Realty Executives is proud to be widely represented in the 2021 REAL Trends 500 report. 

The REAL Trends 500 is an annual research report that identifies the country’s largest and most successful residential firms as ranked by closed transaction sides and closed sales volume. Realty Executives brokerages have continually been ranked in REAL Trends 500 over the years.

Realty Executives brokerages across the U.S. were honored as they have proven to show long-term success and productivity. The skill and knowledge needed to lead the largest and most successful brokerages in the country is that of a true real estate expert. Realty Executives agents and brokers lead with their professionalism but are passionate at heart and entrepreneurial in spirit. 

Highlights from the REAL Trends 500 report:

The 500 Largest Brokers in the U.S. (Ranked by closed transaction sides for 2020) 

• Realty Executives Associates – Knoxville, TN
• Realty Executives Phoenix and Yuma – Phoenix, AZ
• Realty Executives Arizona Territory – Tucson, AZ
• Realty Executives Integrity – Hartland, WI
• Realty Executives Exceptional Realtors – Fairfield, NJ
• Realty Executives of Kansas City – Leawood, KS

The 500 Largest Brokers in the U.S (Ranked by closed sales volume for 2020) 

• Realty Executives Phoenix and Yuma – Phoenix, AZ
• Realty Executives Associates – Knoxville, TN
• Realty Executives Arizona Territory – Tucson, AZ
• Realty Executives Integrity – Hartland, WI

Realty Executives brokers, teams and Executives have shown their commitment to being the best in the business, with productivity continually increasing across different markets. The top brokers ranked for transaction sides recorded an average of 12 sides per agent, 60 percent above industry average.  For sales volume, Realty Executives Arizona Territory stood out with a 53.1 percent increase in total sales volume and Associates with 24 percent increase from the previous year. This incredible growth is due to exceptional mentorship by the brokers and leadership team in each office, and the dedication of the Executives to expand their businesses and reach the top of their field.

Top Realty Executives Affiliates 

• Realty Executives Associates – Knoxville, TN
• Realty Executives Phoenix and Yuma – Phoenix, AZ
• Realty Executives Arizona Territory – Tucson, AZ                    
• Realty Executives Integrity – Hartland, WI                                                        
• Realty Executives Exceptional Realtors – Fairfield, NJ
• Realty Executives of Kansas City – Leawood, KS
• Realty Executives Premier – Valparaiso, IN
• Realty Executives Edge – Cape Girardeau, MO
• Realty Executives of St. Louis – St. Louis, MO
• Realty Executives Home Towne – Port Huron, MI
• Realty Executives Santa Clarita – Valencia, CA
• Realty Executives of Hickory and LKN – Hickory, NC
• Realty Executives Boston West – Framingham, MA

Realty Executives Top Affiliates represents some of the top producing brokerages in the brand. Each broker has worked to provide top quality leadership to their teams, allowing them to foster a successful business and become some of the most productive agents in the industry. The brand’s Top Affiliates have a combined year over year growth rate of 9.3 percent on the transaction side, with Premier growing 39 percent, Home Towne growing 40 percent and Hickory growing 21 percent, in the year 2020 alone. Realty Executives Associates, Exceptional Realtors and Edge also showed double digit growth for transactions in 2020.

Top Movers Volume % and Transactions (largest percent increase in closed sales volume and sides from 2019 to 2020)

• Realty Executives Arizona Territory – Tucson, AZ

Realty Executives Arizona Territory, led by Broker/Owner Jeff Murtaugh, had one of their best years to date with a well above average growth rate in sides and sales volume. This achievement comes on the heels of Murtaugh’s strategic acquisition of the former Realty Executives Northern Arizona. Murtaugh and the brokerage leadership team has aggressively scaled the business and recruited top talent. 

The Billionaire’s Club

• Realty Executives Phoenix and Yuma – Phoenix, AZ
• Realty Executives Associates – Knoxville, TN
• Realty Executives Arizona Territory – Tucson, AZ

Only 347 firms are featured in The Billionaire’s Club, a ranking of brokerages who closed at least $1 billion worth of residential real estate in 2020 . Realty Executives Phoenix & Yuma, lead by Jeff Hawke, Joel Moyes, and Eden Sunshine, rank in the top 100 of that list.

The Largest Regional Brands in the Country

• Realty Executives of Kansas City – Leawood, KS

Nation’s Best (closed 500 transaction sides or more in 2020)

• Realty Executives Premier-Valparaiso, IN
• Realty Executives Edge – Cape Girardeau, MO
• Realty Executives of St. Louis- St. Louis, MO
• Realty Executives Home Towne – Port Huron, MI
• Realty Executives Santa Clarita- Valencia, CA
• Realty Executives Hickory and Lake Norman- Hickory, NC
• Realty Executives Boston West – Framingham, MA 

Nation’s Best represents brokerages that did not rank in the REAL Trends 500 but closed more than 500 sides in the year 2020. Realty Executives Nation’s Best brokerages closed over 8,400 transactions, a 12.8 percent increase from the previous year.  Although smaller in size, these brokerages were on par with the Top 500 on a productivity level. They are another demonstration of true professionalism and impressive production in the Realty Executives network.

