It used to be in the relocation world, when an employee was asked to move, most “relocation” packages were pretty cookie cutter based on if an employee was a new hire, renter or homeowner.  If you were a homeowner chances were you would receive a guaranteed buyout(GBO) offer of your current home from your employer to get you moved to the new location.  Well, times have changed based on economic and housing market conditions.  But, what hasn’t changed is the need for employee mobility.  I recently read an article in Mobility, the magazine of Worldwide ERC® that highlighted some policy changes that have become more prevalent that impact the home sale portion of a company sponsored relocation.

Pre-decision counseling – offers both the company and the employee pertinent information prior to offering a relocation package.  Identifies current or further down the road issues for departure and destination. In some cases, companies may require their employees to obtain 2 market analysis and/or appraisal of their home to determine up front before any expenses are incurred in a relocation then backing out due to factors of the real estate market or out of pocket loss on sale of the home.

Increasing number of AV (amended value) sales meaning employee receives a bona fide offer from an outside buyer and a GBO (guaranteed buyout) is avoided.  Many relocation policies have been modified which may require the employee to:

• Market their home for a specified period of time,
• Allow employee to accept offers below the GBO amount as a policy standard – this loss may be more cost effective than letting home go to inventory
• Provide home sale bonus to employee
• Require employee to list within a certain percentage of the BMA and/or GBO value
• Require employee to adjust list price of their home within 105 percent of the GBO offer
• Require list price adjustment within 31 days of receiving GBO offer
• Require employee to market their home during the entire GBO offer period
• Requires employee to review all outside offers with their relocation consultant

Creating well-structured home marketing assistance programs by mandating employee do the following:

• Fully participate in the home marketing assistance program to retain eligibility for homesale benefits, including a homesale bonus, loss of sale, etc
• List with preferred brokers, specifically brokers with experienced relocation trained agents
• List home within a certain percentage of 2 broker market analysis, ordering a 3^rd broker market analysis if the most likely sales price of the initial 2 market analysis are 5-7% apart
• Reduce list price after 30 days of aggressive marketing
• Begin appraisal process after 30 days of marketing rather waiting 60 days – this way the employee will have a more realistic view of anticipated sales price and not waste precious early marketing time of the home

Providing allowances that can be offered to either the buyer or broker, i.e. capped closing cost incentive to buyer or capped broker incentives.  Providing an upfront allowance to a homeowner for repairs/improvements, general clean up or staging.

Although some of these policy changes or enhancements may require additional up-front costs on behalf of a company, they may reduce the overall cost of a homesale by increasing the number of AV sales whereby a company does not take a home in to inventory.  A general rule of thumb of the costs associated with an inventory home is 1.5 percent of its purchase price for every month the home remains unsold.  Using the Worldwide ERC® average home purchase price of $326,000, it equates to $5,430 per month, after six months that’s a cost of $32,000 per home.

While all relocation policies differ, I believe that many companies have really done a good job of balancing the need to cut costs while still offering an attractive relocation benefit to their employee.  In the end, particular attention is being paid to initial list prices especially given the amount of inventory that is available to a potential buyer.  Whether a seller has a relocation sponsored move or is moving for personal reasons, because time = money, be sure your home is the best priced home in any particular price point.

You’ve watched.  You’ve waited.  You’ve wondered.  Well, Friday is here, and all your woes can officially come to an end…it is time to count down this week’s most popular homes!  Take a look at the number one stunners below:

Connecticut

11 Creekside Lane, West Hartford

ct real estate

Listed by: Bonnie Collins, William Raveis West Hartford

Massachusetts

15 Shore Road, Yarmouth

ma real estate

Listed by: Keith Sexton, William Raveis Osterville

Rhode Island

156 Blackstone Blvd, East Side of Providence

ri real estate

Listed by: Denise Wilder, William Raveis Newport

New York

11 Cerf Mount Lane, Mount Kisco

ny real estate

Listed by: Suzette Kraus, William Raveis Chappaqua

The real estate market is really heating up this spring.  Units are flying off the shelves and prices are steadily increasing, as well.  There are, of course, the naysayers out there who still believe we have not seen the bottom of the market.  However, more and more news pieces are examining raw numbers, which you’ll see below in a moment, that indicate the market is picking up steam.  Below, we’ve broken down the major housing indices across the northeast for the month of April using our very own local housing data.  In most areas, you’ll see upticks in such variables as unit sales and average sales prices:

Connecticut

CT Real Estate

Massachusetts

MA Real Estate

Cape Cod

Cape Cod Real Estate

New York-Westchester County

NY Real Estate

Rhode Island

RI Real Estate

New Hampshire

New Hampshire Real Estate

Friday has arrived!  And so has our weekly wrapup of this week’s most popular homes.  Our congratulations go out again to Raveis agents who have been doing such a spectacular job marketing their properties during this active spring market. So without further adieu, here are the homes:Connecticut

229 Adley Road, Fairfield

229 Adley Road

Listing Agent: Al Filippone Associates, William Raveis Fairfield/Southport

Massachusetts

241 Jerusalem Road, Cohasset

241 Jerusalem Road, Cohasset

Listing Agent: Jennifer Richardsson, William Raveis Hingham

New York

14 Talcott Road, Rye Brook

14 talcott road

Listing Agent: Millena Leiningen, William Raveis Rye

Rhode Island

156 Blackstone Blvd, East Side Of Prov

156 Blackstone Blvd

Listing Agent: Denise Wilder, William Raveis Newport

As the housing market really heats up this spring, it makes it even more exciting to see which homes are the most viewed for the week!  Take a look at the fabulous properties that made the list this week.  Kudos to the William Raveis agents that are marketing these homes so well!

Connecticut

82 Erskine Road, Stamford

82 Erskine Road

Listing Agent: Phyllis Doonan, William Raveis Stamford

Massachusetts

132 Puritan Road, Buzzards Bay

Listing Agent: Barbara Lunn, William Raveis Falmouth

New York

2 Campbell Lane, Larchmont

2 Campbell Ln

Listing Agent: Chris Pagli, William Raveis Tarrytown

Rhode Island

38 Viking Drive

Listing Agent:  Ned Murtha, William Raveis East Greenwich

The first quarter has come to an end and the real estate market is showing noticeable patterns of recovery.  If you happen to sift through news headlines on your smartphone, or have NPR as your morning companion on the way to work, you’ll likely see and hear something like this: “Pending Home Sales Near 2-Year Highs,” or “Number of Homes Subjected to Foreclosure-Related Filings Fall Nationwide,” and, of course, one of the splashiest headlines of all “Banks Make $25 Billion Settlement.” This, of course, is referring to the renowned settlement with the major 5 banks to assist victims of the ‘robo-signing’ debacle.

Gray clouds above the residential market seem to have parted, letting steady, bright light through.  This metaphor applies on more local levels, as well.  Our markets in the northeast completed a strong first quarter, with unit sales rising in nearly all locations, as well as an increase in average sales prices in some areas.

The charts below give an in-depth look at real estate indices in the northeast. Tweet us -@williamraveis – and let us know if you’re seeing these patterns in your local market!

CT real estate

MA real estate

Westchester County Real Estate

Rhode Island Real Estate

Real Estate on the Cape

Want an even closer look at how your local market fared in the first quarter?  Check out our local housing data.

Do you think this will be a strong year for the real estate market in your area?

Olga Bruce of Stamford is the newest winner of the William Raveis Real Estate, Mortgage & Insurance annual drawing for a trip to the Bahamas. Bruce won by attending a public open house hosted by Dorothy Darlington, a Greenwich Raveis agent, at a condominium in Riverside on May 22, 2011.“It was a total surprise,” Bruce said of when Darlington told her she had won. “I thought it was a solicitation call at first.”

Customers become eligible for the trip by filling out an entry form at any Raveis open house throughout the year. A longtime contest, it’s hosted by William Raveis Real Estate as an incentive for buyers and sellers, as well as a marketing tool for agents.

The winner may opt for the trip or its cash equivalent. The drawing for this year’s trip was held in March.

Bruce said she is taking the cash equivalent of the trip and using the money to continue her master of business administration classes.  As the first member of her family to go to college, as well as work at attaining an advanced degree, Bruce could not be happier for the opportunity this win has afforded her.  “William Raveis has provided me with a once in a lifetime opportunity that I wouldn’t have been able to take advantage of otherwise.”

In addition to helping pay her tuition, Bruce is referring to a unique overseas study program her university, Colorado State, provides as part of its MBA curriculum.  In July, she will be traveling to Berlin, Frankfurt and parts of China to see how major corporations overseas, such as Siemens, operate.  “This program lets MBA students get a feel for business on the other side of the world.  It is a huge resume booster and aid for graduates once they begin vying for jobs,” said Bruce.

Perhaps what is most admirable is Bruce’s ability to balance responsibilities between her full-time job at a private equity firm, MBA courses and her family-her husband and her 2-year old daughter.  “I do find myself going to the library quite often, but I am able to manage it all.”

