Fort Myers Beach Archives - Page 26 of 41 - Fort Myers Real Estate and Homes For Sale

We track 12 major measures plus some other measures to evaluate health and direction of the local real estate market. 10 SW Florida real estate measures were negative in February, which is better than the 11 in January.

We look at things like closed sales, prices, time on market, inventory levels, pending inventory, time to sell, total money in motion, and others. It gives us a pretty good indicator of where the market is and where the market is headed. This is a blueprint for sellers on how to market their property today.

We’re able to sit at the kitchen table and show sellers exactly where we are. Sellers armed with this information can make decisions that will insure a sale and put more money in their pocket at closing. Sellers who ignore key statistics generally sell for less while their home sits on the market longer. Some never sell at all, and that’s a shame because people who list their home generally want to sell, and for top dollar.

We’ve still got a pretty good market for those that know their numbers. We have a good selection of buyers. Season has been good. We’ve sold lots of homes. Unfortunately, season can mask the underlying weaknesses this year compared to last year. When all the visitors go home in a few weeks, you may find lots of sellers who didn’t sell this season wondering what happened.

What happened was the market shifted and because it was season, sellers didn’t notice. Marketing becomes even more critical in a shifting market, along with proper pricing. Getting ahead of the game is paramount. If you were playing a basketball game with 5:00 left in the game, would you rather be up 10 points or down 10 points?

The game is not over, but our seasonal visitors will be leaving. If you didn’t market your home to the max, and if it wasn’t priced properly, you might feel like you’re down 10 points. Not ideal. You’re behind, but not out. Homes sell year-round.

If you’re thinking of placing your home on the market, you need an agent that knows exactly where we are in the market, and exactly what to do to get your home sold. If you’re looking for top dollar, you need aggressive marketing. Sure, you can price your way into a sale just by being the absolute best value around. If you want fair market value, that may take aggressive marketing along with a pricing strategy.

When you sit down with an agent, go over the 12 market indicators. Look at the trend. Focusing on just one month can mislead you sometimes. If you did sell, where will you go? How soon would you like to be there? How does that compare with the average marketing time of the market, and your price range?

We have all these statistics so we can help you make the best decision for you. We have the aggressive marketing you’re looking for, whether you realize it or not. All Realtors do not market the same, just as they don’t price the same. Making a mistake on either can cost you thousands. It could even cost you a sale.

To get a rough estimate on what your home could sell for, go to www.SWFLHomevalues.com It’s free, and fast. It will give you a good idea, but it’s not perfect. That’s where we come in. No, we’re not perfect either, but we can give you a better idea than a computer can. We can also share with you the 12 real estate measures and show you an aggressive marketing plan nobody else can match.

You can always call Brett or Sande Ellis 239-489-4042 Ext 4 We’d love to answer your questions and get you to your next home.

Good luck and Happy Selling!

Ellis Team Weekend Open Houses

Open House Saturday 1-4 PM

Pelican Preserve

10410 Prato Dr

Open House Sunday 1-4 PM

14077 Danpark Loop

Open House Sunday 1-4 PM

13 High Point Cir #302

The real estate market is always changing, so too must we to keep up with changes. We’ve been hard at work selling property in SW Florida even though most agents realize there is a shift occurring in the market. Our marketing is world-wide, and because Germany has overtaken the 2^nd spot as most visitors to our website, we’ve decided to add a German division to handle this overseas demand.

Yesterday we pulled up our sales report and noticed we have 21 pending sales. Not bad when agents are complaining the market has shifted and listings are tougher to sell. We agree the market has shifted, and listings are tougher to sell. Where we don’t agree is what to do about it.

When the market shifts, you don’t cut back marketing. And you don’t stop lead generating. In fact, you increase it. The Ellis Team doesn’t stop there either. We must react to shifts in consumer activity as well. We have a mobile app that buyers and sellers really love. It’s awesome, and in the 2^nd Qtr. it’s going to get even more awesome. I’ll tell you about the cool new stuff coming in a future article. In the meantime, if you’d like to download it, you can at http://app.kw.com/KW2TGVZZ3

Dennis Muchow is going to lead our German division. Dennis comes to the Ellis Team from Berlin Germany where his family has operated hotels in both Germany and the U.S. He is not only a hard worker but a fast learner. When we first met Dennis, we couldn’t even tell he was from another country. He had no accent even though he only moved to the U.S. 4 years ago. Maybe it’s because he spent so much time in SW Florida growing up as his parents spent 6 months in Germany and 6 months in Cape Coral.

