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Articles by Tom Gilliam
Election Day Is Over. Now Run Your Buyers' Real Tax Numbers
After the Election | Tips for Agents Election Day Is Over. Now Run Your Buyers' Real Tax Numbers Voters just approved new millages and bonds in markets across the country. Here's how I'm folding the results into every buyer's budget this winter.
Show Sellers the Net Sheet First: 7 Line Items Agents Forget
Listing Appointments | Tips for Agents Show Sellers the Net Sheet First: 7 Line Items Agents Forget Why I put the bottom line on the table before the list price, and the small costs that turn a happy closing into an awkward phone call. 7 Line Items Sellers Rarely See Coming 3 Sale Prices on Every Net Sheet I Prepare Each 1% Commission Shown in Real Dollars 24 Years Of Listing Appointments in Oakland County TL;DR Sellers don't really care about the list price. They care about the check at closing.
Before You Vote Nov. 3: What That Millage Would Cost Your Home
Oakland County, Michigan | Homeowners and Buyers Before You Vote Nov. 3: What That Millage Would Cost Your Home A simple, two-minute way to turn the proposals on your ballot into real dollars for your own house. Nov. 3 2026 General Election $1 Per $1,000 of Taxable Value, per Mill 2 Countywide Millages on Every Ballot 2 Minutes To Do the Math on Your Home TL;DR Every Oakland County voter will see two countywide millages on Nov.
7 AI Mistakes I See Agents Making, and How to Avoid Them
October Challenge | Tips for Agents 7 AI Mistakes I See Agents Making, and How to Avoid Them AI tools can save real time. They can also put your license, your clients and your reputation at risk. Here's what to watch for. 7 Common AI Mistakes Covered 23% Agents Who Use AI Daily (NAR) Article 12 NAR Code: Present a True Picture 2 Minutes To Review a Post Before It Goes Live TL;DR More agents are using AI every day, and the most common mistakes are easy to avoid.
Would You Let AI Answer Your Phone? Pros, Cons and 8 Scenarios
The AI Conversation | Let's Debate It Would You Let AI Answer Your Phone? The Pros, the Cons and 8 Real-World Scenarios AI voice assistants are being pitched to agents to answer every call. I always answer my own phone. Here's why, and where AI might still fit. 24/7 What AI Voice Tools Promise Feb.
Zillow Is Now Inside ChatGPT and Claude. What It Means for Agents
Part 4 of the AI Conversation | For Agents Zillow Is Now Inside ChatGPT and Claude. Here's What That Means for Local Agents Buyers can now search listings, check values and run payments without leaving an AI chat. The pros, the cons and what I'm doing about it. Oct. 19, 2026 Zillow Launches Its Claude Connector Oct. 6, 2025 Zillow App Arrives in ChatGPT Free No Zillow Account Needed to Use It 23% Agents Who Use AI Daily (NAR) TL;DR On Oct.
AI Is Now Being Used to Steal Home Sale Money. Here's My Checklist
Part 3 of the AI Conversation | Protecting Our Clients AI Is Now Being Used to Steal Home Sale Money. Here's What I Check on Every Transaction Cloned voices, fake IDs and lookalike emails are making real estate fraud harder to spot. These are the habits I use to protect buyers and sellers.
How I Get My Blog Quoted by ChatGPT: A GEO Guide for Agents
For Agents | Part 2 of the AI Conversation How I Get My Blog Quoted by ChatGPT: A Practical GEO Guide for Agents What I actually do, what my tracking shows, and what still isn't working. No secret tricks, just the habits that get a local agent's content cited by AI.
What AI Gets Wrong About Michigan Real Estate (and How I Fix It)
For Agents | AI and the Modern Client Your Clients Are Asking AI Before They Call You. Here's Where It Falls Short on Michigan Real Estate Five gaps I keep seeing in general AI answers, how I explain them to clients, and how agents can turn the AI-first client into an advantage.
Most Overpriced Listings Start at the Listing Appointment
A Pricing Conversation We Need to Have Most Overpriced Listings Start at the Listing Appointment We like to blame sellers for overpriced homes. After 24 years in Oakland County, I think the problem usually starts with us. 4-Year High Share of Listings With a Price Cut (U.S.) +21.4% Farmington Hills Median Days on Market -25.2% Farmington Hills New Listings, 12 Months 14 Days When I Schedule the First Price Review TL;DR Most overpriced listings aren't caused by stubborn sellers.
