Source: Inman
Repairs unrelated to a safety issue or the breakdown of an expensive system are better left alone
Most buyers and sellers understand that buying and selling a home requires negotiation. You give a little here, and they concede a bit there. But what do you do when you have a buyer who demands unnecessary repairs after a home inspection?
Educating buyers so that they better understand which repairs are necessary and which may annoy the seller enough for the deal to shatter is part of the job of a real estate agent.
Here is a list of seven repair requests that buyers should think twice about before making.
1. Easily repaired items under $10
Whole house inspectors often come back with a list of items that cost under $10 to repair or replace. Save yourself the hassle, and omit these things from the list of requested repairs.
If repairs are not related to a safety issue or the breakdown of an expensive system, it's better to refrain from listing them.
2. Replacement of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
Sometimes buyers are adamant they want missing smoke detectors or carbon monoxide detectors replaced.
Although these are safety items, unless local codes say differently, it is better if the buyer installs the smoke and carbon monoxide indicators after closing. That way, they can make an informed decision on the type of alarms they feel most comfortable using in their new home.
3. Cosmetic issues in a resale home
Unless the home is brand-new construction, advising your clients against noting uneven paint or stained baseboards on a repair request is a good idea.
Normal wear and tear should be expected in any resale home and should be a factor in the original price negotiations.
4. Repairs related to minor plumbing and electrical issues
Often, a whole-home inspector will list in the report issues with simple electrical and plumbing items such as an upside down outlet or corrosion on a fitting. Unless the problems cited are a safety concern, a buyer should not list them as a requested repair.
Simple issues such as an upside down outlet or a corroded water line to a sink are simple DIY repairs or matters easily handled by a handyman.
5. Repair of hairline cracks in the basement or driveway
Concrete expands and contracts naturally, and over time, cracks will occur. As long as the cracks are minor, don't list them in a request for repairs.
However, if the breaks are over a quarter inch, it's an excellent idea to have a structural inspection. Structural cracks are a whole new ballgame.
6. Outdoor landscaping, porch and fence repairs
These items were visible at the initial showing and will be a factor in the initial offer and negotiations.
It's not a good idea to ask for things that were obvious at the beginning such as sod replacement, fence restoration, loose railings or loose hinges.
The exception is if the repair is necessary as part of the loan process such as in an FHA or USDA loan.
7. Replacement of failed seals in windows
Unless the window is under warranty, most sellers will refuse to fix a failed seal. Window seals fail over time with use, and depending on the age of the window seal, failure can be expected.
It's another simple fix, and sometimes you need to choose your battles.
For all items on this list that your buyer would like to have fixed and are not safety or related to the failure of an expensive system can be included in a request for credit at closing.
Sellers are more likely to agree to a $300 credit for the buyer to replace 30 $10 items than they will to repair or replace the 30 issues themselves.
These Real Estate Trends Will Be Game-Changers in 2018
Source: Realtor.com
We're almost there: the long-awaited home stretch of 2017. And quite a year it's been! Already, we can't help imagining what developments next year might bring to the wild world of U.S. real estate. So we asked our realtor.com® data team to give us the inside scoop. The team sifted through historical real-estate data and other major economic indicators to come up with a realistic forecast of just what might be in store next year.
And it looks like a sea change is brewing.
From housing inventory to price appreciation to generational and regional shifts, these are the top trends that will shape, and reshape, real estate markets in 2018. Buckle up! It's going to be quite a ride.
Game-changer no. 1: Supply finally catching up with demand
After three years of a crushing shortage of homes for sale, the realtor.com economics team is predicting that the shortfall will finally ease up in the second half of 2018.
"The majority of the year should be challenging for most buyers, but we do expect growth in inventory starting in the fall," says Danielle Hale, chief economist for realtor.com.
That's a potentially transformative development for many would-be buyers who've been frustrated in their search for a home that meets their needs—and their budget.
"Once we start to see inventory turn around, there is plenty of demand in the market," Hale says.
Although for-sale housing inventory is expected to stay tight in the first quarter of the year, reaching a 4% year-over-year decline in March, if it increases as predicted by fall, that will be the first net inventory gain since 2015. Markets such as Boston, Detroit, and Nashville—all of which recently made it onto our monthly list of the nation's hottest real estate markets—may see inventory recover first.