Last year Germany was in 3^rd position for www.LeeCountyOnline.com visitors and Canada was number 2, but that’s changed this year. Despite the shifting market, SW Florida remains popular with international visitors and U.S. visitors alike. We’re a tax friendly state, and of course we have gorgeous weather. U.S. News & World Report just recognized Fort Myers as one of the best places to live near a beach because of most access to ocean, sand and sunshine, as well as being a great place to live.

If you’re thinking of selling, call the Ellis Team at Keller Williams Realty 239-489-4042 Ext 4 and see how our marketing can help sell your home. Ask for Sande or Brett. If you’d like to speak with a German speaking agent, we can help with that too. If you’re buying, our team of talented buyer specialists can help you find your piece or paradise, and the best news is, it’s all right here. You don’t have to travel around the world to find it.

And don’t forget that app. You’ll appreciate the Open House search and Nearby Homes lookup. You’ll even find out how you can save thousands on your next mortgage loan. The app will automatically update to the cool new stuff coming out. You don’t want to miss that, so go ahead and download it now.

Real estate is local, and it doesn’t matter where you’re from or where you’ve been. The Ellis Team is here to explain what makes SW Florida so special, and how we can make your dream a reality. We enjoy helping people, so let our team help you.

If you’re thinking of selling your home, call Brett or Sande Ellis 239-489-4042 Ext 4

Good luck and Happy House Hunting!

Be sure to download our Free Real Estate App

Brett Ellis Keller Williams App — Keller Williams App

You’ll be able to see all home for sale, and all see which homes are open house this weekend. Try it out.

At last week’s Ellis Team meeting we asked our buyer specialists how they did the past week and what they were working on this week. One agent just sold 3 homes that week, and another sold 2, and another sold 1. Each agent was working with 3-4 buyers that were going to purchase in the next week to 10 days. Suffice it to say, home sales are heating up in SW Florida just like the weather.

It is mid-March, so home sales should be heating up. If they weren’t, we’d have a problem. This is peak season after all. For the past few weeks we’ve noticed pending sales outpacing new listings. As we write this article, we notice new listings outpaced new pending sales again.

By our count we see about 6,625 listings in Lee County. This is down from the 7,100 we saw in January, however there may be a few more when official numbers are released because listings from outside agents in other MLS boards can increase this figure. Believe it or not, sometimes a Miami or Jacksonville agent will list Lee County properties in their MLS and not here.

So, what is all this telling us about the market? Overall, we’ve got a good market. If you price it right and market it correctly, homes should sell. Is it still a seller’s market? No. Is it a buyer’s market? Possibly, but maybe it’s shifted back to neutral. We won’t know until numbers come out next month.

For us, it really doesn’t matter. A buyer’s or seller’s market is just a term. It’s close either way. What’s more important is how buyers and sellers are reacting to the information available. All real estate is local, and usually hyper-local. If the overall market sits at 6.18 months supply of homes, and the home you like is in a neighborhood with 2 months supply, it changes the dynamic.

Numbers are constantly changing. Buyers who fail to recognize this may find themselves missing out on great homes. It’s frustrating to miss out on home after home. If this keeps happening to you as a buyer, you need to take a step back and evaluate the advice you’re getting and your reaction to it. Perhaps you’re listening to family members or friends, and while their advice is well intentioned, it could be bad. Or perhaps your search online isn’t considering up to the minute trends. Is the agent you’re working with full-time?

Sellers, you too always need to know what’s going on. The market can change in an instant. New listings enter the market, or current sellers drop their price. Far too often sellers set their price and believe they’re done. The seller sets the price and the market determines the value. If the home doesn’t sell, constant monitoring is required to see what your competition is doing as well as sales activity.

