9/15: Tweet from @blockrealestate (Brian Block, Managing Broker, RE/MAX Allegiance): 

"had client thought they could take 10% off listing price because that was their market in midWest. 'scuse me. Not in NoVa!"

One of the reasons we dig Twitter is the insight it provides into the interactions between top producing agents/brokers and their clients. The tweet above is a good example. Thanks to a strong jobs market, thousands of homebuyers flock to NoVa each year from a variety of different real estate markets. This can inevitably lead to some naivete in their expectations of the local market that can potentially require some kid gloves in order to not damage egos. One thing the tweet didn't provide visibility into (not that it could in 140 characters or less) is how Brian handled the initial offer ideas of his relocating client. I can guess, though. Brian is one of RBI's earliest adopters, so he likely had a chart like this shown on his iPad in a matter of seconds:

Even in the "dark days" of early 2008, the Northern Virginia market didn't see seller's agreeing to 10% off their original list price very often. Let's assume, hypothetically, the client still doesn't want to inch back toward a realistic offer. "But this is a distressed unit, that has to be worth knocking something substantial off of the offer".  Well, no...