Bullish construction is the engine that's turning this ship around, bringing new homes to the market and creating opportunity for people to trade up into new homes.
"It's adding inventory instead of just shuffling people around in existing homes," Hale says.
But those itching to buy a starter home may have to be patient for a while longer.
"We expect the relief to start in the upper tiers, and it will make its way down to the lower tiers," Hale says. Specifically, most of the initial inventory growth will be in the mid- and upper-tier price ranges, $350,000 and up.
As the market eases, home prices are expected to slow to 3.2% growth year over year nationally. But again, it's the higher-priced homes that will be appreciating less. And even slower appreciation still means that prices will continue to rise.
"Overall, prices are expected to increase, and we're expecting to see more of that in lower-priced homes," Hale says. "It will get a bit worse before it gets better for buyers of starter and midprice homes."
Game-changer no. 2: Millennials starting to come into their own
The housing market in 2018 will continue to present challenges for millennials—sorry, all of that student loan debt isn't just going to disappear—but there are some bright spots on the horizon for these millions of Americans.
Millennials seem to be having more success at taking out mortgages on homes at varying prices, and not just starter homes, Hale says.
"They're at that point where they're seeing their incomes grow, and that will help them take on bigger mortgages," she says. That's because of both the overall strong economy and their own career development.
And as the largest generation in U.S. history reaches that sweet spot in their 20s to 30s when they're settling down and starting families, they're particularly motivated to buy. Millennials could make up 43% of home buyers taking out a mortgage by the end of 2018, up from an estimated 40% in 2017, based on mortgage originations. That 3% uptick could translate into hundreds of thousands of additional new homes. As inventory starts to rebound in late 2018 and in years to come, first-time home buyers will likely make up an even larger share of the market.
They probably shouldn't wait too long to buy, either—mortgage rates are expected to reach 5% by the end of 2018 due to stronger economic growth, inflationary pressure, and monetary policy normalization.
Game-changer no. 3: Southern homes selling like crazy
When it comes to home sales growth, bet on Southern cities to beat the national average in 2018. We're especially looking at you, Tulsa, OK; Little Rock, AR; Dallas; and Charlotte, NC. Those markets are expected to see 6% growth or more, compared with 2.5% nationally.
The South has been luring corporations and individuals to its balmy cities with its low costs of real estate, and living in general. The resulting strong economic growth and strong household growth, combined with an accommodating attitude toward builders, is setting the stage for an accelerating boom in homeownership, Hale says.
As soon as there are more homes to sell, these places will be selling strong.
Game-changer no. 4: Tax reform (maybe)
The Republican Party's proposed changes to the tax system could change everything—but with both the House and Senate versions in limbo, the jury is still out on this one.
If a version of tax reform does pass with the current provisions affecting real estate, Hale says she would expect to see fewer home sales and declining home prices. However, it would be the upper price tiers that would likely be affected the most, in areas with expensive homes and high taxes, such as coastal cities, especially in California.
Mobile agent: The 7 best places to write a contract on the go
Source: Inman.com
Be truly mobile, and you will be around in 5 years
Providing better customer service means being more available, being super responsive to questions and being a great communicator; this means knowing the best places to go to write contracts for your clients quickly.
Let's face it, being mobile is a necessity for a real estate agent who plans to be around in the future. There are still some agents who believe being mobile still means carrying a laptop around with them, but it is so much more than that, and customers know it when they meet you.
The industry is definitely all about being mobile, but really, how functional are you on the road? Do you long for your personal computer at your comfy home office to finish the contract, scan checks, email it over and do your paperwork?
Clients don't want to drive very far from their home or where showings are taking place, and frankly, there is no need for them to.
What is good customer service?
Providing better customer service means being more available, being super responsive to questions and being a great communicator.
After the home showing, it means being fully functional wherever you are, so that you can negotiate that contract before the next agent.
This is the age of working on the fly, being mobile in all aspects of your job, running virtual offices and ultimately not losing the home your client desperately wants.
When I am on the road, I never have plans to finish the deal at my office, especially because my office is any Regus facility in the country.
When I leave the office to go out with clients, I'm out until we get the home they want, and that means knowing the areas I'm servicing and the locations where I feel comfortable finishing the deal, even if it's my home.
There are a few select places that have everything we need: a bathroom, food and drink, workspace — and most importantly — high speed Wi-Fi.
