2019, Wow. Can it really be 2019 already? I often find myself thinking that exact thought. I mean, I graduated high school in 2008 and that seems like it wasnt that long ago but here I am.. 11 years out of high school. When you think about 2019, what comes to mind? Some people might say technology, innovation, a new era of technological developments. Afterall, almost everything we do involves some sort of technology. Think about social media and the online presence our current world has. We know what happens in Florida, Colorado, all over the U.S just by jumping on Facebook or instagram. Word travels fast. So for me, what comes to mind when I think about 2019 is the word FAST.. fast paced, quick moving, swiftly changing, speedy actions, rapid responses, brisk meetings.. I could go on but I think you get my point. Our world is all about being fast, if not the fastest. News reports are out right away. People want results immediately. We demand our food to be made quickly. We send instant messages to eachother and get instant responses. 2019 is FAST.

This may come as no surprise to you that the real estate market is just like the rest of our world, fast. Houses are being listed and sold within a matter of hours. Several buyers arent even able to see the property before its sold. I listed a really cute 1 ½  story house recently. It was adorable with original trimwork, all original woodwork including custom built-ins… I mean it was adorable! My clients and I met on a Thursday afternoon at 3:00 to sign all the paperwork. We had the house live on the market by 4:00 that day which means it was sent out to over 500 websites online. Within minutes of my listing going live, the calls started coming in. Agents frantic to get their client through the house because they know, listings dont last. At 9:00 that evening, I had 4 offers to present to my sellers and they gladly accepted one. Again, fast. 

As a seller, putting your house on the market for sale and then selling it withing 5 hours is the ideal situation. Now for the buyers, this sucks. Imagine you didnt even see the house advertised til the next day. 1 day later and it already sold. I work with more buyers than sellers so I know firsthand how frustrating this market can be. As an agent, we have to constantly check the new listings, multiple times a day so that you can attemtp to stay ahead. We have to pay close attention to anything in our buyers price range so that we can get our buyers in first. I personally set all my new buyers up with my online new listing alerts. Its an automated system that will send an email notification when anything newly listed comes up, within the buyers price range. This helps alot but in some cases, buyers cant check or wont check email til after work or later in the day. I have had buyers who are in a time crunch and boy oh boy does that make it hard. Buyers who need to move quickly are more likely to make offers on something quick and have buyers remorse later on.

The market is fast, quick paced and constantly changing. As a buyer, you need to do your research before jumping into the buying market. What do I mean by do your research? Allow me to explain. Choosing the right Realtor can be the difference between getting your dream home and settling for second best. Realtors are the key to you finding your home. We help you navigate the market, the prices, the paperwork, the process. Buyers deserve a Realtor who can get them in homes quickly so they have first pick. Its not easy, but is part of our job and its why most of us signed up to do this. We want to help you buy your home sweet home. Its not a process to be taken lightly unless you have all the time in the world but for most, its not that way. To stay on top of the 2019 Real Estate market, you need to have a good realtor, be preapproved, and lastly.. you need to be easy to get ahold of whether its text, call or email. So if you’re thinking about buying a home, now you will have a little heads up on what to expect. Although, I’ve realized in real estate to always expect the unexpected but thats a topic for another day. 

Thanks for reading!

Your Local Real Estate Go To,

Kelsey Howard