This spring market is really showing signs of stabilizing our market in Kitsap County. Despite the fact that overall home values in Kitsap declined 5% last month all of the signs are there for price stabilization as well as price appreciation as we move into 2013. For the North West Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS) news release click here.
What are those signs you might ask? We are seeing more activity; at open houses, on our phones, more buyers looking at houses and more offers. We are also seeing inventory decreasing in many price ranges and homes that are on the market a shorter period of time as well as multiple offer situations. And I’ll be the first to say….this feels good.
This is also a good time to be going into the real estate business. Right now we are working within what you might call a good thick condensed broth. Much of the water has boiled off over the past couple of years, and what I mean by that is many of the part time brokers or brokers who were not serious about this as a profession have taken their leave.
This is truly a time to get back to the basics of running a real estate business. As a new broker who applies all of the principles that a good Branch Managing Broker should teach you, you should be able to start your business off and double your income each year for years 2 and 3 while hitting your overall goals between years 3 and 5.
If you are new to the business or just getting started in the process be sure to interview several brokers and focus on how you feel about the person you are interviewing (the branch managing broker) and the environment of the office. Is there energy and momentum in the office? Are they doing transactions?
Just like individual brokers there are still offices who have their heads in yesterdays market. You want to ensure your new office is excited about real estate and optimistic about the future. A company may claim to be #1 in the region…what is more important is how is that office doing by itself.
In case you hadn’t guessed, I think this is a great time to be getting into real estate!