Bill Raveis, Chairman & CEO of William Raveis, commented on the significance of the Bahamas contest for the company.  “This contest is a thank-you to the communities we serve for choosing our services,” said William Raveis, Chairman and CEO of William Raveis Real Estate, Mortgage & Insurance. “Congratulations to Ms. Bruce on the win, and much success with her studies and her future house hunting.”

Hesitant at first about putting her information on the contest form, Bruce said she’s glad she did; this is the first time she has won such a prize.

“It’s great to know that it actually happens,” she said of the contest win.

Bruce said she had been looking at homes during last year’s spring market, when she happened across Darlington’s open house, just looking to see what was out there.

While she hasn’t yet bought a home, Bruce said, “Eventually we’re going to get back out there.”

The most popular homes of the week are here!  We have a whole new list this week. What do you think makes the homes below so appealing?

Connecticut

98 Arrowhead Lane, Fairfield

98 Arrowhead Lane, Fairfield

Listing agent: Martha Beale, Fairfield

Massachusetts

156 Waquoit Hwy, Falmouth

156 Waquoit Hwy, Fairfield

Listing Agent: Pamela Peters, William Raveis Falmouth

Rhode Island

135 Ferry Rd, Bristol

135 Ferry Rd

Listing Agent: Paula Silva, William Raveis Bristol

New York

17 Otsego Road, Pleasantville

17 otsego road

Listing Agent: Cherie Xavier, William Raveis Briarcliff Manor

Can’t end your week without it….here are Raveis.com’s most viewed homes for the first week of April!

Connecticut

18 Datura Avenue, Milford

18 Datura Avenue

Listed By: The Clark Bjorklund Realty Partners

Massachusetts

61 Hedge Road, Plymouth

61 hedge road

Listed by: Patricia Ford, William Raveis Duxbury

New York

38 Ridge Road, Mount Kisco

38 Ridge Road

Listed by: Barbara Blitstein, William Raveis Chappaqua

Rhode Island

8 Oakwood Terrace, Newport

8 oakwood terrace

Listed by: Barbara O’Reilly, William Raveis Newport

It went on hiatus last week, but it’s back!  Welcome to Most Popular Homes of the Week!  Take a look at which homes made the list this week.  What do you think makes them so appealing?

Connecticut

280 Rowayton Avenue, Norwalk

280 Rowayton Ave

Listed By: Douglas & Warren Team

Massachusetts

46 Captain Davis Lane, Falmouth

46 Captain Davis Lane

Listed By: Carol Burgess

Rhode Island

8 Oakwood Terrace, Newport

8 Oakwood Terrace

Listed By: Barbara O’Reilly

New York

70 Cowdin Lane, Chappaqua

70 Cowdin Lane

Listed By: Bonnie Golub

Bill Raveis, our Chairman & CEO, sat down with Al Filippone, Principal of Al Filippone Associates, to talk about how he grew his business and his unique business model.  Al Filippone Associates is ranked as the 11th largest team in the nation by the Wall Street Journal and #1 throughout New England.  See what advice Al offers those who are just starting in the business and those who are interested in forming a team.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=825zdXn-L6w

Janet Porter, Director of William Raveis Insurance, provides some valuable insurance tips for homebuyers this spring.  Take a look at what she has to say below:

BUNDLING YOUR INSURANCE:   When shopping for home coverage, best pricing is usually obtained by combining your new home with your auto and umbrella and jewelry. When buying a new home, we know thinking about all your insurance needs can be overwhelming.  However, since all of our carriers offer great discounts for bundling or packaging insurance coverage, it can often be worth considering when you buy that home.

RENEWAL PROTECTION:  We offer approximately 15 carriers across 6 states and this is vitally important not only in initially securing insurance but renewing your insurance. If a carrier raises your rates from year to year, we have the ability to obtain equal or better coverage with our other carriers who may have significantly lower annual premiums.

Be an educated consumer.  Some of the biggest direct insurance carriers have great commercials.  While many of us find them humorous or impressive, don’t be fooled by a well-produced advertisement.  The direct carriers pay a lot for their marketing and great insurance rates do not always follow great commercials! More importantly on renewal you have few or no options.  Shop your coverage with us , it costs nothing and we offer variety at the outset and renewal protection annually.

FLOOD PROTECTION:   It is Spring!  While winter in the northeast was mild this year, flooding has and does occur in places not defined as problem flood zones. Please be advised that flood insurance is not included in any home policy and some coverage can be purchased for as little as  $154 year in the preferred flood zones.