One way buyers and sellers can study a neighborhood is using our Neighborhood Market Reports Site. http://www.leecountyonline.com/sw-florida-market-reports/ This site provides data for active listings, pendings, and solds. No other site can do all that. But wait, there’s more. It also has the photos and key data buyers and sellers like. And of course, our Blog has weekly articles going back years. http://blog.topagent.com

In the end, your success is determined by the agent you work with, the research you do, and the advice you listen to. Consumers mistakenly believe all agents are the same, so it doesn’t matter who they work with. Are all doctors the same? How about attorneys? Of course not, and neither are Realtors.

Making any of these common mistakes could cost you thousands, or worse? It could cost you a sale. Your dreams are too important. Life is too short. You don’t want to wait for the next market cycle to make that move. The time is now.

We hope you find this information helpful. If you need to talk to us, call us at 239-489-4042. We’re experts at listening, and offering ideas based on your goals. We look forward to speaking with you.

Happy Selling!

This past week I was having a conversation with an agent who just lost a listing to an agent from another company. They said I wish the seller knew that over half that agent’s listings expire and never sell. That statement got me to thinking, that is a great topic to write an article on. We’ve created the real estate agent expired listings ratio database.

On TV and radio, you hear about all these rating services that want you to contact them as they rate real estate agents by production and sales. Presumably they want to get in the middle and collect an advertising or referral fee for their service. Rating agents on sales is one thing, but has anybody ever looked at how many of their listings sell versus expire?

Well, we just did it. I downloaded 11,280 expired listings in the past year in Lee County from the MLS. I imported all listings into a sortable database. We searched for expired, terminated, and withdrawn listings as some agents try to skirt the system and withdraw them, so they don’t show as expired. After running the numbers, we found some astonishing numbers. One agent had 88 such listings. Other agents had 76, 69, 52 and so on. Wouldn’t this be information sellers would want to know about?

We went one step further and created an expired ratio category. Imagine if you were drafting a basketball team and a guard was available that averages 20 points per game. Sounds pretty good, that’s roughly 10 field goals per game plus or minus free throws and 3-point shots. Assuming he or she makes 10 shots per game, would it alarm you to know they took 50 shots per game to make 10? That would be only a 20% FG%, or put another way, an 80% fail rate.

Therefore, we created the Expired ratio. We know these agents have a ton of listings expire, so let’s look at their expireds compared to their successes. The agent with 88 expired listings had a 46.81% expired ratio. Not good! The agent with 76 expired had a 56.30% expired ratio, even worse. The worst ratio we saw in the database of top expired agents was 84.21% That’s horrific. Imagine if you were interviewing agents and they told you over 84% of their listings never sell?

Agents will never tell you this information, and chances are they don’t even know the number. It’s bad, and they know that, but they don’t know their numbers. I didn’t until today. For the record, ours is very good.

I also looked at company data. Not surprisingly, many of the limited service brokers were high on the list. Limited service brokers do a lot less, and for that they probably charge less, but who knows? Sometimes you only get a sign and your listing syndicated to the national data aggregators. Showing agents may have to contact seller directly to negotiate offers, setup showings, etc. Showing agents aren’t compensated for the extra work. It takes extra time and skill to educate both the buyer and seller, negotiate through inspection issues, etc.

I’m not going to publish this list publicly. We’re not here to put anybody down or call agents out. We do feel however that sellers should be armed with this information. It should be part of the decision process. Sellers are making a large financial decision, and they want honest information in which to evaluate agents in that decision.

If you’re thinking about selling and are interviewing agents, email me Brett@topagent.com with your address and the agents you’re considering and I’ll look them up and let you know how they stack up. This way, you’ll know if the agent you’re considering has a good track record of actually selling their listings, not just listing them.

You can always call us 239-489-4042 Ext 4. Ask for Sande or Brett, or visit www.SWFLhomevalues.com to get an idea of what your home is worth for Free!

Good luck and happy selling!

