It’s true that we all like to voice our opinions, and feel validated when our family, friends, colleagues, and spouse agree with our points of view. When you’re in a position to give advice, voicing your opinion is easy; you’re essentially paid to give advice. As a real estate broker, I’m full of advice and opinions … however my thoughts and expertise are not necessarily what a buyer or seller always needs to hear.
I know this seems counterintuitive to being successful as a broker in real estate, but honestly, I learn so much more by listening to my clients than by hearing myself talk or pontificating about my expertise. I know the laws of real estate and understand how to interpret and write successful contracts. I’m well-versed in many areas pertaining to the mechanics of a good deal to position my clients for a win in a competitive market by writing a formidable offer. Those skills have been honed over 23+ years.
However, the last two years have been very humbling for all of us, and now it’s time to talk less and listen more. We’ve all experienced a kind of leveling of the playing field and it’s brought us to a place of compromise and personal integrity never before experienced. When I ask my clients a question, it comes from a place of empathy. We’ve had to look inward; our patience has been more than tested! We’ve made bold moves with our professions, relocations, and reinventing everything we do from zooming, exploring our technology prowess, to adapting ways of teaching our children, to inventing ways to create personal space while in public places.
Where am I going with this? I’ve stepped back and have begun to look increasingly at what motivates someone to make a change and move. If we take out the sound bites and insert real intentions, we’ll see our needs can be met in a much more thoughtful way.
Take a few minutes and examine how you really live; what do you like about it? What are things you would change? Make a list and sell yourself on a thoughtful process for a home purchase. Don’t go by what’s “in” or what you’re told you need, but actually what you really enjoy about your daily routine and how that may translate into your home search. I live in a home that’s approximately 3,000 feet, and while I love my home, we actually live in fewer than 1,200 ft of it. I love my spacious yard and gardens, but I must say there are times I’d like to dial it back it bit.
I tell my clients that if they like their home, keep it. Conversely, if it’s time to cash out, now’s as good a time as ever. If moving to a condo allows you to travel more and not worry about keeping a home up, do it. But make those decisions based on your inner voice, not the noise outside!
The market is red hot and multiple offers are spinning out of control. Take a breath, assess what makes sense, and choose to either dive in, or watch from the shore …
Take care,
Bainbridge Island real estate over the past 30 Days
5 active residential listings High $3,950,000, Median $1,161,950 Low $595,000, Average days on market 12
25 pending residential listings High $1,998,000 Median $1,130,000 Low $3,000, Average days on market 28
28 sold residential listings High $2,776,000, Median $1,027,408 Low $470,000, Average days on market 23
1 active vacant land listing $369,000, Days on market 19
5 pending feasibility vacant land listings High $375,000, Median $125,000 Low $95,000, Average days on market 59
1 sold vacant land High $299,000, Median $299,000 Low $299,000, Average days on market 104