The 7 Scariest Conversations Agents Are Having This Fall, and What I Tell My Clients
Halloween Edition | For Agents and Their Clients The 7 Scariest Conversations Agents Are Having This Fall, and What I Tell My Clients Rates at 7.40%, listings sitting longer, price cuts everywhere. Here's how I'm walking Oakland County buyers and sellers through every one of them. 7.40% 30-Year Rate, Freddie Mac, Oct.
Inventory Is Up, but New Listings Are Down: What That Mismatch Means for Oakland County Buyers This Fall
Oakland County Market Update | October 2026 Inventory Is Up, but New Listings Are Down: What That Mismatch Means for Oakland County Buyers This Fall More homes are on the market because they're sitting longer, not because more sellers are listing. That changes how buyers should negotiate. 7.40% 30-Year Rate, Freddie Mac, Oct.
Your Buyers Are Waiting for a Crash. Here's the Math That Changes the Conversation.
For Agents, Lenders, and Advisors Your Buyers Are Waiting for a Crash. Here's the Math That Changes the Conversation. How I walk Oakland County buyers through the 27% problem, with fresh September data and a script you can use. ~32% U.S. Price Drop Needed ~27% Oakland County Drop Needed $17.9T Record Homeowner Equity 2.4 Oakland County Months of Supply TL;DR Buyers waiting for a housing market crash are waiting for something the numbers don't support.
Your Client Has a 3% Mortgage and Won't Move. Here's the Conversation That Helps
For Agents, Lenders, and Advisors Your Client Has a 3% Mortgage and Won't Move. Here's the Conversation That Actually Helps. What 24 years in Oakland County has taught me about the rate lock-in, with fresh local data. 49.1% of U.S. Mortgages Under 4% 22.5% of Mortgages at 6% or More +4.9% Oakland County New Listings TL;DR Owners with low mortgage rates rarely respond to a rate argument.
Michigan Wants to End the Pop-Up Tax. How I'm Explaining It to Clients
Michigan Property Tax | Agent Perspective Michigan Wants to End the "Pop-Up" Tax. Here's How I'm Explaining It to Clients Without Taking Sides. What the House package would change, where it stands, and the conversations agents should be having right now. TL;DR The Michigan House passed a package in May 2026 that would end the property tax "pop-up" after a sale, repeal the 0.75% state transfer tax, and eliminate the 6-mill State Education Tax. It's been sitting in a Senate committee since June.
Rates Just Hit 7.28%. Here's How I'm Keeping Buyers in the Game.
Buyer Strategy | October 2026 Rates Just Hit 7.28%. Here's How I'm Keeping Buyers in the Game. Seller-paid buydowns, smarter loan choices, and the conversation that keeps buyers moving forward. TL;DR The 30-year fixed rate jumped to 7.28% on October 1, 2026, the highest since late 2023. Buyers are nervous, but this fall they have leverage they haven't had in years: more inventory and sellers willing to negotiate. My go-to move right now is the seller-paid buydown.
Metro Detroit Price Cuts Are Outpacing the Nation: How I Coach Sellers
Listing Strategy | Fall 2026 Metro Detroit Price Cuts Are Outpacing the Nation. Here's How I Coach Sellers Through It. How I use local data and a seller's own listing numbers to make the price conversation easier. TL;DR Realtor.com's September report shows 21.5% of Detroit-metro listings had a price cut, above the 20.8% national share, and the local share rose faster than the national one. Sellers take these conversations personally.
The Conversation I Have With Every Senior Seller Before They Downsize
Senior Seller Strategy The Conversation I Have With Every Senior Seller Before They Downsize Why the next home's tax bill comes before the listing price, and how I explain it. TL;DR Most senior sellers come to me focused on one number: what their home will sell for. In Michigan, the number that surprises them later is the tax bill on the home they buy next. Because a sale uncaps taxable value, a smaller home can cost more in taxes than the one they're leaving.
What Actually Got My Real Estate Blog Cited by ChatGPT: 9 Lessons, Including the Mistakes
For Agents Building an Online Presence What Actually Got My Real Estate Blog Cited by ChatGPT: 9 Lessons, Including the Mistakes No vendor pitch. Just what worked, what broke, and what I'd do first if I were starting over. 24 Years in Real Estate 700+ Closed Transactions Top 1% Oakland County RE/MAX Hall of Fame TL;DR AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini recommend agents mostly based on what they can read on your own website and your Google Business Profile.