Our very own Bill Raveis takes some time to talk to Patty McCarthy, a top Raveis agent in the Danbury, Connecticut area, about her business model.  See what makes her so successful below.  Thanks for taking the time to educate and talk to us, Patty!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEZnKwdiOiY

How did the real estate market in the northeast do in February compared to same time last year?  Well, we’ve had an early start to this year’s spring market due to the unseasonable (but not unfortunate!) warm weather patterns.  This has bode well for real estate, with unit sales up by 30 percent in some regions.  Take a closer look below.  And for details on how you’re local market fared, take a look at our local housing data page–we churn up all the numbers for you 24/7!

cape cod real estate

ct real estate

ma real estate

nh real estate

westchester real estate

We’ve closely monitored our traffic this week and we have four awesome, brand new homes to report that made the list.  Take a look below…

Connecticut

2979 Burr Street, Fairfield

2979 burr street

Listing Agent: Al Filippone Associates, Fairfield

Massachusetts

220 North Falmouth Hwy, Falmouth

220 north falmouth highway

Listing Agent: Carol Burgess, Falmouth

Rhode Island

907 Hope Street, Bristol

907 hope street bristol

Listing Agent: Paula Wolfang, Bristol

New York

590 Bedford Road, Mount Kisco

590 bedford road mount kisco

Listing Agent: Bonnie Golub, Chappaqua

So here it is mid-March and the real estate industry is supposed to be “starting” its Spring market.  Well I think the spring market started on January 1!  For those of you who are reading this and don’t know me or what my position is at William Raveis, I am in charge of running the call center.  I can tell you that our call center has been extremely busy helping customers with barely time to breath!  We have seen email and phone call inquiries into the call center increase 63%!  And customers wanting to work with our agents to buy,  sell or rent has increased 51%.  I certainly don’t need all of those so called “economic indicators” to tell me that things are looking up.  All I have to do is sit at my desk and talk to the hundreds of customers daily that need help.

All of these customers need assistance and we are very happy to help them get to where they need to be.  Our call center representatives’ role is to act as a trusted advisor to all of those customers.  We answer any questions they have and partner those customers with one of our agents who can best match their needs.  The agents we work with in our call center have been trained to work with the online consumer and the important need for quick response time and clear concise communication.  And with the increased use of mobile applications for real estate, the need for immediate response is even more important.

I am cautiously optimistic about what 2012 holds.  We have seen a large increase in people trying to find out if they can qualify for a mortgage before they even start to look for a home  and get their hopes up after all the turmoil the mortgage industry has seen in the past few years.   And with the addition of an executive mortgage banker sitting right in our call center to qualify these people, the level of service we can offer our Internet customers has just gotten even better.  Our goal is to help the customer right from the initial stages up until the time they close and beyond.

That being said, we at the call center have a very rewarding position with William Raveis and we love the opportunity to talk, email and instant chat with any and all visitors to Raveis.com.  Happy Spring house hunting!

Bill Raveis, our Chairman & CEO, took some time to talk to top national agent, Michelle Genovesi, Principal of Michelle & Company in William Raveis Westport, regarding her business model.  Check out what has made her so successful over the past 25 years.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTIQpPIj8sY

The end of the week is upon us and we’re taking care of some very important housekeeping.  That includes naming the most popular homes this week on raveis.com.  Take a look on the next page-any of them strike your fancy?

Connecticut

263 Lalley Boulevard, Fairfield

263 Lalley Boulevard Fairfield

Listing Agent:  Alan & Melissa Hamilton, William Raveis Westport

Massachusetts

104 Pheasant Ln, Falmouth

104 pheasant lane, falmouth

Listing Agent: Barbara Lunn, William Raveis Falmouth

New York

48 Haights Cross Rd, Chappaqua

Listing Agent: Stacey Levey, William Raveis Chappaqua

Rhode Island

8 Oakwood Terrace, Newport

8 oakwood terrace newport

Listing Agent: Barbara O’Reilly, William Raveis Newport

Bill Raveis, our Chairman & CEO, took some time to talk to Wayne Edmonds, VP of Information Technology at William Raveis, about the latest innovations in real estate technology. Bill and Wayne talk shop and about some of the award-winning technology William Raveis has become well known for.  Take a look!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4CNM2V7is8

Yep, it’s about that time.  The week’s over and you’re in the mood for some top notch reading entertainment… so we’re bringing it to you!  Here are this week’s top viewed homes on raveis.com:

Connecticut

77 Foxcroft Road, West Hartford

77 Foxcroft Road

Listed by: Ellyn Marshall & Associates, William Raveis West Hartford

Massachusetts

12 Harborview Drive, Hingham

12 harborview drive

Listed by: Denise Marshall, William Raveis Hingham

New York

48 Haights Cross Rd, Chappaqua

48 Haights Cross road

Listed by: Stacy Levey, William Raveis Chappaqua

Rhode Island

8 Oakwood Terrace, Newport

8 oakwood terrace

Listed by: Barbara O’Reilly, William Raveis Newport

Another week in real estate…and another set of top viewed homes to report.  Take a look at the homes that made the list below.  What do you think makes them so desirable?