Before I list my favorite places to get the job done, I should say first:
- Make sure your laptop has access to your Dropbox or other shared files
- Charge your computer, or have your power cord with you
- Know how to connect to any and all Wi-Fi, and ask for the password when you walk into the joint (unfortunately, there are still agents who don't know how to add a new Wi-Fi network to their own devices — embarrassing in front of clients)
- Have a link on your desktop to the forms for your state, and have your association dues paid so that you can access them
- You might laugh, but you would be surprised what happens when you are out and ready to write a contract. Your clients' minds are on one thing: the house and how they can get in for as little money as possible.
Thank goodness their agent is prepared to make the deal happen.
Best public places to write an offer
- Panera
- Quiet hotel lobby
- La Madeline French Cafe
- Starbucks or any coffee shop
- Regus Office or WeWork shared office space
- FedEx/Kinkos
- Home office
Whether or not you have these places in your area, you'll need to think about where you can go in your city — with or without a client. I never ride with clients anymore; they always want to drive separately, and usually after showings, they typically just want to go home.
I am usually writing up the offer on my own, but if they are with me, I choose a restaurant, and the first on my list is a local Panera. The ambiance is nice, and there's little noise, so you can freely talk and be heard.
The Wi-Fi is always a strong signal, there's a variety of food, and the bathrooms are clean and available.
My no. 1 concern is finding a place that feels comfortable, safe, friendly and has a great Wi-Fi signal. A quiet hotel lobby with great Wi-Fi and a coffee shop is my second choice because the environment is professional and business oriented.
Rent No More! 10 U.S. Cities With Huge Increases in Homeownership
Source: Realtor.com
It's time to tune out the chatter, the doom, and certainly the gloom: The American Dream of homeownership is alive and well. Really.
But that doesn't mean it's easy to buy a home these days. So what are the stumbling blocks? Stroke-inducing student loan debt. Soaring home and rent prices, and a lack of properties in many markets. And let's not forget the Great Recession, which set so many would-be buyers back on their heels.
All this has dragged down homeownership rates, which hit 63.9% nationally in the third quarter of the year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That's down about five percentage points from their pre-crash high in 2004.
The data team at realtor.com® set out to find those metros where homeownership rates are growing the fastest. In the process, we discovered a few trends. Ownership is shooting up the most in Rust Belt cities undergoing a resurgence; in smaller cities close to much bigger and pricier metros, where commuters can snag a home for less; and in fast-growing Southern hubs that are continuing to experience booming job markets.
Bonus: More than half of the metros on our list boast median prices well under the national median of $274,492.
"Affordability is a strong draw to these areas," says Danielle Hale, chief economist at realtor.com®. A lot of these cities are on the outskirts of big cities where folks can snag an abode for less and then commute downtown for work, she adds.
However, interested buyers had better move fast—all this demand is steadily pushing home prices skyward.
To come up with our findings, the data team analyzed Census data comparing the homeownership rates in the first three-quarters of 2014 to the first three-quarters of 2017. The Census data only included 75 of the largest metros (with some cities moving on or off the list over the years, due to population shifts). Home list price data, from realtor.com, dates from Oct. 1.
So where are the most buyers settling into homes of their very own? Get ready for a few surprises...
1. Milwaukee, WI
Median home price: $224,950
Current homeownership rate: 68.7%
Three-year homeownership change: 11%
After decades of steady decline, this former industrial powerhouse is on the precipice of a game-changing resurgence.
About a hundred large real estate projects are either underway or have recently been finished in the city center. They include a 32-story office tower of gleaming glass and steel, a new, soon-to-be-opened arena for the Milwaukee Bucks, and a 44-story lakefront apartment building with tons of retail space.
No wonder the homeownership rate in Brew City is also taking off. Bidding wars, once unheard of, have become commonplace, and well-priced homes in move-in condition can go for thousands over asking, according to Betsy Head, real estate broker at Milwaukee Executive Realty.
Milwaukee, long under the radar, but the fifth biggest city in the Midwest, is becoming something of a destination stop. For some time, "we haven't had much of any image nationally," says Bret Mayborne, director of economic research at the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce. "That's changing."
And the growth is likely to continue, as Foxconn Technology Group plans to open a plant in the suburbs that will employ up to 13,000 workers.