Oakland County Cash Buyers by Price Range: What the MLS Data Means for Our Offers
For Agents Advising Buyers and Sellers Oakland County Cash Buyers by Price Range: What the MLS Data Means for Our Offers One Flexmls field changed how I counsel clients at different price points. 24 Years in Oakland County 700+ Closed Transactions Top 1% Oakland County 4.9★ from 78 Google Reviews TL;DR GreaterMLS records show 18.3% of Oakland County single-family sales over the past year were cash, compared with 26% nationally.
What I Tell Oakland County FSBO Sellers About Buyer Agent Pay After the NAR Settlement
For Agents Working With FSBO Sellers What I Tell Oakland County FSBO Sellers About Buyer Agent Pay After the NAR Settlement Honest guidance helps FSBO sellers, and it builds trust that outlasts any listing pitch. 24 Years in Oakland County 700+ Closed Transactions Top 1% Oakland County 4.9★ from 78 Google Reviews TL;DR Since the 2024 NAR settlement, buyer agent compensation can't be offered on the MLS, and many FSBO sellers now assume they owe nothing to a buyer's agent.
How I Walk Buyer Clients Through Neighborhood Vetting in Oakland County
Agent to Agent · Tom Gilliam · RE/MAX Classic How I Walk Buyer Clients Through Neighborhood Vetting in Oakland County The five-step process I use before a buyer ever writes an offer, and why the order matters.
How Agents Should Read a Market Report: 3 Oakland County Cities, 3 Different Answers
For Michigan Agents · Market Data · August 2026 How Agents Should Read a Market Report: Three Oakland County Cities, Three Different Answers GreaterMLS single-family data, 12 months ending August 2026 $420,000 Farmington Hills median (GreaterMLS single-family) $389,742 Redfin figure for Farmington Hills, all home types $385,085 Zillow typical home value, same city 42 Closed sales behind Northville City’s median TL;DR A city median is only as trustworthy as its sample size, its property mix,...
How Are You Explaining This Fed Rate Hike to Clients? Here's My Approach
A peer breakdown for agents fielding the same client questions right now TL;DR The Fed raised its benchmark rate a quarter point on September 16, 2026, its first hike since 2023, driven by oil-price inflation tied to the Iran conflict, despite a softening labor market.
Fed Decision Day Playbook: What to Tell Your Buyers and Sellers Today
A working script for agents fielding rate-hike questions right now My phone started buzzing before 9am today with buyers and sellers asking the same question in different words: what does this Fed meeting mean for me? If you're fielding the same calls, here's the playbook I'm actually using client by client today, not just the headline version. TL;DR The Fed meets today with markets pricing in the first rate hike since 2023.
How I Use AI to Speed Up My CMAs (Without Letting It Make the Pricing Call)
A workflow breakdown for agents who want the speed without handing over the judgment I started running early comp pulls through an AI tool about six months ago, and it's cut my first-draft CMA time by close to half. It hasn't changed who makes the actual pricing call. That's still me, every time, and here's why that distinction matters more than the speed.
Packing Timelines Aren't Just a Mover's Problem: What Agents and Sellers Should Both Know
Tom Gilliam, RE/MAX Classic — Farmington Hills, Michigan TL;DR: A seller's packing timeline and their listing timeline are the same conversation, not two separate ones. If you're an agent, raising packing logistics at the listing appointment rather than after signing leads to better showings and fewer closing-day surprises. If you're a seller reading this, the same logic applies directly to you: start packing storage areas before your home hits the market, not after.
Five Signs a Listing Photo Has Been Over-Enhanced (Before You Book the Showing)
🏡 Oakland County Michigan | Home Buying A few minutes of looking closer can save you a wasted trip and a disappointing walkthrough TL;DR Before scheduling a showing, a few quick checks on the photos themselves can tell you whether what you're about to see matches what's actually there.
The Vetting Questions Buyers Are Starting to Ask (Are You Ready to Answer Them?)
🏡 Oakland County Michigan | Buyer Representation Buyers are learning to interview agents the way they'd interview any other professional. Here's what that shift means for how you present yourself in that first conversation.
Data Centers Are Waking Up Old Zoning: What Agents Should Be Checking Now
🏗️ Oakland County Michigan | Zoning & Development Lyon Township's 1.8 million-square-foot data center got approved without a public hearing. Here's why, and what it means for your due diligence. TL;DR A proposed 1.8 million-square-foot data center in Lyon Township, Michigan cleared planning commission approval with zero public hearing, because the land was zoned industrial decades before the surrounding neighborhoods existed. That's not a fluke.
