2021 has been a ZOO for real estate! We’ve been asked so many times, “selling a house right
now must be so easy.” Any full-time agent can tell you that getting a listing under contract
happens QUICKLY! So, if by easy, you mean FAST. Then sure. The reality is that it takes about
10x the amount of work. Remember that I speak for my team and our policies when I explain
this.


Listing a house this year has gone like this:
Stage and get professional photography done on a Monday or a Thursday. Then, go live on the
market on a Tuesday or a Friday, and do NOT leave your phone unattended (we all have an apple
watch for this reason) until you review ALL offers a minimum of 72 hours later. Coordinate
showings and get feedback immediately to be sure that ALL potential offers have been
submitted before review. It is VERY high energy. For our team, we have assigned agents for
each listing and never less than 2. We presented anywhere from 6-26 offers per listing. We
create a breakdown comparison on an excel spreadsheet and often respond to multiple
offers, and when it comes back again, we sometimes advise our clients to pick
one…. Because the winning bidders are so similar, you can’t choose logically anymore.

Representing a buyer this year has gone like this:
Get a preapproval letter and educate our client on what their price range looks like with what has sold
recently and prepare them that the prices may have increased even since these have closed.
We show them sold homes vs. actively available because…. There is almost nothing to show
them at the current time. Then we WAIT. For something to come on the market and IMMEDIATELY
show it. Write an offer on the new listing. Say a prayer, and do NOT hold your breath. If you get
fortunate, your offer receives a response. Usually, multiple counteroffers, and we have to be VERY
creative and VERY mindful. If it does not get accepted. We repeatedly wait until
the seller accepts the right offer and the buyer’s needs align with the seller’s wants. We
move along through the process, protecting our client and their contract as best we can because
the second there is a hiccup, there could be someone else waiting at the door for that hiccup to
be what moves them into the first position.


Coming into fall and out of summer of 2021 has been a breath of fresh air… now, instead of
analyzing 9-26 offers, we present 4-6ish offers. Our buyers have a higher probability of getting their
offer accepted, and our sellers are still getting a VERY great value for their home.
Remember that the median homeowner has 40 TIMES the household wealth of a renter. Real
Estate equity is an avenue of net worth… You want to be a homeowner.
It’s never a BAD time to buy a home…. Vs. give your hard-earned money to your landlord
forever at 100% interest or stay in a home that doesn’t make sense for you or your family
anymore vs. stay in a house you can’t afford anymore and risk losing…. The reasons are endless, but luckily, great professionals like ourselves are navigating the challenging market and
jumping through the hoops on our clients’ behalf! Buying and selling a home without an agent is
like brushing your teeth without toothpaste. You can get the job done…. But man, it sucks.