Why auction theory won two American economists a Nobel Memorial Prize. Think of what happens when you bid for a house at an auction. As a bidder you’re going to behave strategically, based on the available information, in competition with other bidders. You’ll take into consideration what you know about the house, but also what you believe other people know about the house. But what’s the best format for an auction? If you had to...
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by Brian White I’ve been involved in the property industry for 25 years (as a mortgage broker, real estate agent and investor). In recent times,flawed valuations have become a significant source of complaint, with manyagents advising that valuers are routinely undervaluing property and causing contracts to fall over. Buyers also accuse builders and developers of overpricing property, resulting in low valuations and contracts being terminated. While these scenarios do occur,the hidden culprit is often the type of...
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A newspaper report brings to light one of the perennial problems in real estate – the real estate agent valuation or “appraisal”. It is common practice for real estate agents to overstate the value of real estate in order to win a listing, and then “condition” the vendor into accepting a lower price. Few consumers ever complain about the practice, and the real estate agent is usually able to brush away a complaint with the...
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