The Benefits of Working With a Realtor in Greenwich, CT
As Bankrate put it this July, “uncertainty is permeating the market.” With so much confusion and mystery surrounding the home buying – and selling – process at the moment, it can be hard to break through the noise and figure out what it really means for you and your home (or future home). Add a giant dose of competition, and it’s even trickier to find your footing. Enter: working with a broker.
With the market continuing to be as competitive as it is, there are a number of advantages to working with a broker — especially one that has almost $50 million in sales under her belt this year. ME!
Why you should work with a broker
First and foremost, a broker can offer insight on the micro level of where you are either looking to buy or sell. They can help you break through that exact noise and keep you from staying up day in and out combing through the various social media posts and news updates regarding the state of the housing market. Why try to sort through it yourself when you can have an expert, and someone who isn’t having their judgment clouded with dramatized headlines, help make the very recommendations you need?
In my world, aka the housing market of Greenwich, Connecticut, that same stress is palpable. According to Redfin, in August, home prices in Connecticut were up 10.1%, and what Axios has called “mortgage rate madness” continues on a local level.
But don’t let that “madness” stress you out. That’s exactly why I’m here: to make the process as stress-free as possible. I’m here to take as much pressure off of the situation as I can so you can enjoy the fun part: getting closer and closer to your dream house.
What Today’s Housing Market Means for Sellers
For sellers, the right pricing is key to selling your home. We’re in a very different market than we saw in 2020, so try and take a step away from everything you likely heard and saw three years ago. Instead, allow brokers like me to pull you into the present and help you understand today’s landscape.
One major benefit of working with a broker is that we have access to resources you likely can’t access on your own. For example, in addition to pulling comps, I will always bring in a team of agents to help price the home so that we are putting it on the market as competitively as possible. Compass makes this easier than ever: it does the work to help you (and me!) skip the pain points by letting us work together, from start to finish, in a single platform. Plus, it has exclusive insights into the market, and you can view everything from HOA fees to virtual tours in the same space.
What today’s housing market means for buyers
Like I said, we’re no longer in 2020. But that doesn’t mean the game has changed entirely for buyers. For buyers, you have to be ready to jump when you find the right house – bidding wars are still happening all of the time. One key tip for surviving that speed and rapid pace is being on an agent's distribution list for listings. That way, they can be the ones to show you the perfect home for you, instead of you trying to sort through properties that don’t fit your price point or your needs. This is doubly true since properties are still moving very quickly and at times sites like Zillow and Realtor.com may lag.
Unfortunately, buyers just aren't getting the most up to date information or listings as soon as they hit the market, which can lead to heartbreak if you discover the perfect home during your Zillow scrolling and realize, well, it’s been 24 hours, it’s already under contract and you haven’t even had a chance to take a tour.
My advice? Skip the heartbreak. Let’s let Compass do the work crunching numbers and diving into analytics so we can focus on the fun stuff.
Finding the right home
Today’s sellers and buyers are up against a lot. They’re trying to understand soaring mortgage rates, they’re trying to find that right number that works for their budget, and, on top of it, the sites they’re turning to to discover what homes are available in their neighborhood aren’t moving as quickly as houses are selling. As if that isn’t enough, a huge part of finding the perfect home is finding the perfect area.
Working with an agent who knows the area is extremely beneficial in really finding the right home. Having an agent by your side to help differentiate between all of the different neighborhoods is key. You might have a handful of neighborhoods in mind that feel perfect, but an agent can dig around under the hood and have those thoughtful conversations that help you discover little details you never knew you actually do really want to prioritize – and that gorgeous neighborhood you had no idea existed.
Whether you’re buying or selling, navigating the market in Greenwich, CT, requires expert guidance. Reach out to me today so I can help guide you through this tricky time!