Why advertising matters

No matter the size of your business, good and thoughtful promotion will always help you grow awareness about your brand, get in front of more serious prospective clients, and ultimately boost your revenue. Advertising has been shown to be worth the investment, and we’re taking a deeper dive into why it really matters and what you can do to spread the word about your business.

• It creates brand awareness.

• It provides credibility.

• It helps you reach potential clients.

• It drives lead generation.

• It produces more continuous business.

• It improves your digital presence.

• It encourages customer engagement.

• It keeps your consumers up to date.

• It leads to repeat business.

The bottom line? Advertising really works. It’s a key component to building your brand, growing your earnings, and maintaining a successful real estate business. Our marketing solutions can help you get lots more eyes on your business with targeted online advertising.

Let us help you meet your marketing goals by advertising your listings in Real Estate Weekly.

What kind of home appreciation can you expect?

by Erik J. Martin

What goes up doesn’t always come down. Homeowners certainly hope that’s true of their homes, which should increase in value over the years – otherwise known as “home appreciation.”

“Home appreciation refers to the increase in the worth of a home over time, usually due to market conditions and other factors like renovations, improvements and location,” says Matt Tasgin, a real estate agent with United Brokers in Revere, Massachusetts.

Home appreciation is not the same as “home valuation,” which is the process of determining the current market value of a home and its likely selling price if you choose to list your home for sale.

Many things can affect your home appreciation, according to Bruce Ailion, a real estate attorney and Realtor in Atlanta.

“Number one is often excellent schools in your area, followed by easy commuting access to highly desirable locations like jobs and entertainment districts. Crime is also a factor, as demand is lower in a high-crime location. And property taxes can impact value, too,” he says. Other influencing factors include the age and condition of your home, the location and desirability of the neighborhood and the state of the overall economy.

Additionally, appreciation is partially driven by economic inflation.

“Real estate is one of the best hedges to protect yourself from inflation. Another component is supply and demand, and location highly impacts supply and demand,” says Ailion. “For example, suppose you are in a desirable location that keeps getting hotter. In that case, there is a limited supply of desirable locations, and as more and more people seek that location, this demand causes home prices to appreciate.”

It’s a smart idea to keep tabs on your home appreciation and, for that matter, its expected current market value, even if you don’t plan to sell your residence anytime soon.

“Doing so can help you make more informed financial decisions, such as whether or not to refinance, take out a home equity loan or home equity line of credit or make improvements that will increase your home’s value,” says Tasgin.

Real estate professional Dustin Singer echoes those thoughts.

“Knowing how much your home has appreciated can also provide a sense of finan- cial security and help you make plans for your future,” he says.

Your home’s value is similar to your stock and bond investment portfolio, per Ailion.

“It’s a significant component of your wealth. Knowing where you stand financially is essential, as many people may draw upon their home equity for different life events, college expenses, wedding costs, health-related issues and investments in other assets or collateral for home improvement,” Ailion continues. “In addition, neighborhoods change over time; if you see prices consistently falling or not increasing near you, you might want to consider selling and moving to an area with better appreciation.”

To determine your home’s appreciation and likely current value, you can visit sites like Zillow, Redfin and Realtor.com, which provide quick free estimates based on public data and algorithms.

“However, it’s important to remember that these estimates are not always accurate and should not be relied upon as the sole source of information,” cautions Ryan Zomorodi, COO of RealEstateSkills.com.

For a more trustworthy estimate of your appreciation and valuation, request one from a trusted Realtor or agent, who can provide this free of charge. In this scenario, the agent looks at comparable properties sold in your area and other factors. e most reliable and accurate means of determining appreciation/valuation is to have an appraisal done by a professional appraiser, who will likely charge a few hundred dollars for the service.

“ e average annual ap- preciation rate for homes will vary by market. But a reasonable rate of return is generally considered to be between 3% to 5% every year,” says Tasgin. “Over five, 10, 15, and 20 years, homeowners can often expect their home’s value to appreciate between 15% to 25%, 30% to 50%, 45% to 75%, and 60% to 100%, respectively.”

Note that appreciation is not guaranteed.

“Homes can lose their value for several reasons, including economic downturns, changes in the local housing market and depreciating condition of the home itself,” says Zomorodi. “ ings you can do to better ensure appreciation is to keep your home well-maintained, make improvements to keep pace with the market but without over-improving, and be aware of the local real estate market.”