Top Core Services Providers

• Realty Executives Arizona Territory – Tucson, AZ

Top Core Services ranks the number of ancillary services or product transactions offered through a brokerage. As leading brokerages continue to diversify their offerings to home buyers and sellers, REAL Trends reviewed those who are offering homeowner’s insurance, home warranties, mortgage, title, and other core services. Realty Executives Arizona Territory ranked in the top 50 for core services overall, and was named on the Title Closing ranking for over 1,600 transactions in 2020.

“We are seeing more and more of our brokerages exploring ancillary services such as title and mortgage.” Patrick van den Bossche, President of Realty Executives International, said. “Not only can these services produce meaningful revenue streams, they offer the consumer a streamlined and reliable way to obtain products and services needed during the buying and selling process and beyond. It’s a natural continuation of the full-service brokerage model.”

Realty Executives International congratulates all the firms who appeared on the REAL Trends 500 and associated rankings, in particular, those in the Realty Executives network. These brokerages represent the top real estate professionals in the industry and the franchise is eager to see the continued achievements of the brokerages in their markets.

“We have some of the most productive brokerages, teams, and agents in the business,” van den Bossche, said. “The REAL Trends recognition is a testament to that. I am extremely proud they choose to call Realty Executives home. Congratulations to each of the brokerages for an outstanding year of growth, productivity, and success.”

Article Source: Realty Executives International

Realty Executives Midwest
1310 Plainfield Rd. Ste 2 | Darien, IL 60561
Office: 630-969-8880
E-Mail: experts@realtyexecutives.com

Today’s homebuyers are faced with a strong sellers’ market, which means there are a lot of active buyers competing for a relatively low number of available homes. As a result, it’s essential to understand how to make a confident and competitive offer on your dream home. Here are five tips for success in this critical stage of the homebuying process.

1. Listen to Your Real Estate Advisor

An article from Freddie Mac gives direction on making an offer on a home. From the start, it emphasizes how trusted professionals can help you stay focused on the most important things, especially at times when this process can get emotional for buyers:

“Remember to let your homebuying team guide you on your journey, not your emotions. Their support and expertise will keep you from compromising on your must-haves and future financial stability.”

A real estate professional should be the expert guide you lean on for advice when you’re ready to make an offer.

2. Understand Your Finances

Having a complete understanding of your budget and how much house you can afford is essential. The best way to know this is to get pre-approved for a loan early in the homebuying process. Only 44% of today’s prospective homebuyers are planning to apply for pre-approval, so be sure to take this step so you stand out from the crowd. Doing so make it clear to sellers you’re a serious and qualified buyer, and it can give you a competitive edge in a bidding war.

3. Be Prepared to Move Quickly

According to the latest Realtors Confidence Index from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the average property sold today receives 3.7 offers and is on the market for just 21 days. These are both results of today’s competitive market, showing how important it is to stay agile and alert in your search. As soon as you find the right home for your needs, be prepared to submit an offer as quickly as possible.

4. Make a Fair Offer

It’s only natural to want the best deal you can get on a home. However, Freddie Mac also warns that submitting an offer that’s too low can lead sellers to doubt how serious you are as a buyer. Don’t make an offer that will be tossed out as soon as it’s received. The expertise your agent brings to this part of the process will help you stay competitive:

“Your agent will work with you to make an informed offer based on the market value of the home, the condition of the home and recent home sale prices in the area.”

5. Stay Flexible in Negotiations

After submitting an offer, the seller may accept it, reject it, or counter it with their own changes. In a competitive market, it’s important to stay nimble throughout the negotiation process. You can strengthen your position with an offer that includes flexible move-in dates, a higher price, or minimal contingencies (conditions you set that the seller must meet for the purchase to be finalized). Freddie Mac explains that there are, however, certain contingencies you don’t want to forego:

“Resist the temptation to waive the inspection contingency, especially in a hot market or if the home is being sold ‘as-is’, which means the seller won’t pay for repairs. Without an inspection contingency, you could be stuck with a contract on a house you can’t afford to fix.”

Bottom Line

Today’s competitive market makes it more important than ever to make a strong offer on a home. Reach out to your local real estate professional to make sure you rise to the top along the way.

Article Source: Keeping Current Matters

Realty Executives Midwest
1310 Plainfield Rd. Ste 2 | Darien, IL 60561
Office: 630-969-8880
E-Mail: experts@realtyexecutives.com

When thinking about selling, homeowners often feel they need to get their house ready with some remodeling to make it more appealing to buyers. However, with so many buyers competing for available homes right now, renovations may not be as vital as they would be in a more normal market. Here are two things to keep in mind if you’re thinking of selling this season.