See Last Week’s Article- Blame it on the Marketing

At a time when real estate markets across the US and Florida began to shift, the Ellis Team at Keller Williams Realty began to shine. Nationally, home sales began to slide in the 2^nd half of the year. Locally, home sales began to slide in the 4^th qtr. of 2018. Ellis Team sales rose 55% in 2018.

So why do some agents shine when others begin to fail in a changing market? Successful agents who’ve been through many cycles know one thing. You don’t stop marketing in a shift.

Typical Agents

The typical agent cuts back on everything in a shift. Sales begin to slow, and it proves their point that the market isn’t what it used to be, and sellers just need to get more realistic.

The Ellis Team has been called in many times after a home has expired and sold it. We’ve had several already this year, and we’ve already closed on them. Price wasn’t the issue. Let me say that again. Price was not the issue. We did not lower the price. It was the marketing, and experience in handling negotiations to get it done.

While pricing is important, marketing is the other single most important thing a Realtor can do to get your home sold. Sellers are tempted to hire a Realtor with lower commissions only because they believe they’ll end up with more in their pocket at closing. Naturally you would think that. Pay less, net more, right? The truth is marketing is what brings in more buyers. When you have more buyers to choose from, you get a better selection of offers.

You must also think about the co-broke fee. That is the fee a listing agent pays out to other agents in MLS. If the co-broke fee is lower, you must wonder if agents will be as motivated to show your home. We want the best agents highly motivated to show our listings. Agents in SW Florida know the Ellis Team has been around for years and we’re professionals, so they like to show our listings. It’s much easier to cooperate with a pro than a beginner or part-timer. Some agents even have a reputation of being difficult to deal with, so agents don’t show their listings as much.

The Agent You List With Matters

The agent you list with matters. Ellis Team listings net more on average than other agents. Source: MLS Data That’s why it can cost you to list with an agent that doesn’t market like we do. Our listings sell Fast too, in fact about 20% faster than the average agent. Source: MLS Data

Pricing is the other critical step. Sellers don’t want to reduce until they’re satisfied the home isn’t selling because of the marketing. Only then will they reduce their price. The question we have is this: If you have to question whether it’s the marketing or the price, you’ve probably selected the wrong Realtor.

There should never be a question if it’s the marketing. Of course, when there isn’t much marketing, it’s always a question. Here’s a little tip. Simply placing a home on Zillow, Realtor.com, MLS, Homes.com, and placing a sign in the yard is not marketing. A for sale by owner or discount broker could do all that, and 92% of for sale by owners give up and hire a Realtor to sell their home anyway.

The Difference Can Cost You Money

There is a difference between a full-service Realtor and a full-marketing Realtor. The truth is, most Realtors don’t do all the marketing we do, or even know about some of it. And they certainly won’t pay for it. You see, our broker doesn’t pay for our marketing. We pay for it out of our own pocket, so we know it works. And we do a lot of it, so it Really works.

Call Brett or Sande Ellis 239-489-4042 Ext 4 and let us show you how our marketing is different. Don’t forget to ask about our new secret weapon too! We look forward to helping you.

Thinking of selling? Find out what your home is worth for Free www.SWFLhomevalues.com

We’ve been studying the 2018 National Home buyer and seller profile as it reveals some interesting information. We have knowledge about what buyers and sellers look for in an agent, how often they use an agent, and what they’re expectations are.

Today we’ll focus on two aspects of the report: The methods seller’s use to sell a home and information sources buyers use to purchase a home.

Methods Used to Sell Home

In 2018 home sellers used an agent 91% of the time. 1% sold their home to a home buying company, and 7% were successful selling their home on their own. Whether they netted more at the closing table is another story. Many sellers attempt to sell their home on their own but give up typically after 3 weeks. They quickly learn that selling a home isn’t easy, and they essentially become a Realtor when they chose to try it on their own.

Only 4% of the lookers can purchase a home. The rest are unqualified, out of their price range, or must sell something first. They have a problem that the Realtor needs to solve. The problem is, they won’t tell the seller what the issue is, and even if they did, the seller can’t solve it because they don’t have the knowledge or resources to deal with the buyer’s issue. They can barely deal with their own issue and quickly feel in over their head. The seller says it’s not my problem, it’s the buyers. The problem is, it becomes the seller’s problem if the seller can’t solve the buyer’s issues because there is no sale without doing so. There are only so many cash ready to go buyers, and they want a deal if dealing directly through the seller. So, the seller has few buyers, and the few that are ready and able want a deal. Both the buyer and seller can’t save the same commission, and therefore sellers give up and hire an agent.

