Housing Wire reports Warren Buffett loses his top agent to Keller Williams. “In an interview, Cohn said one of the main reasons he decided to move to Keller Williams is its emphasis on tech. Cohn states, “For real estate companies to continue to exist they are going to have to have a huge emphasis on technology while keeping the agent at the center of the transaction.” Cohn’s team was No. 1 at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices in 2018, according to RealTrends. It’s on track to be No. 1 for 2019.” Cohn’s team has been No. 1 in Nebraska for the last six years.
2. LABOR OF LOVE
“Builder confidence in the newly built, single-family home market jumped 5 points in December to 76, the highest reading since June 1999, according to the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index. Anything above 50 is considered positive.” CNBC says Homebuilder confidence jumps to highest level in 20 years but there are still some big hurdles for builders to overcome, mainly due to their supply-side constraints like labor and land availability.
3. OLD SCHOOL REAL ESTATE
“Last year, he racked up $181 million in sales. This year, that number is well over $200 million and includes the $35-million sale of Tull’s compound in Thousand Oaks — a Ventura County record. He also represented the buyer on a $22.2-million deal in Hidden Hills, the most expensive home ever sold in the equestrian community.” Who is he? It’s California RE/MAX agent Jordan Cohen and For these sports stars, there’s only one (real estate) agent in town writes the Los Angeles Times. Can you believe Jordan is putting up those numbers while balancing his business with the help of only one assistant?
4. TALK OF RECESSION?
The Street just published 2020 U.S. Real Estate Predictions. “Housing and real estate experts are out with their 2020 market predictions, and they’re well worth a look – especially if you’re in the market for a new home next year – or looking to sell one.” These are predictions mainly based on the research from two real estate companies, Realtor.com, Redfin, along with Matthew Gardner, chief economist at Windermere Real Estate in Seattle. “Gardner says he also expects new home prices to rise by 2.5% in 2020.”
5. WAPO 2019 ROUNDUP
Here is the Washington Post’s Best of Real Estate 2019: A roundup of favorites and highlights from the past year. One of the seven articles is What not to do when selling your home. “Selling a home can be complicated. The process is like no other financial transaction most people will make. Too often, sellers sabotage the sale of their home by making easily avoidable mistakes. With the help of real estate agents and title insurers, we put together a list of typical blunders sellers make. Avoid them, and you’ll be well on your way to a smooth sale.” Click the first link above to read all or any of the articles that interest you.
