Real Estate Agency News

Fla. Regulators Consider Citizens Rate Hike

Citizens Ins. requested 12% rate hikes in a 2.5-hour meeting with Fla.’s Office of Insurance Regulation. Final OIR decisions usually aren’t issued for a few weeks. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – With the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp. continuing to see massive growth, regulators Thursday took up a proposal that would lead to double-digit rate increases for … Read more

Popular Marketing Strategy: Broad Match+Audiences

Google Ads’ tools give marketers leeway, and some think combining two of those tools provides the strongest results when marketing online. NEW YORK – Among real estate agents, a broad match + audiences strategy is increasingly popular for digital marketing. It combines Google Ads’ (formerly Google AdWords) broad match feature with its audience targeting feature. … Read more

CFPB Warning Focuses on Banks Using Chatbots

Has Erica given you banking advice, as in Bank of AmERICA? The U.S. consumer bureau is worried about AI chatbots doing increasingly sophisticated tasks. NEW YORK (AP) – Can you trust Erica, or Sandi or Amy to increasingly control parts of your financial life without giving you inaccurate information or sending money to the wrong … Read more

Study: 2 Out of 5 Sellers Make Buyer Concessions

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In 1Q 2023, 42.9% of sellers made a buyer concession; in 1Q 2022, it was 25.5%. Some do it to keep a transaction moving forward, others to match homebuilders’ freebies. SEATTLE – Home sellers gave concessions to buyers in 42.9% of U.S. home sales during the three months ending April 30, up from 25.5% a … Read more

Increase Your Local Rankings as a Real Estate Agent

Optimize your RE website for search engines by integrating keyword phrases into content, metadata and titles – and also make sure your website is mobile-friendly. MEMPHIS, Tenn. – It is crucial for agents to optimize their real estate website by integrating keyword phrases into content, metadata, and titles. This process in known as search engine … Read more

Marketing: Current Relationships or New Ones?

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When considering marketing dollars, it’s generally easier and less expensive to build on your existing relationships than try to create new ones. BOCA RATON, Fla. – Real estate agent Aaron Buchbinder at Boca Raton, Florida-based Compass says the Sunshine State offers a professional advantage, not least for its “booming coastline, diverse population and tax-friendly economy” … Read more

Website Marketing: Banner Ads or Link Building?

The goal is to drive traffic to your website, but what’s the best way to achieve that? Link building improves SEO though banner ads can get faster results. NEW YORK – If trying to market your website and maximize the number of visitors, real estate banner ads – normally appearing at the top of an … Read more

How Can You Downsize on a Tight Schedule?

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Most people shed possessions slowly over time, but a change in circumstances sometimes requires that it be done quickly. A three-step triage plan can help. NEW YORK – Ideally, you’d spend months or even years carefully purging excess belongings – but life may have other plans. Maybe you or someone you love has a health … Read more

For Some, It’s Not ‘Near the Beach,’ It’s Disney

For prices ranging from a few million to $19M– and yearly fees from $20K to $30K – upscale Disney fans live 5 minutes from Epcot and enjoy a roster of insider amenities. ORLANDO, Fla. – Disneyphiles have flocked to Golden Oak, the only residential community in the world located on Walt Disney Co. resort property, … Read more

NAR Board Meets, Approves Changes

The board met May 11 during NAR’s legislative meetings in Washington, D.C. Votes focused on the 2024 budget, dues, fair housing training requirements and more. WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Association of Realtors® (NAR) Board of Directors met in Washington, D.C. on May 11 and took the following actions: Fair housing and diversity training The … Read more