Radical Notion: Time to Stop Giving Holiday Gifts?

Last year, Paula Dofat started a new holiday tradition with her four sons, who range in age from 20 to 25. Instead of undergoing the stress of getting them gifts, which she says will likely just “go out of style, depreciate or just get thrown in the ba… Continue reading

5 holiday home-staging ideas for your sellers

As sales slow down in the winter, it’s going to take more effort to attract the perfect buyer to your listing. Beyond snazzy marketing and perfect pricing, chic holiday-appropriate staging can seal the deal by helping buyers imagine their first holiday… Continue reading

Should your sellers pull their listings off the market this winter?

With some patience and strategic marketing, the perfect buyers could come down your clients’ chimneys just in time for Christmas. Here are some pros and cons to discuss with your sellers before taking listings off the market. Continue reading

22 ways real estate pros are showing gratitude this year

We reached out to agents and brokers to find out what they’re doing to give back to their communities this year. Here’s what they shared. Continue reading

21 holiday marketing hacks you still have time to pull off

It’s never too late to pull off a thoughtful and meaningful last-minute promotional push for Thanksgiving. Choose one of these quick and easy marketing hacks to get in front of your most valued leads, clients and referral sources over the next week. Continue reading

When You’re Depressed During the Holidays

(This article originally appeared in 2017.) In the midst of frenetic advertising, pressure to shop for gifts and the ubiquitous seasonal music, the holidays can be an especially hard time if you’re depressed or missing a lost loved one. The contrast be… Continue reading

Four Jews and a Christmas Tree

(This article originally appeared in 2016.) I grew up in a Jewish household where Christmas dawned each year with only one thought in mind: “Woo-hoo, the ski slopes will be empty today!” As my mother made clear, the trees, the ornaments, the music — th… Continue reading

An Empty Nester’s Christmas Morning

(This story was originally published on Next Avenue in 2015) The presents are piled under the tree. The stockings hang from the mantle. The Yule log blazes on the TV. The big plastic Santa that my son and I rescued from a dumpster behind the local beau… Continue reading