Information Sources Buyers Use

When looking at information sources buyers use, we see that 93% use an online website and 86% use a real estate agent. You can see that these two sources haven’t changed much in the last few years. Yard signs have fallen significantly since 2004. About the only two things to rise in recent years are open houses and online video sites.

88% of both buyers and sellers hire the 1^st or 2^nd agent they speak with. The number one thing buyers want from their agent is help finding the right home. This tells us they love searching on their own, but they want an agent to help decide and confirm which home is best.

In other words, both buyer and seller like to do some of the research on their own, and both realize it’s a large investment and ultimately consult with a Realtor when it’s time to buy or sell. The average buyer searches 10 weeks before making a purchase.

Buyers and Sellers Love to Do Their Research

We have a complete list of features buyers love in online property websites. Our website www.LeeCountyOnline.com is a real winner with buyers and sellers alike. Research also shows more online features buyers and sellers would like to have about the neighborhood and about their home. Therefore, we’re releasing an upcoming app that will show community info with news about the neighborhood, local parks, schools, businesses, home values, events, etc. It will be a personalized feed for each person, not a generic page about a neighborhood. We’ve tested over a million consumers and they absolutely love the new app. We can setup as a web page right now until the app is released, so you have flexibility to use on mobile or desktop.

Home buyers love it because we use artificial intelligence to identify features a buyer likes but may not have specifically asked for. For instance, a buyer may say they want a specific area, specific square footage, and specific price, and yet the system picks up that they also love light colored kitchens. They never said that, and didn’t even know it themselves, but that’s what they like. Our new system can pick-up on that and make suggestions. If you’d like an invite for the new system, send me an email to brett@topagent.com

If you’re looking to buy or sell, always call the Ellis Team at Keller Williams Realty 239-489-4042 Ext 4. Good luck and Happy House Hunting!

Ellis Team Weekend Open Houses

Open House Sunday 12-3 PM

7152 Reymoor Dr Riverfront Home

Riverfront Home Open House Sunday 12-3 PM

Open House Sunday 12-3 PM

6980 Saint Edmunds Loop Brookshire

Brookshire Open House Sunday 12-3 PM

Open House Sunday 12-3 PM

17561 Cherry Ridge Ln Timberwalk

Timberwalk Open House Sunday 12-3 PM

The first thing a seller wants to know is the feedback from the buyer after a showing. Some sellers are patient, and others want it 5 minutes after the showing concludes. We’d like to share some thoughts for sellers on interpreting buyer feedback from showings in hopes of explaining the process, so it makes better sense to sellers.

Interpreting Buyer Feedback From Showings

First, to all the agents showing properties out there, please provide feedback to the listing agent. Sellers always want to know. We know you are busy, and you might be showing 10 homes, so it’s hard to get back to each listing agent. That’s why we make it easy for buyer agents to respond.

The Ellis Team uses a showing service to setup all showing appointments. After the appointment has concluded, it emails each showing agent and asks them for feedback. Here is an example of one of our surveys. It is survey 7.

Interpreting Buyer Feedback From Showings — Buyer Feedback Survey

Showing Feedback Reports

These showing feedback reports get sent directly to our sellers. Obviously, the best feed back is an offer. We used to ask what the agent/buyer’s opinion was of the price. Obviously, if they’re not making an offer, they didn’t like the price. When a home is priced in a buyer’s wheelhouse, offers generally occur. When the buyer feels a home is over-priced, they move on to better value homes. There is no better feedback than the presence or absence of offers.

We no longer ask the buyer or agent’s opinion. Many times, they would respond it is priced correctly, but no offer would come. Perhaps they didn’t want to offend the seller. Or they didn’t feel it was their job to educate the seller on pricing. Either way, there was no offer, and the seller was left wondering.

