Real Estate With Brian O’Connell

Real Estate With Brian O’Connell Dedicated and professional Realtor® helping clients from all over buy and sell homes by any means

09/18/2026

Zillow is a great tool, but remember — it’s still an algorithm.

It’s looking at things like square footage, bedrooms, bathrooms, recent sales and other similar homes in the area.

What it doesn’t always know is whether you just put $100,000 into renovations… or whether your home needs a major cosmetic facelift.

Two homes can look almost identical on paper and be completely different in person.

So if you’re relying on a Zestimate to figure out what your home is actually worth, you may not be getting the full story.

If you’re curious what your home could actually sell for in today’s market, call me. I’ll look at the condition, upgrades, location and what buyers are actually paying for homes like yours right now.

09/17/2026

The primary suite at 10 Bartelli Road gives you the space you actually want at the end of the day.

Vaulted ceilings, two walk-in closets, a private bathroom, and direct access to your own exterior deck overlooking the property.

It’s not just a bedroom — it feels like its own section of the home.

📍10 Bartelli Road, Lakeville, MA
Offered at $1,197,000

A sold comp is important — but it’s not the entire market.Real estate is constantly moving, and especially here in New E...
09/17/2026

A sold comp is important — but it’s not the entire market.

Real estate is constantly moving, and especially here in New England, the market a home sold in 60–90 days ago may look very different than the market you’re entering today.

That’s why when I’m helping someone price a home or determine what to offer, I’m looking at all three:

• What has SOLD
• What’s UNDER CONTRACT
• What’s ACTIVE right now

Then you have to factor in seasonality.

Homes that sold during the spring/early summer market may have benefited from fewer homes for sale and a much larger buyer pool. Post-Labor Day, we typically have more inventory and fewer buyers competing for those homes.

The comps matter. But so does understanding the market those comps actually sold in.

09/16/2026

Getting outbid does NOT mean your next move should be going directly to the listing agent.

I recently had someone ask me this after losing out on multiple homes:

“Should I just go directly to the homeowner and their agent so I can get a better deal and finally get an offer accepted?”

My immediate answer was no.

The listing agent already has a client — the seller. Their job is to protect the seller’s interests, negotiate for the seller and ultimately get the seller the best possible terms.

As a buyer, you need someone having those conversations and negotiations with YOUR interests in mind.

If you keep getting outbid, have the uncomfortable conversation with your agent instead:

What are we hearing from the listing agents?
Why are our offers losing?
What can we change?
How are you advocating for me before and after we submit?

Sometimes the answer is price. Sometimes it’s terms, timing, communication, structure or something else entirely.

But giving up your own representation because you think going directly to the listing side will automatically get you a better deal is usually solving the wrong problem.

Ask harder questions. Adjust the strategy. Make sure the person representing you is actually fighting for you.

09/14/2026

The market is always telling you something — you just have to know where to look.

• SOLD homes = what the market has done
• UNDER CONTRACT homes = what the market is going to do
• ACTIVE homes = what the market is doing right now

When you’re pricing a home or writing an offer, you really need to look at all three.

And here in New England, seasonality matters too.

The spring market historically brings fewer homes for sale and a much larger buyer pool. Once we get past Labor Day, we typically see more inventory on the market and fewer buyers competing for it.

So if you’re pricing your home today based heavily on sales from June, July or August, you may be comparing yourself to homes that sold in a very different market.

Those sales still matter — but they’re only one piece of the puzzle.

What happened, what’s happening now, and what looks like it’s coming next should all play a part in your strategy.

09/13/2026

A lot of buyers from a few years ago were told the same thing:

“Buy the house now and refinance when rates come down.”

Some of them are still waiting.

I’m not telling you not to buy a home right now. I’m telling you to make sure the home you buy today is a home you can comfortably afford today.

Don’t build your budget around a refinance that may or may not happen in 6 months, a year, or even a few years.

If rates come down and you’re able to refinance later? Great. That should be a bonus — not the plan that makes the payment work.

Buy based on your current payment, your current income, and what you can realistically handle for the next 2–4 years.

And be careful with anyone selling you “marry the house, date the rate” like a lower rate is guaranteed.

The house has to make sense even if the rate doesn’t change.

09/10/2026

What actually constitutes a bedroom? 🤔

A room being marketed as a bedroom is about more than just putting a bed in it.

A few of the big things to look for:
• It should be above grade
• It needs to be heated
• It needs at least 70 sq. ft. of floor space
• And no — a bedroom does NOT technically have to have a closet

That last one surprises a lot of people.

Of course, most buyers still want closets in their bedrooms, and I’ve had clients show up to homes frustrated when a “bedroom” doesn’t have one. That’s where proper marketing and strategy come into play on the selling side.

You want to make sure room measurements are accurate, the home is being represented correctly, and expectations are being set before buyers even walk through the door.

Whether you’re buying or selling, these little details matter more than people think.

09/10/2026

You can change a lot about a house, but you can’t recreate the setting.

Welcome to 10 Bartelli Road in Lakeville — tucked away on a private cul-de-sac, sitting on 1.94 acres with a covered front porch, multiple rear decks and seasonal water views.

And once you step inside, there’s nearly 4,000 sq ft of above-grade living space waiting for you.

🏡 4 bedrooms + full-size office/flex room
🛁 3.5 bathrooms
🚗 3-car garage
📐 Nearly 4,000 sq ft above grade
🌳 1.94 acres
➕ Over 3,000 additional sq ft of unfinished space between the walkout basement and area above the garage

Offered at $1,197,000.

📍 10 Bartelli Road | Lakeville, MA
DM me for a private showing or the full listing details.

🚨 NEW TO MARKET | 10 Bartelli Road, Lakeville, MANearly 4,000 sq ft of above-grade living space on 1.94 acres, tucked aw...
09/09/2026

🚨 NEW TO MARKET | 10 Bartelli Road, Lakeville, MA

Nearly 4,000 sq ft of above-grade living space on 1.94 acres, tucked away on a private paved cul-de-sac.
This 4-bedroom, 3.5-bath Colonial offers the space, flexibility and setting that are getting harder to find — including a 3-car attached garage, an additional full-size flex room, and approximately 1,008 sq ft of unfinished space above the garage with plenty of future potential.
Inside, you’ll find an oversized kitchen with a center island, walk-in pantry and wet bar, a sunken family room with exposed beams and a floor-to-ceiling stone wood-burning fireplace, multiple living and entertaining spaces, and a spacious primary suite.

Outside, enjoy multiple rear decks, seasonal pond views and plenty of privacy.

📍 10 Bartelli Road, Lakeville, MA
💰 Offered at $1,197,000
🛏 4 Bedrooms
🛁 3.5 Bathrooms
🚗 3-Car Garage
🌳 1.94 Acres

If you’ve been looking for serious space in Lakeville, this one is worth seeing.

📲 Message me for additional information or to schedule a private showing.

Address

Abington, MA

Telephone

+18572690484

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