The beginning of 2020 debuted with news of a pandemic threatening the world’s population. As the coronavirus outbreak continues to unfold, economic activity is being slowed down while uncertainty looms over many sectors. The real estate market is one of the areas not immune to the crisis, facing new challenges as the situation evolves. 

At the beginning of the year, the real estate industry was off to a good start, despite limited inventory and affordability issues. Low interest rates fueled both existing home sales and new home sales in January, marking the second month of year-over-year increased activity.

However, the coronavirus hit just in time for the spring season which was supposed to be the peak time for house hunting and selling. In the midst of the crisis, there may be some reluctance to buy or sell until the crisis is contained, but as of now the real estate business is still running and people’s need to move has not entirely changed.

Four Executives of Realty Executives Edge (formerly Realty Executives of Cape County), of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, were recently honored by Southeast Missouri REALTORS® at the annual installation and award luncheon.  Executives Lois Long, Raelenna Ferguson, Becky Buehler and Bill Cole were among the award recipients.

Southeast Missouri REALTORS® is a local trade association that provides its members with opportunities for collaboration and cooperation in order to educate, promote growth, protect the rights of property owners, and support economic expansion in Southeast Missouri.  With over 300 REALTORS® and more than 70 affiliated businesses, the association serves Cape Girardeau, Bollinger, Scott, and Perry counties.

Lois Long was awarded REALTOR® of the Year.  This award is given to a member of the association who best lives up the REALTOR® mission statement and is active in community service or volunteer work.  Long joined Realty Executives in 2012.

First Time in Company’s 43 Years

Realty Executives Saskatoon, located in the Province of Saskatchewan, Canada, has achieved the #1 brokerage status in their area for the first time in the company’s 43 year history. This honor is earned based on sales volume and percentage of market share in the Saskatoon area.

The Realty Executives brokerage reported a sales volume of $672,808,879,and a market share of 21.62 percent for Saskatoon and area. Broker/Owner Wayne Zuk, is excited to accomplish a goal that has been a long time in the making. Realty Executives Saskatoon has been a part of the Realty Executives International franchise since 1995.

In the real estate marketplace, the cost of owning a house is quite high. So, not a surprise when you wish to gain a profit once you decide to resell. However, this wish could be a costly one, as it would involve some renovations here and there. This process of renovation and cleaning is called home staging.

Home staging involves the preparation of a private residence for sale in real estate markets. The whole concept aims at creating a more appealing impression to potential buyers; thereby selling the house more swiftly and at an increased price. 

With the holidays just around the corner, so much time and effort goes into preparing a wonderful feast for your guests, from the appetizers right through to the desserts. 

But what about your faithful furry friend? Your dog has a great sense of smell and all of the wonderful scents that waft through the air during this period will be like heaven to your pooch if they know they’ll be getting some of the leftovers. 

However, while some foods make great pet names, not all food is safe for your dog to eat; do you know which foods are safe for your dog, and which aren’t?

Linda Weis is a busy lady on any given day, but for the last six weeks or so, she’s spent countless hours researching candidates applying to become the next justice of the Kansas Supreme Court.

Weis, of Manhattan, is the owner of Realty Executives. She’s also one of nine people on the Supreme Court Nominating Commission, which recently went from years of dormancy to high gear with the retirements of Justice Lee Johnson and soon, Chief Justice Lawton Nuss.

“I just had to make time,” she said in an interview at her office Tuesday. “It’s the kind of thing you don’t say no to.”

On Thursday and Friday, the commission will interview the 19 candidates applying for Johnson’s seat on the court. Those interviews will be in Topeka.

Moving to a new house is an exciting experience. But once the last box of your things has been relocated, the process of adjustment begins.

As it’s in human nature to resist and get stressed about changes in life, this process could be quite challenging and result in certain side effects.

Having trouble falling asleep in a new room and a new bed is one of the most common of those effects. But why exactly does this happen and what can you do about it?

City-living comes with its many benefits, and is growing exponentially in popularity. In 2016, it was revealed that over 23 percent of the world’s population lived in cities with over one million inhabitants, and that number is expected to grow to a large majority (in urban areas) by 2050.

 Living in an urban environment does, for many, come at somewhat of a cost, as you can be restricted in the amount of personal space city homes offer or loss of green space. But fear not, as there is plenty to do when within an arm’s reach of the bustling city center.

 For the urban socialite looking for things to do in the big city, here are six things usually within walking distance of the average city-center apartment.

Many lifestyle changes are easier said than done, but when it comes to going green, it’s just easy as it sounds. Whether you’re moving to a new home or you’re looking for a way to live in a more energy-efficient way, here are some simple changes you can make to go green (besides just recycling). 

Create an affordable compost bin

One of the easiest, simplest changes you can make to go green in your home is to create your own compost bin. Instead of continuing to put your food and yard waste in a plastic bag and contributing to landfills, you can create your own compost bin for under 15 dollars. If you have an at-home garden, this will work wonders for you, but if not, you can have your compost picked up or bring it to a local business or organization that can use it. Check out a beginner’s guide to composting here. 

At Realty Executives, we care about the safety of all real estate professionals. September is National REALTOR® Safety Month, dedicated to educating agents and brokers on how to be safe in the field while meeting new clients, sharing information online or showing properties.

In this article by National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), we take a look at the variety of resources available for professionals to keep them alert, observant and safe.