One of the things a seller can appreciate is the buyer’s perception of the condition of the property. Sometimes buyers will object to flooring, or the appliances, or maybe even the choice of paint colors. If a seller sees a pattern developing, perhaps a change to the property is in order. If I’s not something the sellers is prepared to tackle, a price change may be in order.

Showings are Like Dates

A home showing is a lot like a date. The seller wants to know how it went, and if they were liked. Sometimes the buyer will be honest and tell the seller, and sometimes they don’t want to hurt their feelings, so they stay silent. Obviously, if you went on 10 dates and everybody objected to your haircut, you’d consider doing something different with your hair. Therefore, as agents we try to obtain feedback from the agent so the seller can assess the situation. Surely the guy with the bad haircut would rather know why he’s being rejected rather than repeating the date over and over again like the movie Groundhog Day.

The Ellis Team has a form we share with our sellers. It’s called Interpreting Feedback. We have a list of the top 10 things buyers say about homes and explain what they really mean. Do you think men and women hear things the same way? When a man and woman are having a heated discussion and the woman answers, that’s fine, he might be in trouble. And yet, he may have heard, that’s fine, she agrees with my position, and the argument is over. He’ll find out later if it really was fine.

Similarly, when a buyer says, “They liked the house but bought another.” What they really meant was “They found another home that was a better value or fit.” When you learn the language of real estate, decisions become much easier. It’s taken us over 4,000 successful transactions in Lee County to learn this language, and we’re ready to share it with you.

Shifting Market

In a shifting market, sellers and buyers need to learn to communicate better with each other. Buyers want to buy, and sellers want to sell, and each side has fears about the process. An experienced agent can make all the difference interpreting what the other is saying and help you to a successful closing.

Always call the Ellis Team at Keller Williams Realty. 239-489-4042 Ask for Sande for Brett Ext 4 if you’d like to sell. Please visit www.LeeCountyOnline.com to search the MLS like a pro. It’s Free, and you’ll love it.

The past few weeks we’ve talked about rising inventory and a shifting real estate market. Are you ready for some good news? The SW Florida real estate market is in full swing this season. We still have rising inventory levels. New listings are outpacing new pending sales this past week, but we see signs of encouragement. Welcome to the Southwest Florida real estate opera.

Season is like an opera with several acts and a crescendo near the end. Season builds. The first act is the arrival of the listings. Then comes the showings in the second act, followed by new pending sales in act 3, and lastly the closings in act 4. We’re in act 2 right now, and we’re seeing great activity.

Showings are Up

We pull up showing reports for the MLS to compare how our listings are doing against all activity in certain price ranges. If one of our listings is receiving less activity than the average, we know the market may be rejecting the price and it’s time for an adjustment. The average showings per listing in February is 2 in the $195,000-$445,000 price range. We can adjust the report by zip code and price. So if we have a $300,000 home in the 33919 zip code, we can run a showing report for that zip code and the $275,000-$325,000 range and see how we’re doing.

When inventory is increasing it’s important to size up your competition, so you don’t get left further behind. In addition to proper pricing, aggressive marketing becomes more important than ever as well.

The good news is act 2 is a good one. Showings are up 100% versus the end of the year and about 50% since the beginning of the year. Lookers are here and they’re interested.

Ellis Team Website Visitors by State

Analyzing our website statistics confirms this as well. We’re getting a lot of visitors from New York, Illinois, Ohio, and Michigan. It’s no small coincidence that high tax states have visitors moving to Florida, and our website reaches them well. The cold weather up North doesn’t hurt either.

So, what does it take to get lookers off the fence and convert them to purchasing? This is where seasoned pros come in. Obviously, a looker must have some interest. Chances are they’ve been thinking about this awhile, perhaps years. A good agent paints the picture for them. People don’t change until the pain of remaining the same is greater than the pain of change. That’s a mouthful, but it’s true.

People get tired of high taxes, cold winters, and dark grey skies. They’re depressing, and Florida is always fun! It’s warm, bright, sunny, and cheery. It’s hard to not have a good time while playing golf, enjoying the beaches, and a cocktail at sunset in your shorts.

