March 2023 RSS Feed

In a year when so many of us find ourselves ‘getting back to the basics’ of real estate, I can’t help but get sentimental for the return of my dear old friend The Open House. I know many of us have a love-hate relationship with this industry staple, but mine is much more love than hate. You see, Open Houses had me, literally, at “hello.” 

After just getting licensed in early 2015, I was able to hold my first open house at a colleague’s listing on Grand Ave in St. Paul. It was a cute walk-up condo in a high foot-traffic area, and I was sure I was going to get some people through. And, as luck would have it, the very first group to walk through that door, a retired couple relocating from Madison to be close to their adult children, became my very…

In early April, VIBE was proud to host a vibrant, live panel discussion for fellow industry professionals with the aim of helping fight discrimination in real estate right here in the Twin Cities. “I left there super inspired for the amazing work everyone there wants to do together,” said Andrea Rodriguez, loan officer for Fairway. Featured on the panel were the local leaders of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB), the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP), the Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA) and the LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance.  

The afternoon included “important dialogue,” according to panelist Zaylore Stout, chief counsel for the LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance, and included a lot of…

Tom Ellis and Scott Griesbach are the owners of Aesthetic Home Interiors, just down the road on Selby from our VIBE offices. One of our core tenants at VIBE is supporting our community, and what better way than asking Tom and Scott to share some of their thoughts on decorating for SPRING! Make sure to stop by their spring pop-up event March 24-26 to score some unique spring decor items and browse custom furniture.

Something Old. Something New. Something Borrowed. Something Blue.

We’re using this familiar phrase as an inspiration for a fresh home design. Spring is one of our favorite seasons and provides you a great opportunity to update your space. So let’s get refreshing, shall we?

Step 1: Look at the OLD. Start by looking at your home…

A friend reached out the other day wondering if I could recommend a great place to take her husband for drinks and apps before his birthday dinner. She wanted somewhere cozy and warm, it should have dim lighting and great cocktails. 

I knew exactly where to send her. Of the two places that came to mind, the downtown Minneapolis location would be better for them knowing their dinner reservations were downtown but depending on which direction you want to go, I’ve got a couple of ideas for you. 

First, in downtown Minneapolis, in the basement of the Ivy Hotel, you’ll find Constantine. When you walk in and see the conference hall style carpeting leading your way, don’t turn around. Keep going, I promise, it’ll be worth it. You’ll find a…

Here at VIBE, we’re all about relationships - from family (did you know our co-founders, Rob and Steve, are brothers?!), to friendships, and everything in between. We know relationships thrive when they are given attention and time and the best way to do both is to invite some people over for a fun event! In fact, we love events so much that we created our Lounge space specifically for hosting. But, just because you don’t have a dedicated event space in your home doesn’t mean you can’t have your favorite people over. We put together a few of our best hosting tips to help you, and your space, shine when you throw your next get together.

1. Set an intention for your gathering. Why are you getting together? Is it to celebrate someone or a…