Real Estate

Trend 7: The Digital End-To-End Real Estate Transaction Dream

Closer than Ever, But Still Far Away

This is the fourth blog post in a series of ten that covers the trends that will shape the residential real estate industry in 2019 and beyond according to the publication, Swanepoel Trends Report 2019.  The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this post belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to the author’s employer or the publication cited.

The real estate transaction has long been an analog process that has, until recently, been more than adequate. Real estate agents who could manage the plethora of different systems and personalities (i.e. mortgage, inspection, title, insurance, etc.) could excel in the business.

More companies, both inside and outside our industry, are now recognizing that the real estate transaction is broken. Too many unknowns; too many systems; too many parts that don’t talk to each other; too much duplication – – – and none of them create an exceptional customer experience. But that is changing.

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Trend 10: The Residential Real Estate Brokerage Shift – Suddenly Arrived in 2018

This is the first blog post in a series of ten that covers the trends that will shape the residential real estate industry in 2019 and beyond according to the publication, Swanepoel Trends Report 2019.  The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this post belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to the author’s employer or the publication cited.

If there is one constant in the residential real estate industry, its change.  And with change, brings a lot of mixed emotions.  Some individuals and companies seem to thrive in this environment, while others hold onto the past and get swept away in a tsunami.

The Swanepoel Trends Report cites a number of examples of companies that were on the top of their game but then failed to anticipate a shift in the business environment.  Read these two quotes and you’ll get the picture:

“Google is not a real company.  It’s a house of cards.”

Steve Ballmer, CEO, Microsoft (2004)

“Neither Redbox nor Netflix are even on the radar screen in terms of competition.”

Former Blockbuster CEO Jim Keyes (2008)

  

So if businesses evolve either up or down, where are we now?

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Here’s To the Future

I have been following Peter Diamandis through his YouTube site and his books for a couple of years.  He always provides a fascinating insight into where he thinks we are headed.

This short interview with Tom Ferry touches on some things that real estate agents need to prepare themselves for as we head into the next decade.

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Lancaster County’s February 2018 Real Estate Market – By the Numbers

February’s winter winds are behind us and the days are now starting to get longer.  As we head into spring, there is always a sense of anticipation for what lies ahead.  Let’s take a look at the latest numbers.

(Click on Infographics for larger size)

2018 02 February Market Stats - Avg Sales Price

  • Average Sales Price – A huge jump of 7% from last year at this time.  As the supply of inventory continues to struggle to keep up with demand, expect prices to continue their healthy upward trend.

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Lancaster County’s September Real Estate Market – By the Numbers

As we wave goodbye to the 3/4 mark in 2017, the beautiful fall foliage is rapidly appearing all around us.  There have been lots of interesting developments on the real estate front this past year.  The market that has shown a steady recovery from the Great Recession which has been good for Central Pennsylvania.  Let’s take a look at the numbers to see what they reveal.

(Click on any of the images for a larger view or to download)

2017 09 September Market Stats - Avg Sales Price

The average sales price year over year shows prices are up 4% to just over $206K.  This relatively modest appreciation rate is good news for sellers who are slowly recovering the lost equity from the economic downturn.  This number should also send a message to potential buyers who are on the fence about purchasing.  Waiting to buy equals higher prices and interest rates that are potentially on the rise (more on this later). Continue reading →

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