With the recent launch of our new findwell search website, I decided to dive in and compare the various major real estate sites in Seattle. The best websites to find homes for sale in the Seattle area are all based on data from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service(MLS) database. By using data from the MLS, [...]
Archive | August, 2009
Real estate agents care about selling homes, but their brokerages do not
The title of this post is sure to spark some controversy or even animosity from fellow real estate brokerages. I believe that there is a fundamental flaw in the real estate industry regarding agent and brokerage compensation. What is the goal of every real estate agent? Agents want to sell as many homes as possible [...]
The Office Your Listing Agent Works For Does Not Help to Sell Your Home
When we are trying to get a new listing with sellers, one of the common sales pitches that our competitors use is that they will “expose your listing to all of the agents at their office, resulting in a better chance of a sale.” In a large city like Seattle, I was suspicious of this [...]
The future of MLS data – Will real estate information be unlocked?
The data about home listings that you see on most real estate websites comes from organizations called Multiple Listing Services (MLS). Each geographic area is served by one or more MLS, and all of the local real estate agents become members of the MLS so that they can share data about the homes that they [...]
Northwest MLS Releases Seattle Real Estate Statistics for July 2009
The Northwest MLS has released their Western Washington real estate statistics for July 2009. Trends for July, much like May and June, remain modestly positive. Pending sales of homes increases compared to July 2008, as did closed sales for that same period. We also continue to see an continued decrease in listing inventory. Pending sales [...]
findwell launches new Seattle real estate search
We are pleased to announce a major upgrade to our website this morning, designed to help home buyers search for homes quickly and easily. The biggest change is that we have a brand new home search powered by Estately, enabling customers to search for homes in the Seattle area on one of the best websites [...]
Closing times get longer with new mortgage regulations
Our typical recommendation when buying a home is to allow ~30 days from contract acceptance to closing, but new regulations in the mortgage industry may lengthen the time needed to obtain a mortgage, according to some of our lenders. In today’s online world, 30 or more days sounds like a long time to complete a [...]
