Technology makes our lives easier, but what about that human connection we all know and love? Technology can’t give us that. Have you ever seen a computer reach out and give someone a hug? Will the Real Estate Sector be the Next Victim to Technology and Automated Everything? We’ve seen countless industries—including the auto industry—succumb to a technological revamp, and we can’t help but ask: will the real estate sector…
A new high tech café-style real estate office is springing up in Pennsylvania and Maryland to offer agents and brokers the latest in real estate technology with around-the-clock access to transaction documents, Inman says. The cafe will be run by Jack Gaughen Realtor ERA, a brokerage that employs about 300 agents in 11 offices throughout the region. Many of those agents are already handling their business remotely, said Barbara Schmidt,…
2014 is just around the corner and it’s getting to be almost impossible to avoid the hype of social media for one more year. Social media can help almost any business, person or brand market itself—especially real estate. How Social Media Can Take Real Estate to the Next Level Brand exposure Referrals Connecting With Other Professionals Before we dive into the nitty gritty, we should probably tell you what social…
Users in 22,500 neighborhoods (one-in-seven in the country) are using Nextdoor, “The Facebook of your neighborhood”, to cultivate leads, according to this article from Inman.com. Nextdoor’s customer base has increased by 400 percent over the last 12 months, according to CEO and founder, Nirav Tolia. It is also versatile. City government and law enforcement officials can benefit from it as well as neighborhood residents, homebuyers and real estate agents. At…
What if you could take a visual tour of the community you’re thinking about moving to and see the unique elements, discovered by extraordinary people, exclusive to that community—like a favorite bartender, barista or secret path to a secret beach? Realtors, what if you could physically show your clients the top 10 places to grab a bite to eat or go out with your friends on a Saturday night? That…
Going paperless has never been so easy. All you need is your army of real estate tools and to know how to use them. Samantha Powell is a real estate agent in Chicago. She doesn’t touch paper unless it’s the check that closes the deal. It’s no secret that we are smack dab in the middle of the information age and it seems like more and more businesses are switching…
As technology expands, expectations in the real estate industry are starting to change. With the onslaught of new technology available, people expect to receive information right away—no matter where it is or where it’s from. All it takes is a simple Google search. Or a tap and a voice command to Siri. Potential homebuyers are becoming increasingly more tech savvy and they don’t see technology as a stop-start kind of…
6 Reasons to Love Your Old House With so many new homes on the market, new home developments and modernistic designs, are we throwing away from the best features of historical and vintage style homes? In a recent article by MSN real estate they spoke about 10 old house features that you shouldn’t abandon. Whether you’re buying an older home, a historical home, or considering renovating a new home with…
Starting in January, 2014, the FHA, Federal Housing Administration, will be lowering the loan limit on maximum amounts of loans especially in high cost areas. The standard of $417,000 will remain standard across the board but in high-cost areas of California, Florida and New York, these loan limits will be decreasing. Generally speaking, the high cost limit was at $729,000 and starting in January it will decrease to $625,000. This…
What’s the U.S. Real Estate Market Doing Now? Across the board home prices continue to rise, mortgage rates increase, and big changes are on the horizon for the mortgage industry come 2014. More rules and restrictions will be in effect starting January 10 and more to come towards the end of 2014. Lower limits on obtainable mortgages, harder challenges for self-employed borrowers, and lower limits for debt to income ratios…