What Fannie Mae's Condo Underwriting Change Means for Your Listing Prep
🏢 Oakland County Michigan | Condo Financing An 800 credit score and 20% down no longer guarantees a condo loan closes on time. Here's what agents need to check before taking a listing. TL;DR Fannie Mae retired its streamlined "Limited Review" pathway for condo loans on August 3, 2026, and Freddie Mac matched the change. Most condo loans in projects over 10 units now require a Full Review of the HOA's reserves, insurance, and litigation history, regardless of the buyer's financial strength.
Same Rule, Two Very Different Buyer Outcomes
Buyer Representation — Two Years Later Two Buyer Agreements, Two Very Different Outcomes: A Two-Years-Later Look at Oakland County 24 Years in Oakland County TL;DR It's been two years since written buyer agreements became required before touring a home. I've signed dozens of them with Oakland County clients since. Most go smoothly. But I've watched two very different patterns play out — and the difference between them says a lot about what actually protects a buyer.
The Buyer Who Waited a Week: A Farmington Hills Cautionary Tale
🏡 Oakland County Michigan | Buyer Story Same price range, same city, two very different outcomes. Here's what a week of hesitation actually costs right now. TL;DR With just one month of supply in Farmington Hills' $300,000 to $400,000 range and homes selling in about six days, the gap between an offer submitted on day one and an offer submitted a week later is often the difference between winning a home and starting the search over. Two illustrative scenarios below show exactly how that plays out.
Two Oakland County Listings, Two Tour Budgets: What Actually Happened
🏡 Oakland County Michigan | Listing Case Study Same city, same month, completely different tour decisions. Here's how each one played out. TL;DR Two recent Oakland County listings took opposite approaches to virtual tours: a starter home in the $200s used a free walkthrough app, while a luxury listing invested in a full Matterport scan. Both were the right call for the property, which is really the point.
A Month-by-Month Timeline for Your School and Home Search
🏡 Oakland County Michigan | Family Relocation Timeline Two searches, one calendar. Here's when to do what, so neither one blindsides the other. TL;DR Michigan school enrollment windows typically open in January and close by March for the following fall, which lines up almost exactly with peak Oakland County home-buying season. Families who wait until spring to start either search often end up racing both calendars at once.
The Wire Fraud Timeline: When Scammers Actually Strike During an Oakland County Closing
🏡 Oakland County Michigan | Agent Perspective The danger window isn't your whole transaction — it's a handful of specific days, and knowing which ones changes how you read your inbox. TL;DR Wire fraud follows a predictable sequence tied to your closing date: weeks of quiet watching while a compromised email account is monitored, a strike window 3 to 5 days before closing when fraudulent instructions typically arrive, and a last chance to catch it on closing day itself.
The Buydown-vs-Wait Math I Actually Run with Clients
Agent-to-Agent: Client Consultation Math 3 Numbers I ask for before running any comparison 42% of buyers expect rates below 5% 24 Yrs Oakland County experience Quick Summary I wrote a full consumer-facing breakdown of the current mortgage rate forecasts, covering why rates likely aren't dropping much and what alternatives exist.
How I Evaluate a Development Project Before Telling a Client It's Good for Value
Agent-to-Agent: Evaluating Development Impact 4 Checks before I call a project "good for value" 76 units, real local example 24 Yrs Oakland County experience Quick Summary I wrote a full consumer-facing breakdown of Farmington Hills' development boom, covering what buyers and sellers should know.
Coming Soon vs. Office Exclusive on Realcomp: My Compliance Checklist for Delayed Marketing Requests
Agent-to-Agent: Compliance in Practice 1 Bus. Day the rule that trips agents up 4 Checks before I say yes to a delay 24 Yrs Oakland County experience Quick Summary I wrote a full consumer-facing guide to private and pocket listings recently, covering what Clear Cooperation actually requires and what Realcomp's Coming Soon status allows.
How I Organize and Present Multiple Offers Without Chaos: My Field-Tested System
Agent-to-Agent: Systems That Work 3 Steps intake, score, present 1 Format uniform submission request 24 Yrs Oakland County experience Quick Summary I wrote a full consumer guide to multiple offer situations recently, covering what buyers and sellers need to understand. This post is different — it's the actual system I run behind the scenes when a listing draws competing offers: a uniform intake format, a net-proceeds scoring method, and a verification step for escalation clauses.