In the city, many buyers seek out condos along the Milwaukee River; most are in rehabbed warehouses, where units can start at $350,000 and go well past $1 million.
The most desirable homes are in more walkable city suburbs about 20 minutes or so outside the city limits. These are mostly older, single-family homes that run from the mid- to high $300,000s to about $600,000.
2. Charlotte, NC
Median home price: $327,050
Current homeownership rate: 62.8%
Three-year homeownership change: 10.5%
Charlotte just keeps growing and growing. It's carved out a niche for itself as a financial hub (it's the nation's second-biggest banking center), and its warmer weather, lower cost of living, and international airport have made it appealing for businesses and for buyers fleeing higher-priced cities.
"We have people moving here from all over," says Sandy Kindbom, a real estate broker at Allen Tate Realtors in Charlotte. She's seeing plenty of transplants from the Northeast, Midwest, and even Florida. And make no mistake: Charlotte has aggressively gone after those newcomers. As Kindbom says, "After the recession, we vastly broadened our types of industries."
As a result, the population of the city shot up about 14.5% from 2010 to 2016, according to Census data.
Many baby boomers and millennial professionals are buying small, single-family houses, townhomes, and condos in mid- and high-rise buildings in the city. Condos and townhouses start around $150,000 and can go into the millions, Kindbom says.
If you're interested in putting down roots here, you'd better get moving: Prices have risen nearly 10.2% in the last year, according to realtor.com data.
3. Memphis, TN
Median home price: $195,050
Current homeownership rate: 61%
Three-year homeownership change: 9.3%
Memphis, known for its finger-licking-good real BBQ and the blues, is also undergoing some big changes. Cranes now dot the former hometown of Elvis Presley. The biggest project is the $7 billion—yep, billion—St. Jude Children's Research Hospital expansion.
"Memphis leaders are making a big push to attract talent to Memphis," says Jimmy Ogle, historian of surrounding Shelby County. "We are going through changes, trying to get to the 21st century."
Those changes are luring more locals from the surrounding area back into the city limits, to enjoy the arts, sports, and growing restaurant scene.
"I'm seeing a lot of empty nesters moving into town, and that's raising prices," says local real estate broker Joe Spake of InCity Realty.
Young professionals are more likely to scoop up single-family houses and townhouses in the city, he says. Anything priced from $150,000 to $300,000 goes fast. Meanwhile, families often prefer master-planned communities in the suburbs.
But it's a seller's market. There are about two buyers for each home going onto the market, Spake estimates.
4. Baltimore, MD
Median home price: $300,040
Current homeownership rate: 68.4%
Three-year homeownership change: 7.3%
Baltimore doesn't often make the news with feel-good headlines. More than 300 people have been killed in the city this year. And just two years ago, the city erupted into riots after the death of Freddie Gray, an African-American man, while he was in police custody.
But Baltimore's proximity to Washington, D.C., just 40 miles away, is its saving grace.
More folks priced out of the nation's capital have been buying homes in Baltimore. That's because the median home price is 30.2% less than in the D.C. metro area. And there are plenty of commuter trains between the cities.
Baltimore has one of the lowest average costs of housing in the region, says Wayne Curtis, a real estate agent at RE/MAX Advantage Realty in Baltimore. In this area, it's often much cheaper to pay a mortgage than to rent.
Much of the housing within the city limits is single-family, row homes that share walls, with a few detached homes sprinkled in. They start at $225,000 to $250,000 in the more desirable neighborhoods, Curtis says.
But buyers be warned: Most of these abodes are about a century old, as the city hasn't seen a lot of new construction.
"Baltimore is a blue-collar city ... so the houses were built for working and middle-class people," Curtis says.
5. Allentown, PA
Median home price: $225,050
Current homeownership rate: 74.8%
Three-year homeownership change: 7.3%
"Well I'm living here in Allentown
And it's hard to keep a good man down
But I won't be getting up today"
— Billy Joel
The Piano Man's 1982 song "Allentown" immortalized the struggles of the real-life Rust Belt city as its factories shuttered. (It still makes us cry.) The next town over was home to Bethlehem Steel, once the nation's second-largest steel producer, which shuttered operations in 1995.
