The NAR Settlement: It’s Time to Tell Our Own Story If ever I have wished I could blow a whistle and interject some sense into a huge media blitz, it is now. I listen to podcasts where terms like “conspiracy,” “cartel,” and “monopoly” are applied to the industry I love, and I’m not taking…
The NAR Settlement: Helping to Eliminate Client Confusion The recent court decision has created questions for the public, for our clients and for many of us as well. But at least one good thing has come from this: It has highlighted once again that you simply cannot over-communicate with your clients. Your…
The NAR Settlement, Part 2: More Questions, Some Answers. Read on to learn my thoughts about questions I’m hearing. If you’d like more background on this, link here. Why are agent fees so much higher in the US than in other countries? In the US, fees are higher because our agents do much…
The NAR Settlement, Part 1: What is Really Going On? Recently, you may have heard news about our trade group, the National Association of Realtors (NAR), including word of lawsuits, along with accusations of “conspiracy” and “collusion.” Let’s unpack this story. NAR did lose a class action lawsuit in Missouri. The suit alleged…
The NAR Judgement: It’s Time to Tell Our Own Story If ever I have wished I could blow a whistle and interject some sense into a huge media blitz, it is now. I listen to podcasts where terms like “conspiracy,” “cartel,” and “monopoly” are applied to the industry I love, and I’m not taking…
New Norms and Better Outlooks for 2024 To catch a glimpse ahead, we first look immediately behind. And the end of 2023 was no surprise. Real estate transactions faced their usual seasonal slowdown. But certainly the most significant decrease in 2023 transactions was due to one main culprit: climbing interest rates. With last year’s…
The NAR Lawsuit: Let’s Dispel Some Confusion If you follow real estate news—or even if you don’t—you may have heard that there is much current discussion about buyer agency commissions. And for most people, this can be confusing. Here’s what’s going on. A class action lawsuit, referred to as the Sitzer/Burnett lawsuit, has shed…
Boo! Buyer Beware. No, Seriously. Shopping for a ghostly mansion? Wondering about that spooky house with the “For Sale” sign out front? Or maybe, just maybe, you have a slightly…unusual…home of your own to sell? You might be interested to know that, depending on where the home is, there are actual laws that dictate…
Welcome to Boston, Raffles Raffles Boston has just opened, and it’s already been a terrific experience for us and our clients. No surprise to those who know of this storied brand and restaurants (Hemingway, anyone?) But beyond its world-renown, here Raffles has wrapped its luxury around a keen sense of Boston. The Raffles Boston…
Buying a Home: Basics About Earnest Money On your real-estate journey, you’ve probably heard the term “earnest money.” And maybe it sounded a little odd. But it’s really a very easy and sensible concept. What is earnest money in a real estate transaction? Earnest money, sometimes called “good faith money,” is a way…