How to Actually Check a School District's Enrollment Health Before You Buy in Oakland County
Due Diligence for Oakland County Buyers 3 Steps to research any district Free public data, no login needed 24 Yrs Oakland County experience Quick Summary I recently wrote about how 21 of Oakland County's 28 school districts have lost enrollment over the past decade. What I didn't cover there is how to actually check this yourself for a specific district or building before you buy. It's all public data, it's free, and it takes about 15 minutes once you know where to look. Here's my process.
The Real Decision Behind "Affordable" in Oakland County
Oakland County Affordability Guide — Buyer & Renter Framework 3 levers that actually decide it 7 budget-friendly suburbs 24 Yrs Oakland County experience Quick Summary I recently broke down which Oakland County suburbs are genuinely affordable relative to the county's high median income — Ortonville, Holly, Royal Oak Charter Township, Oak Park, Madison Heights, Clawson, and Pontiac. But knowing the list isn't the same as knowing which one is right for a specific buyer or renter.
The 3 Numbers Everyone Gets Wrong About Oakland County Home Values
Oakland County | Reading the Data Right 3 different "median" numbers $343,600 Census ACS estimate 24 Yrs Oakland County experience TL;DR Ask three different sources what a home in Oakland County is worth and you'll get three different answers, sometimes tens of thousands of dollars apart. That's not a mistake in the data. Each number is measuring something genuinely different, and knowing which one applies to your situation changes how you should read every headline about the market.
Which Oakland County Cities Actually Allow ADUs? A City-by-City Breakdown
Oakland County | City-by-City ADU Guide 62 municipalities, 62 different rulebooks 600-800 sq ft typical max ADU size 24 Yrs Oakland County experience A note before you read further: Zoning rules change and vary by exact parcel. This is general guidance, not a substitute for written confirmation from the specific municipality where you're considering a purchase. TL;DR Oakland County has 62 separate municipalities, and each one writes its own ADU rules.
PHOTOS: 25th annual Dayton Celtic Festival at RiverScape MetroPark
The 25th annual Dayton Celtic Festival happened at RiverScape MetroPark in downtown Dayton from Friday, July 24 to Sunday, July 26, 2026. Hosted by the United Irish of Dayton in partnership with Five Rivers MetroParks, the free festival featured bands, dance troupes, cultural exhibits, food, vendors, kilt parades and more. Festival headliner Gaelic Storm, The Drowsy Lads, The Elders and Dwyer School of Irish Dance are the featured performers in this gallery.
5 Costly Mistakes Oakland County Co-Owners Make Before a Partition Action
Oakland County | Co-Owner Guide 24 Yrs Oakland County experience A note before you read further: This article covers real estate and financial considerations for co-owners, not legal advice. Tom Gilliam is not an attorney. If you are involved in a partition dispute, consult a licensed Michigan attorney about your specific situation.
PHOTOS: The Contemporary Dayton’s 35th Anniversary Open House
The Contemporary Dayton celebrated its 35th anniversary with an open house at the art center’s gallery inside the Dayton Arcade on Saturday, July 25, 2026. Attendees of the free event viewed The Co’s current exhibitions Threads of History: Quilts by Carolyn Mazloomi and Niki Johnson: Pillars of Democracy.
A Tale of Two Novi Sellers: Why One Saved Money with Flat-Fee MLS and the Other Lost It
Novi | Seller Case Study 24 Yrs Oakland County experience TL;DR Two Novi sellers with similar homes chose flat-fee MLS around the same time. One walked away with more money in their pocket than a full-service sale likely would have delivered. The other left thousands on the table without ever realizing it. The difference wasn't luck. It was whether their property and their situation actually matched what flat-fee MLS is built for.
PHOTOS: 20th annual Gem City Comic Con at Marriott at The University of Dayton
The 20th annual Gem City Comic Con happened at Marriott at The University of Dayton on Saturday, July 18 and Sunday, July 19, 2026.
PHOTOS: Bourbon at The Bossler Mansion benefit for Nope, Not Today Cancer
Nope, Not Today Cancer hosted Bourbon at the Mansion inside the historic Bossler Mansion, located at 136 S. Dutoit St. in Dayton’s St. Anne’s Hill Historic District. The ticketed event included bourbon tastings, food donated by the Cherry House Café and City Barbeque and raffles. Proceeds from the night went to benefit several local colon cancer patients and their families while they’re undergoing treatment.
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