But remarkably, Allentown has found new life as a distribution center, capitalizing on its location just about an hour outside Philadelphia and two hours from New York City. Companies like Amazon, Walmart, and Nestlé have fulfillment centers in the area, while FedEx is building a warehouse and distribution facility.
These blue- and white-collar jobs, combined with low, low housing prices, mean that more locals can now afford to become homeowners. The city is also popular with commuters from Philadelphia and New Jersey seeking cheaper homes and lower taxes.
Row homes and single-family homes, ranging from $250,000 to $850,000, are popular within the city limits, says Joe Golant, a local real estate agent at Weichert Realtors.
"It's common to see homes priced appropriately, in good conditions, go under agreement in a matter of days," he says.
6. Pittsburgh
Median home price: $174,950
Current homeownership rate: 74%
Three-year homeownership change: 7.2%
Pittsburgh, home to the storied U.S. Steel, may now have more in common with Silicon Valley than the rest of the Rust Belt. That's largely thanks to its universities, including prestigious Carnegie Mellon and the University of Pittsburgh, whose grads are being gobbled up by the local operations of tech companies like Google, Uber, and Intel.
Nearly a quarter of the area's workforce is involved in the high-paying tech industry, according to the Pittsburgh Technology Council. And they can get way more for their money in Pittsburgh than in Silicon Valley's San Jose, where the median home price is $1,100,050!
"We've had an influx of a professional workforce moving into the Pittsburgh region, and it created a new pool of [home] buyers," says Bobby West, a real estate agent at Coldwell Banker Pittsburgh. "The cost of living is really attractive. You can buy a house for $100,000, and your mortgage payment is going to be less than your rent."
Many of his clients, however, are younger locals who are choosing to stay in the area instead of setting off for bigger cities. They often prefer the older, single-family abodes that make up the majority of the city's housing stock within the city limits. Those with children tend to go out to the suburbs, where there's a slew of new construction.
Pittsburgh "has been one of those 30-year, 'overnight' successes. [But] it's only been the last couple of years we've been getting attention for it," says Jonathan Kersting, spokesman for the Pittsburgh Technology Council.
7. Albuquerque, NM
Median home price: $239,950
Current homeownership rate: 66%
Three-year homeownership change: 5.7%
Albuquerque was slammed by the recession, with existing-home prices plummeting 8.8% from 2006 to the bottom of the market in 2011, according to National Association of Realtors® data. But the area's mild climate, low home prices, and close proximity to scenic Santa Fe (about an hour away) have helped it rebound—particularly with retirees.
Out-of-state baby boomers make up 10% to 20% of real estate broker Matt Templeton's buyers.
"We've got a huge retiree population from the East Coast, especially from New York," says Templeton, of Templeton Prime Properties at Keller Williams. "We tend to get a lot of people who don't want snowy winters and want to appreciate the [Native American] tribal culture and the mountains."
They are also drawn to the area's bargain-basement prices. The region has both existing and newly constructed homes in the $250,000 range; prices can go as high as $400,000 in the western suburbs of the city, where buyers can snag three- to five-bedroom houses in master-planned developments.
"It's much cheaper to own than rent," says Templeton. The median rent for a two-bedroom apartment in the city is $870, according to Apartment List.
8. Nashville, TN
Median home price: $359,050
Current homeownership rate: 68.8%
Three-year homeownership change: 4.9%
Few iconic American cities have been taking off lately quite like the nation's country music capital, which regularly makes realtor.com's monthly list of the hottest U.S. real estate markets. Home list prices shot up 89% from September 2012 through September 2017. Prices rose 10.8% in the past year alone.
Yet, it's still more affordable—and certainly more relaxed—than many of the bigger cities along the coasts.
"We are very walkable," boasts Nashville-based real estate agent Brian Copeland of Village Real Estate Services. "We have [miles and miles of] greenways of our city."
That's drawn transplants to the Music City; the county's population surged 9.2% from 2010 to 2016, according to Census data.
And builders are taking note. The ambitious Nashville Yards plan will create more than 4 million square feet of retail, hotels, offices, residential, and entertainment spaces over 15 acres. Luxury condos catering to baby boomers are sprouting like kudzu across the downtown area.
Single-family residences dominate the city, and with land growing scarce, builders are now putting up two homes, separated by a wall or fence, on single lots.
