client referred me to friends for a possible listing. I met with the couple, and we hit it off right away. They seemed to genuinely appreciate my straightforward approach and selling strategy. And I loved their home! My mind was churning with marketing ideas. I knew they were going […]
Pricing Strategies in a Bonkers🤪Market
“Bonkers!” This word is so apropos in our current real estate market. By the way, the current tight market conditions (low inventory vs high demand) have been in place since the end of 2021. However, there are different degrees of bonkers🤪. For example, let’s compare absorption rates from January 25 to March 28 (I record […]
The Insurance Conundrum
House insurance is becoming a much more significant factor for both buyers and sellers. Buyers are often surprised when the insurance company starts asking probing questions right before closing. Particularly when their “new” house is more than 25 years old, currently anything built before the year 2000. (Also, did you know there are hockey players […]
The January FOMO Phenomenon
After 19 years as a full-time professional REALTOR® and being a serious student of market trends, I’ve picked up a few things. I call one of them the ‘January FOMO Phenomenon.’ One thing that never changes is the fact that December and January are ALWAYS the slowest two months of the year for sales. Most […]
The Monday Morning Report
As in any profession, there is a wide variance in competence from one real estate agent to another. But even if a REALTOR® is in the Top 1% of all agents in skill, knowledge, and experience, they can often still be guilty of perpetuating the biggest complaint there is in the business: Lack of Communication […]
New Rules for Short-Term Rentals
This news is from B.C. but it’s being studied all across Canada, including Alberta, and it may very well be legislated in our province sooner than later. Essentially, short-term rentals (STRs) in B.C. (Airbnb or otherwise) will be banned almost entirely as of May 2024. The exceptions are rentals attached to the owner’s principal residence […]
Our Atrocious Real Estate Licensing System
Did you know you can take a six-week course and become a REALTOR®? I guess that’s why there are over 7,000 of us licensed by the Calgary Real Estate Board. Honestly, at the end of six weeks, these new agents are bewildered by the sheer volume of how much they don’t know. Most of them […]
The Many Different Markets Within Calgary
I always talk about how market segments behave differently across multiple property types, price ranges, and geographical pockets within the same city. It’s impossible to provide a comprehensive overview of every scenario in a short blog post, but I thought it would be interesting to show how the absorption rate can vary by price range […]
The Well-Deserved Reward for Doing Everything Right
Last month’s Rant was entitled “10 Key Elements of the Perfect Listing Process.” This month, here’s a real-life recent story about what can happen as a result of doing absolutely everything right with a listing! I met with the sellers, and after reviewing everything, we set an aggressive goal for the list date. We wanted […]
10 Key Elements of the Perfect Listing Process
Let’s say you’re considering selling your home. And you happen to know a very experienced, skilled, and knowledgeable agent who is also hopelessly honest and always has your best interests at heart. Here’s how the process should go to achieve the best possible result: 1. You call your trusted agent sooner, rather than later, even […]