Every week, we ask a Houston real estate professional for their thoughts on the top three stories from the week before.
This week, we talked to David Kelsch, a Realtor with 34 years of experience who is the vice president/branch manager for the Coldwell Banker United, Greenway Plaza office in Houston, which will close more than $150 million in 2012.
Houston Agent (HA): Residential construction (and homebuilder confidence) has been rising to some of its highest levels since the housing downturn; are you seeing a pick-up in construction in your area of Houston, or are existing homes still a bigger draw?
David Kelsch (DK): Inside the Loop, builders are slowly coming back. There are still plenty of build jobs happening, but very few spec homes. Builders are trying to regain their 2006-2008 positions; however, they still have a long way to go before they can achieve that level.
HA: We hear all the time about Realtors and brokerages engaging in community involvement. Can you tell us how it benefits real estate professionals to get involved in their local community?
DK: There are three benefits:
- First of all, and most importantly, it benefits the charities, churches, schools and other causes.
- When an agent or the company works for a charity and/or donates money, we all feel good about helping.
- Real Estate is a contact business. Working for good causes increases the number of contacts you make, which in turn could lead to increased business.
So, giving back to the community is a win-win for everyone.
HA: And finally, what are your strategies to effectively pricing your listings, and ensuring that they are priced appropriately and generate interest from buyers?
DK: Pricing listings correctly today is definitely a challenge. With a tight inventory, you must try very hard to not overprice, which is poison to the seller. However, you need to account for the low listing inventory and not underprice the home, which could hurt the seller. It is a balancing act that can and does change from neighborhood to neighborhood and month to month.
David Kelsch is a true professional who knows what his product is and how to react to it. Great Interview!
I agree, David! Pricing is very difficult in today’s markets. Having the benefit of a knowledgeable real estate agent when buying or selling. Good article!
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