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Fall Perspectives 2018: Our Pledge To You
Change is afoot. We suppose it always is, but doesn’t it all seem to come at us so much faster in today’s world? We see change all around us. Just consider, for a moment, how much technology has changed our lives thanks to innovators like Uber, Google, and Apple, to name a few. Technology has also changed the way we do real estate.
The real estate world is a complex environment that most of us only travel once every 10 years. This infrequency, coupled with the ever-changing laws and emotional toll, makes it very hard for most of us to navigate. That’s why we rely on a professional. Even those of us who live and breathe real estate every day use a Windermere agent to conduct our personal transactions.
Thanks to technology, certain aspects of the real estate process that were once difficult are now very easy, like searching for a home. Within minutes of a property being listed, it’s fed to websites all over the world for potential buyers to see. Information about neighborhoods, schools, and home values are also readily available online to help buyers make smart decisions.
There’s no doubt that real estate will continue to benefit from technology, but we’re concerned about the companies that are beginning to look at consumers less as people and more as data that can be generated and shared for monetary gain.
At Windermere, our agents don’t treat their clients like data points being fed into an algorithm; they know them on a personal level. They help buyers make one of the biggest financial and emotional decisions of their lives. They help sellers understand the nuances of the market so they can get top dollar for their home. They are experts in neighborhoods, market trends, contracts, and negotiations. They treat their clients with respect and compassion. And they care deeply about their local community.
As the saying goes, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Real estate is the perfect example of that. Technology will continue to change and improve how people buy and sell homes, but our pledge to you is that it will never replace what has always mattered most to us: relationships.
– OB JACOBI, JILL JACOBI WOOD, AND GEOFF WOOD
The Seahawks and Windermere Return for Another Season to #TackleHomelessness
All of us at Windermere are very excited to kick-off our third season as the Official Real Estate Company of the Seattle Seahawks!
Once again, our #tacklehomelessness campaign is front-and-center, with the Windermere Foundation donating $100 for every Seahawks home-game defensive tackle to YouthCare, a Seattle-based non-profit organization that has been providing services and support to homeless youth for more than 40 years. During the past two seasons, the Seahawks have helped us raise $66,800 through our #tacklehomelessness campaign, and this year we are looking forward to raising even more money – and awareness – for this important cause.
Our partnership with the Seahawks and YouthCare fits perfectly with the mission of the Windermere Foundation which is to support low-income and homeless families in the communities where we have offices. Through the #tacklehomelessnesscampaign, we hope to be able to do even more.
A “scorecard” will be posted after each home game with an update on how much we’ve raised. You can follow our progress throughout the Seahawks season on our Facebook page at Facebook.com/WindermereRealEstate and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/windermere/.
Two Years & Top 3% in Metro Denver Market
Windermere Real Estate, the largest regional brokerage in the Western U.S. is celebrating its second year in the Denver market this month. After just two years, the Seattle-based company now ranks in the top 3% of all real estate brokerage companies in the metropolitan area.
While Windermere has been growing over the last two years, metro Denver homeowners have been benefitting from the robust growth in real estate prices. According to the latest report from the Federal Housing Finance Authority, Denver ranks 14th out of 258 metropolitan areas for home price appreciation with 10.14% growth over the last 12 months.
This appreciation rate is nearly double the long-term average of 5.8%. Prices in metro Denver have been appreciating at double-digit rates for the last four years in a row. The average price of a single-family home now stands at $448,000. Just two years ago, when Windermere started in Metro Denver, the average price was $371,000.
“For four years now we have had the perfect storm to cause prices to increase at a rate that is nearly double the long-term average. Metro Denver is one of the fastest growing populations in the country, we have an incredibly healthy economy with high employment, interest rates that are roughly half of the long-term average, and the inventory of homes is at all-time lows,” said Eric Thompson president of Windermere Real Estate in Colorado.
There are only 2,918 single family homes currently for sale in Metro Denver, 7.8% lower than a year ago. “With tight supply and strong demand, we see expect very strong price appreciation for the foreseeable future,” said Thompson.
About Windermere Colorado:
Since its inception in 1972, Windermere Real Estate has grown to be a network of 300 offices with more than 6,000 agents by focusing on three basic principles: hire the best people, give them the best tools and create thriving communities. Windermere’s growth has allowed them to expand into the Colorado market led by Eric Thompson, President of Windermere Colorado.
Centennial Office: www.Windermere5280.com
Cherry Creek office: www.wmdre.com
