Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Northwest Real Estate Federal Way & Puyallup

According to the Federal Reserve’s Flow of Funds report released  This Week in Real Estate  the value of U.S. owner-occupied homes increased to a record of $29.2 trillion in the third quarter of 2019. Home values rise as mortgage rates remain low. Fannie Mae believes the average fixed rate in 2020 will probably be 3.6% and if so, will be the lowest annual average ever recorded in Freddie Mac records going back to 1973.  Below  are a few highlights from the  first full week of 2020  that influence our business: *  U.S. Home Values Rise to Record $29.2 Trillion, Fed Says .   The value of all U.S. owner-occupied homes increased to a record $29.2 trillion in the third quarter, according to a Federal Reserve report known as the Flow of Funds. That was a gain of 4.2% from a year earlier, the slowest annualized increase since 2012. The collective value of U.S. homes is now 21% higher than the bubble peak reached in 2006. ...

While American’s average credit score has never been better as reported by FICO  This Week in Real Estate , conversations swirl around the notion of interest rates dropping to zero following the President’s ask of the Federal Reserve.  Below  are a   few highlights from the  second week  of  September  that influence our business : *  Could Mortgage Rates Really Drop to Zero.  President Donald Trump has called on the U.S. Federal Reserve to drop interest rates to zero, or even negative, at its next meeting on September 17. That has sparked several discussions this week on how that could impact the housing market .  For one, that could mean cheaper mortgages for home buyers, housing analysts say. While the Fed’s benchmark rate does not have a direct influence on mortgage rates, it does often influence them. “If the federal rates go down to zero, mortgage rates could drop from 3.56% for a 30-year fixed-rate loan, as...

What makes you you unique as a real estate professional? How are you different from the competition? I was speaking with an agent a couple weeks ago from Orlando. We got to talking about how many agents are here in Vegas (around 8,000), which I would not have guessed that. That is a huge number (or so I thought) and just proves the point of this blog post. She told me Orlando has 11,000+! I could not believe they had that many. She knew how important it was for her to have a good value proposition or USP (Unique Selling Proposition). I read on another blog while doing some research for this post that Phoenix has close to 23,000 licensed agents. That is a LOT of competition! What is a Value Proposition? A value proposition is a statement of the unique benefits your service delivers to the target customer. It must answer three questions. What is the service you offer? Who is the perfect client?  (read how to do that  here ) What value does your service...

In the midst of over 2 million active real estate licensees in North America, your unique value proposition (UVP) is what makes you stand out as a real estate agent.  It distinguishes you from the rest of the crowd, and showcases how you are different, better and most able to offer the best service in the sale or purchase of a home. Your UVP is the cornerstone of your overall marketing strategy and the key to your success as a real estate agent. With a strong UVP you’ll be on the way to securing more and more business. Many real estate professionals align themselves with a franchise and hope that the brand recognition will do the talking for them. The truth is, whether you’re with Re/Max, Coldwell Banker or your own firm, it’s important that you paint a clear picture of why you’re worth a client’s time and money. A unique value proposition is the statement you use to position yourself and what benefits you provide to your clients. It takes time and careful consideration to...