9. Dallas, TX
Median home price: $339,950
Current homeownership rate: 60.7%
Three-year homeownership change: 4.8%
It's no big mystery why the homeownership rate in Dallas is skyrocketing. The Texas city has seen an explosion of companies moving and expanding into the area over the last decade, thanks to its low taxes. About 500,000 jobs have been added to the region since 2010—and all those folks and their families need a place to live.
"We have had a lot of Californians coming to Dallas, because we don't have the state income tax," says real estate broker Debbie Murray of Allie Beth Allman and Associates in Dallas. (She conceded, however, that the state does have high property taxes.)
Dallas newbies often prefer the newer, luxury, high-rise condos downtown. Some come with all the latest amenities, like private elevators, pools, and personal garages in which residents can recharge their Teslas. They aren't cheap: Two-bedroom pads start at $850,000.
Single-family homes are getting progressively more expensive—and scarcer. It's very hard to get anything for $250,000 anymore that's in move-in-ready condition in a desirable neighborhood, Murray says.
10. Syracuse, NY
Median home price: $149,950
Current homeownership rate: 66.5%
Three-year homeownership change: 4.6%
Syracuse, about four and a half hours north of New York City, is a former manufacturing hub that was struggling even before the recession hit, triggering a rash of foreclosures.
But in the last few years, its housing market has been bolstered by a wave of immigrants. Nearly 10,000 refugees from war-torn countries including Syria, Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq, and Bhutan have been resettled into this region over the last decade.
"There's been a lot of transition from apartments to purchasing their first home," says Glenn Riemenschneider, associate broker at Saya Real Estate in Syracuse.
Often, these are multigenerational buyers looking for two-family houses to accommodate both parents and grown children. And there are deals to be had.
Many of the homes that became foreclosures during the recession are now coming onto the market. And first-time buyers and investors planning to flip the abodes are jumping on them.
Buyers can snag a single-family home for between $80,000 and $100,000 in the city and about $130,000 in the suburbs, Riemenschneider says.
4 open house mistakes only rookies make
Source: Inman.com
Don't believe what some agents say -- these marketing events aren't a waste of time
Key Takeaways
When done right, open houses attract buyers and potential clients.
Not only do open houses create opportunities for sellers to find buyers, but they also create future business opportunities for real estate agents — when they're done right.
Despite the fact that open houses can be excellent for both sellers and their agents, many real estate rookies don't take them seriously. After a few half-hearted attempts with open houses, rookies often claim that they're a waste of time.
Well, they are a waste of time, if you blow the opportunity.
Honestly, though, there's no excuse for wasting everyone's time with uninspired, ineffective open houses.
After all, holding an effective open house isn't rocket science; it's simple as long as you avoid the following rookie mistakes:
1. Not selecting the right house
Not every home is a good candidate for an open house. Some homes simply aren't suited for this type of marketing.
A run-down home, for instance, is definitely not an ideal candidate for an open house. Buyers likely won't be impressed with the home or with the agent.
Don't forget that open houses are representative of your real estate business.
2. Performing poor marketing
Why put time and money into an open house if you're not willing to market it? It just doesn't make sense.
Regardless, it's not uncommon for rookie agents to advertise their open houses with nothing more than a single sign. That's not enough!
For an open house to draw enough attention to make it worth doing, substantial marketing is required. Multiple signs, social media posts and advertisements must be used to generate interest.
3. Not setting up for lead generation
Setting up on the day of an open house isn't just a quick, easy cleanup — at least it shouldn't be. Getting the home looking as good as possible is just the first part of preparing for an open house.
The second part is setting up systems to ensure optimal lead generation. These systems include sign-in sheets, the placement of marketing materials and giveaways.
You can get creative with the ways you generate leads at an open house, just remember to make an active effort to get the contact information of people who show up.
4. Forgetting to follow up
Forgetting to follow up with attendees is one of the biggest open house mistakes an agent can make; it's even worse than performing poor marketing.
If you're not going to stay on top of follow-up, you shouldn't bother with open houses. Potential buyers will only remain interested in a home for so long; something else is always just around the corner.
Potential clients are even less forgiving, and you can't blame them. Why would they hire you as their agent when you're not even willing to call them back?
Open houses are worth doing
Don't believe what some agents say about open houses; they aren't a waste of time.
If you're willing to put in the work and able to avoid the aforementioned rookie mistakes, they'll pay off for you and for your sellers.