Drunk Monkey

Then that drunk monkey sets in. The drunk monkey is that alter-ego that sits on your shoulder and tells you why you can’t do something. We can’t leave the family behind. All our friends are up North. What about the grand kids? The list goes on, and year after year they take no action, yet resent that they’re not living the good life like some of their friends.

Those that take action find a way. Perhaps they purchase and live here seasonally. Many times, the family follows them down. And if they have a spare bedroom, they might see their friends down in Florida more than they do up North. This is so true that quite often people downsize after several years so they lose those spare bedrooms.

Whatever the case, a seasoned agent can help a looker through the pros and cons of purchasing. We’ve seen and heard a lot, and buyers take comfort in finding out how others before them made their dream a reality.

If you’re thinking of living the Florida dream, always call the Ellis Team at Keller Williams Realty. 239-489-4042 If you’d like to search for your slice of paradise, check out www.LeeCountyOnline.com And if you’re considering selling, call us and ask for Sande or Brett Ellis Ext 4.

Ellis Team Weekend Open Houses

Saturday 12-3 PM

17673 Acacia Dr

3809 26th St SW

Sunday 12-3 PM

13076 Sail Away St

13 High Point Cir N #302

908 SE 21st PL

Last week we reported early signs point to a Southwest Florida real estate market shift. The article went on to state that we’re noticing changes in the market, but nothing alarming. It’s not alarming because real estate markets are constantly in a state of change. Southwest Florida real estate inventory rises in January.

One definition of a balanced market is 5.5 months’ supply of inventory. We’ve seen others that state 6-7 months is the standard. If we go with the Florida Realtors standard of 5.5 months, then officially we just transitioned over to a buyer’s market, but just barely. Last month in December we had a 5.43-month supply. In January it stands at 5.98 months.

Lee County available listings shot up to 6,542 in January, up from 6,004 in December. That’s a 9% rise in just one month. That’s typical in January as more people put their homes on the market in January than December. The difference this year is that more people than usual also put their home on the market in November and December.

Home sales are picking back up again. This past week the Ellis Team put 4 of our homes under contract in one day. In fact, 314 homes went under contract this past week in the MLS. We tell people sales usually pick up after the middle of January, and they have.

If 5.5 months supply of homes is the cut-off between a buyer’s market and a seller’s market, we’d say we’re fairly balanced at 5.98 months. However, the market is moving and if you’re selling a home you need to know the trend. This trend could change back again by end of season as homes start flying off the shelves and new listings taper off.

In any event, hiring a real estate professional who understands the market, and brings significant experience in all kinds of markets is critical. You don’t want to hire an agent to sell your home who has never experienced a shifting market. This is the quickest way to becoming an expired listing, and the process isn’t quick. Why wait to sell your home when you could have just sold it correctly the first time?

We don’t have a bubble market like we did back in 2006. If we did though, you sure wouldn’t want to hire the wrong agent and get caught chasing the market down. There’s an old adage that says, “If you don’t have the time to do it right the first time, when in the world are you going to find the time to do it right the next time?”

There’s another adage that says, “If you think hiring a professional is expensive, just wait until you hire an amateur!” Most people want to hire the least expensive agent they think they can get away with. The thinking goes, if I pay less, I’ll probably net more in my pocket at closing. That stands to reason, except for the fact that it isn’t true. Sometimes you get what you pay for, and in some cases, you get much more than you pay for.

The Ellis Team at Keller Williams Realty has a history of selling homes faster and for More Money! The agent you select really makes a difference. We hope you find our market updates informative. We believe knowing the market is helpful to make the best financial decisions for you and your family. Knowing that your agent cares about you, knows what’s important to you, and knows how to get you there is key as well.

If you’d like to chat about selling your home, always call Brett or Sande Ellis 239-489-4042 Ext 4 Get your home’s value for Free at www.SWFLhomevalues.com If you’re looking to buy, you can call us too, or feel free to search the MLS like a pro at www.LeeCountyOnline.com

Good luck and Happy Selling!

