Archives for November 2021

Home Buyers Eager to Act Sooner Rather Than Later

Contract signings climbed 7.5% in October, and home sales for 2021 are on pace to hit a 15-year high, the National Association of REALTORS® reported Monday. Pending home sales rebounded after a decline in September.

Despite rising mortgage rates, home buyers appear undeterred by higher financing costs and home prices. Contract activity increased month over month in all four major regions of the U.S. NAR’s Pending Home Sales Index is a forward-looking indicator of home sales based on contract signings.

“Motivated by fast-rising rents and the anticipated increase in mortgage rates, consumers that are on strong financial footing are signing contracts to purchase a home sooner rather than later,” says Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist. “This solid buying is a testament to demand still being relatively high, as it is occurring during a time when inventory is still markedly low.”

Yun notes that the gain in October assures that total existing-home sales in 2021 will exceed 6 million. That will mark the top performance in home sales in 15 years, Yun says.

He does forecast, however, home prices will increase at a “gentler pace” over the next several months and expects demand to be milder as mortgage rates increase. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 3.10% last week, up from a 2.72% average a year ago, Freddie Mac reports.

Last month, contract signings increased at the strongest pace in the Midwest and South regions. The Northeast increased 6.9% in October, but contract signings are still down 10% from a year ago. The Midwest saw contract signings climb 11.8% in October; pending home sales are up 5.1% from a year ago.

Top 7 Social Media Strategies CMOs Must Adopt in 2022

According to a recent CMO Survey, social media became even more critical to marketers during the pandemic, with those that were able to get their social media efforts right seeing major return on their social media investments. 

It’s clear that social media will continue to play a crucial role in driving customers, especially in the post-pandemic world – and as such, marketing leaders need to plan their social media marketing strategies accordingly. 

3 Ways to Build a Relationship Between Your Brand and Your Audience

Are you looking for ways to maximize your Instagram efforts this holiday season?

Instagram has provided some quick tips to help, via Lolly Hu, the founder of stationery brand ‘Oh Lolly Day’ which has built a large, engaged audience in the app.

Facebook Shares Messaging Tips for Businesses Ahead of the Holidays

With the holiday rush about to get fully underway, Facebook is this week sharing a range of business and marketing tips via video sessions with internal experts, to help brands get their processes in line, and get the most out of the season.

Hashtags: Why and How to Use Them on Social Media

While they’ve been a part of the social media landscape since pretty much the beginning, many people still don’t understand the use or value of hashtags, or how to choose the right tags to include in your posts.