WELCOME

Are your clients cashing in on Costco? By some measures, a local Costco grand opening can come with an actual home-value bump. Research found that while new stores didn’t affect property values nationwide, homes within five miles of a new Costco gained an average of nearly 8% in densely populated counties and over 5% in higher-income counties. 

The takeaway: In the right market, easier access to bulk groceries, cheap gas, and a lunch-portion of free snacks may be a genuine selling point worth highlighting. 🛒

SHARPEN YOUR SKILLS: Today’s Top Podcast Rec 🔊

At this point, AI can do a lot of things—but it’s no replacement for human intelligence. For James Harris, AI helped win a competitive Beverly Hills deal, but it just couldn’t find the off-market details that made James’ pitch the stronger option. So when should you be using AI in your business? What’s worth automating, and what’s faster to do yourself? And what talking points should always be your own? Tap to catch this AI-focused episode of Rise Above the Ranks for James’ best advice for leveraging AI without losing what makes you valuable.

TRACK THE MARKET: Getting a deal on getaway homes

The Pandemic-era rush for cabins, beach homes, and Airbnb rentals has officially settled and many of 2021’s most-eager buyers are today’s motivated sellers. Higher mortgage rates, increasing maintenance and repair costs, and softening rental returns are pushing some owners to sell, but buyers are largely holding out for deeper discounts. Plus, because in the vacation market neither side typically needs to move, agents on both the buy- and sell-side are seeing longer timelines, tougher pricing conversations, and reduced activity overall.

By the numbers:

• Nationwide, 37.3% of vacation homes had price cuts in September, compared to 35.1% of other listings.

• In vacation markets like Destin, the Florida Keys, the Smokies, and Palm Springs, 3% to 5% of total second-home inventory was listed for sale last month. 

• Overall short-term rental supply grew 1.7% year-over-year in August. In a positive sign, occupancy has stabilized, and even improved in some regions, with Airbnb reporting both bookings and nightly rates have increased this year. 

The reports don’t show a full-blown vacation-home bust. Increased inventory, motivated sellers, and more negotiating room may actually make now a favorable time to invest in a second home. But according to Realtor.com’s analysis, rental rate projections and second-home property values continue to be more volatile than starter or mid-market properties.

DIVE IN

The Friday Five

📖 Learning to listen. Sometimes the best thing you can say is nothing.

👀 Beauty in Bel-Air. See inside Jennifer Aniston’s $40M mid-century mansion.

👀 Hadid house. From a $46 sale to $11M listing, tour the Hadid’s historic Pennsylvania property.

💡 Buyer’s Week. Why the best deals in real estate go down between 9/27 and 10/3.

💡 Top 10%. This is how agents break into the top level of real estate (and it’s not the tips you think!).

WHAT’S NEW FROM ESTATE MEDIA

Would you go live for leads?

The social media playbook is changing (yes, again). Trending sounds and quick skits aren’t carrying the same weight they did this time last year, and educational videos with real, live conversations are out-performing your everyday home tours. The latest strategy shift doesn’t have to be complicated—but it does require agents to be fast and flexible. 

In the latest episode of Glennda’s Guru, Glennda Baker sits down with Scott Betley, a mortgage creator who’s built the bulk of his successful business through social media, and whose live-video strategy is now helping newer loan officers generate leads (even if they only have a small following). In fact, one team member that followed the strategy Scott shares closed eight loans from TikTok leads just four months after his first post. 

Catch the full conversation on Glennda’s Guru to learn what’s working now, how the platforms are changing, and why going live may be worth the learning curve.

FEATURED LUXURY LISTING

TIPS & TAKEAWAYS

Fighting the fall slow-down

If you’re starting to hear “we want to wait” on repeat, The Blueprint has a few talking points to help you keep your prospective buyers and sellers moving forward through the slow season:

• Validate, then redirect. Acknowledge their concerns, then focus on what you can control together.

• Prepare now to launch later. If your sellers just aren’t ready, use the extra time for repairs, staging, photos, pricing, and marketing. For buyers, now’s a good time to gather financial documents and make a strong down payment plan.

• Show why readiness wins. A seller-buyer who’s ready to list at a moment’s notice will be in the perfect position to launch when the right home appears.

Read the latest edition of The Blueprint for the full framework, including how to plan a spring launch and secure the commitment early, before investing your time and money.

HANGS & HAPPENINGS

Sotheby’s International Realty Global Networking Event | San Francisco, CA | October 5 – 8, 2026
The Global Networking Event (GNE) is the brand’s signature event designed for sales associates, managers, and broker/owners. GNE brings the Sotheby’s International Realty community together, giving agents and our network the opportunity to build connections, fuel referrals, and tap into a powerful channel of inspiration and motivation.

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