Ellis Team Weekend Open Houses

Open Houses Saturday 12-3 PM

15212 Palm Isle Dr Parker Lakes

17673 Acacia Dr Sabal Springs Golf and Racquet Club

Open Houses Sunday 12-3 PM

1742 Ardmore Rd Edison park Historic District

9291 Central Park Dr #104 South Fort Myers Condo

Ellis Team Featured Property of the Week

We don’t want to alarm you as 2018 turned in some impressive stats in the SW Florida real estate market. Closings were up for the year, as were prices and dollar volume. You would think with increased closings and prices, Realtors would be reporting the market is fantastic. 4^th quarter numbers suggest there may be some chinks in the armor. Early signs point to a Southwest Florida market shift.

Closed home sales fell 15% in December over last year. We can attribute some of that to increased closings last year in December due to Hurricane Irma. However, we’re seeing new pending sales down 10.9% in December, which will lead to lower closings in January and February of this year.

The median sale price rose 3.1% for the year and ended at a year-end average of $251,000. The average sales price rose 5.6% to $351,200 year-end average. So, if prices are rising, why are we sounding the alarm?

Inventory rose 8.8% for the year. However, inventory shot up 19.8% over last December and the month’s supply of inventory was up 11.8% in December. While sales for the year may be up, we’re seeing declining sales in the 4^th quarter, rising inventory, and a decrease in new pending sales.

Not Time to Worry

All this leads to worry amongst real estate agents that we may be in the middle of a shift. This isn’t a time to worry though. Experienced agents know how to handle a shift. If you’ll remember, our article back in October warned of a possible upcoming shifting market, and we recommended sellers put their home on the market before January to beat the predicted rush of listings.

People listened, and the rush began sooner than January. We talked about how selecting the correct listing agent is critical when the market shifts in our December 1^st article. To read past articles, visit http://blog.topagent.com

When the market shifts, it’s critical you select an agent with experience. For instance, lower priced homes are still receiving multiple offers. Other homes take more marketing and experience to sell properly. Of course, you not only must select an experienced agent, you must listen to them.

Sellers do not like to hear that the market has shifted, and they hold onto what their home used to be worth. Markets move up and down, and just as a seller expects a buyer to get over it when the market moves up, buyers expect sellers to get over it when it moves down.

Sellers point to the fact prices went up 3.1% in 2018. Yes, but not in all sub-markets, and not all year. Prices may have gone up slightly in first 3 quarters of the year and pulled back in last quarter.

What’s Causing a Shift?

Some say it’s rising interest rates. Interest rates peaked in October around 5%. They’ve since slid back a bit. Rising rates rob home buyers of purchasing power. As this occurs, there are fewer home buyers available in each price range.

Keep this in mind. Inventory levels stand at a 5.7-month supply of homes. A balanced market is 5.5-month supply. So, we’ve barley crossed the threshold, and it varies by price range.

We’re seeing buyer activity picking up right now. We usually do after January 15^th. Buyers have more choices today, but the best homes are flying off the shelves. The challenge to sellers is, you must be the best home, so buyers pick you. An experienced agent can guide you. Buyers see lots of homes, and it becomes apparent which is the best value for them. Sellers must learn to think like a buyer.

Thinking of Selling?

If you’re thinking of selling your home, always call the Ellis Team. Ask for Brett or Sande Ellis 239-489-4042 Ext 4. Put our decades of experience to work for you, along with the most aggressive marketing in Lee County. There is a reason our homes sell faster and for more money. If you’d like to learn more about the shift, call us for a confidential interview. Experience matters! To get an idea of what your home is worth for Free online, visit www.SWFLhomevalues.com

Good luck and Happy Selling!

Ellis Team Weekend Open Houses

Open Houses Saturday 1-3 PM

Parker Lakes

15212 Palm Isle Dr

14551 Daffodil Dr Unit 1808

Central Park South

9291 Central park Dr Unit 104

Open Houses Sunday 1-3 PM

Cape Coral

1004 SE 5th Terrace Cape Coral

2008 Bolado Pkwy

Naples

13 High Point Cir N Unit 302

Ellis Team Weekend Open Houses

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Open House Sunday 1-4 PM

Open House Sunday 1-4 PM

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