Houston’s ‘Darth Vader House’ sold for $3.4M, is set to be rebranded

Mexican sculptor Enrique Cabrera purchased the property known as the “Darth Vader House” for $3.4 million and plans to transform it into an artistic landmark of its own creation. Continue reading

Naples estate shatters Florida home sale record with $225M sale

A sprawling waterfront estate in Naples, Florida, has shattered records with its $225 million sale, making it the most expensive residential transaction in state history and the second-priciest in the country, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday. Continue reading

Oren Alexander renting out Miami Beach home at $55K per month

The waterfront home on one of the Sunset Islands was listed for rent last week by Corcoran’s Isaac Lustgarten, who previously worked with the Alexanders at Official. The home spans 4,267 square feet and has four bedrooms. Continue reading

Helping clients navigate the battleground of divorce listings

For divorcing couples trying to sell their home in today’s market, certified Divorce Real Estate Expert Lindsey Harn writes, the right agent can make all the difference between chaos and clarity, conflict and closure. Continue reading

Zillow’s ‘new standards’ reveal a big problem. Take back our industry

The longer real estate professionals let Zillow define the rules, the harder it becomes to take our industry back, coach Darryl Davis writes. Continue reading

Tap into the growing numbers of buyers insisting on upgrades

Smart home improvements make all the difference between a listing that slowly sells and one that truly stands out in the market, team leader Carl Medford writes. Continue reading

How to leverage YouTube to go from contact to contract in 17 days

Jimmy Burgess outlines a content marketing plan that has helped agent Noah Escobar go from new lead to under contract in an average of 17 days. Continue reading

Private listings negatively impact both buyers and sellers: Watchdog

Stephen Brobeck, senior fellow at the Consumer Policy Center, examines competing interests and competing policies to determine which will benefit consumers. Continue reading

Rounding up the latest on private listings, portal bans: The Download

There was no shortage of opinions following Zillow’s (and later, Redfin’s) ban on private listings marketed publicly. Continue reading

Zillow Showcase listings get marketing bump with analytics

Available to agents whose sellers’ properties are leveraging Showcase, the insights dashboard is designed with transparency in mind, allowing agents to unravel which home features may be leading to more online attention. Continue reading