1. There aren’t enough homes for sale right now.

A normal market has a 6-month supply of houses for sale, but today’s housing inventory sits far below that benchmark. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), there’s only a 1.9-month supply of homes available today. As a result, buyer competition is high and homes are only on the market for about 21 days, during which time many receive multiple offers from hopeful buyers.

In a competitive market that’s moving so quickly, it makes sense to sell your house when buyers are scooping homes up as fast as they’re being listed. Spending costly time and money on renovations before you sell might just mean you’ll miss your key window of opportunity. While certain repairs on your house may be important, your best move right now is to work with a real estate advisor to determine which improvements are truly necessary, and which ones are not likely to be deal-breakers for buyers.

Today, many buyers are more willing to take on home improvement projects themselves in order to get the home they’re after, even if it means putting in a little extra work. Home Advisor explains:

“When it comes to the number of home improvement projects completed, Gen Z homeowners are leading the pack, completing an average of 3.5 projects. Millennials closely follow Gen Z, taking on an average of 3.3 projects, followed by Gen X at 2.8 projects. Boomers completed an average of 2 projects, and the Silent Generation completed the fewest projects, on average, at 1.8 per household. Compared to 2019, millennials are spending 60% more on home improvement and doing on average 30% more projects.”

In this market, it may be wise to let future homeowners remodel the bathroom or the kitchen to make design decisions that are best for their specific taste and lifestyle. As a seller, your dollars and time might be better spent working on small cosmetic updates, like refreshing some paint and power washing the exterior. Instead of over-investing in your home with upgrades that the buyers may change anyway, work with a real estate professional to determine the key projects that will maximize your listing, without overdoing it.

2. Focus on getting a good return on your investment.

When planning any bigger projects to tackle, you and your real estate agent will want to discuss the potential return on your investment and if those projects are worth the cost. Some homes do need a kitchen or bathroom renovation, roof repairs, or other major work, but definitely not all of them. You might be surprised by how well your house could fair in today’s sellers’ market. Hanley Wood states:

“The 2020 Cost vs. Value report shows a predictable increase in costs for all 22 remodeling projects but a consistent dip in the perceived value of those projects at the time of home sale, as estimated by real-estate professionals in more than 100 metro areas across the U.S. This results in a slight downturn on the return on investment for nearly all projects relative to the trends we saw in last year’s report.”

Ideally, homeowners getting ready to move should try to avoid over-investing in big renovations if they won’t make that money back when they sell their house. According to the 2020 State of Home Spending report from Home Advisor:

“The average household spending on home services rose to $13,138, an increase over last year’s survey results, where homeowners who did projects spent $9,081 on average in 2019.”

Before you renovate, contact a local real estate professional to see if it’s the best course of action. You may find out that putting your house on the market as-is will help you sell quickly, and it may result in the best return on your investment. Every home is different, but a conversation with your agent is mission-critical to make sure you make the right moves when selling this season.

Bottom Line

We’re in a strong sellers’ market, and that means you have the leverage to sell your house on your terms. Talk with a local real estate professional today to determine if renovating is really the best way to spend your time and money before you sell.

Article Source: Keeping Current Matters

Realty Executives Midwest
1310 Plainfield Rd. Ste 2 | Darien, IL 60561
Office: 630-969-8880
E-Mail: experts@realtyexecutives.com

Spring is almost here, and many are wondering what it will bring for the housing market. Even though the pandemic continues on, it’s certain to be very different from the spring we experienced at this time last year. Here’s what a few industry experts have to say about the housing market and how it will bloom this season.

Danielle Hale, Chief Economist, realtor.com:

“Despite early weakness, we expect to see new listings grow in March and April as they traditionally do heading into spring, and last year’s extraordinarily low new listings comparison point will mean year over year gains. One other potential bright spot for would-be homebuyers, new construction, which has risen at a year over year pace of 20% or more for the last few months, will provide additional for-sale inventory relief.”

Ali Wolf, Chief Economist, Zonda:

“Some people will feel comfortable listing their home during the first half of 2021. Others will want to wait until the vaccines are widely distributed. This suggests more inventory will be for sale in late 2021 and into the spring selling season in 2022.”

Freddie Mac:

“Since reaching a low point in January, mortgage rates have risen by more than 30 basis points… However, the rise in mortgage rates over the next couple of months is likely to be more muted in comparison to the last few weeks, and we expect a strong spring sales season.”

Mark Fleming, Chief Economist, First American:

“As the housing market heads into the spring home buying season, the ongoing supply and demand imbalance all but assures more house price growth…Many find it hard to believe, but housing is actually undervalued in most markets and the gap between house-buying power and sale prices indicates there’s room for further house price growth in the months to come.”

Bottom Line

The experts are very optimistic about the housing market right now. If you pressed pause on your real estate plans over the winter, reach out to a local real estate professional to determine how you can re-engage in the homebuying process this spring.

Article Source: Keeping Current Matters

Realty Executives Midwest
1310 Plainfield Rd. Ste 2 | Darien, IL 60561
Office: 630-969-8880
E-Mail: experts@realtyexecutives.com