Connecticut

top viewed homes

329 Berkley Rd, Fairfield

Listed by: Ken Banks, William Raveis Fairfield/Southport

Massachusetts

73 surfside road, scituate

73 Surfside Rd, Scituate

Listed by: Peggy Dinger, William Raveis Norwell

Rhode Island

8 oakwod terrace, newport

8 Oakwood Ter, Newport

Listed by: Barbara O’Reilly, William Raveis Newport

New York

48 haights cross road, chappaqua

48 Haights Cross Rd, Chappaqua

Listed by: Stacy Levey, William Raveis Chappaqua

Today’s consumer wants everything at their fingertips. They want the information they are looking for to find them rather than having to research too much on their own. They sign up for email/text alerts, or apps that get them what they need… the way they need it.   So how does William Raveis Real Estate, Mortgage & Insurance cater to those needs and market our exceptional homes to billions of luxury consumers globally?  We have a multi-dimensional advertising campaign that is really focused on targeted marketing.

Who is the luxury consumer?  According to our international luxury affiliation,  Luxury Portfolio International, the luxury consumer visiting luxuryportfolio.com and purchasing $1M+ first and second homes has the following demographics: average age 46; Male 62%; Female 38%; household income $1,321,000;  88% married/living together; 41% have children under 17; have been wealthy 12.1 years; 34% own their own business.

Knowing those facts, we do comprehensive research on readership demographics of all of the publications and websites that we partner with. The websites have to meet our high standards of representing our luxury properties well and reaching the most targeted demographic.  They must have a focus on luxury content, search engine optimization, and preferably advertising campaigns to draw more visitors.  Many of our print partners also offer a digital version of the magazine that is further e-blasted to a demographic different from their print subscription, as well as posted to their website and social media for additional coverage.  The digital version links right back to raveis.com where the consumer can then get immediate assistance from William Raveis online chat representatives.

Social media avenues such as Facebook and YouTube offer a way to market less aggressively, but perhaps more conveniently for the consumer, by having the information readily available in a place they visit often.   We post all of our Visual Tours and the William Raveis Exceptional Properties Digital Portfolio on Facebook. We post industry news, luxury news, feature property tours, and we also post a lot of fun stuff to keep fans coming back. We control the demographics as much as we can by running targeted ads within Facebook.

If we add up all of the reach with our international global affiliations such as Leading Real Estate Companies of the World, Luxury Portfolio International, Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate etc; our website partners such as wsj.com, nytimes.com, luxuryhomes.com etc; our print and accompanying web partners such as New England Home, Ocean Home Magazine etc.; our social media/Visual Tour avenues; and our award-winning website, raveis.com, it is safe to say we reach billions of potential luxury consumers globally! It is William Raveis’ innovative marketing campaigns that have helped with all of our success in selling over 30,000 exceptional homes.

You can learn more about the exceptional properties marketing efforts by clicking here for a video interview conducted by Bill Raveis.  You can view our current exceptional offerings on raveis.com.

One of the most unique parts of our company are the marketing services we offer to clients and our agents.  As a client with William Raveis, your home will receive one-of-a kind exposure across several digital and social networks, as well as prominent print media.  As an agent, William Raveis provides the opportunity for individual brand growth and recognition through the branding opportunities provided by RMG.  Check out some of the other awesome services RMG provides in this video featuring the talented, charismatic group.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TpPsnd6kFg

As you end yet another week, check out some of the most viewed homes on raveis.com!  Tear open a bag of m&m’s, put your feet up and check out some of these most sought after properties….

Connecticut

21 Lockwood Ln, Norwalk

Listing Agent: Susan Resch, William Raveis Norwalk

top viewed homes

Massachusetts

10 Saint Andrews Way, Falmouth

Listing Agent: Joseph Sciuto, William Raveis Falmouth

Top Viewed Homes

Rhode Island

8 Oakwood Ter, Newport

Listing Agent: Barbara O’Reilly, William Raveis Newport

Top viewed homes

New York

4 Timberlane Dr, Katonah

Listing Agent: Barbara Morris, William Raveis Katonah

top viewed homes

William Raveis takes a look at how the real estate market fared in the northeast for the month of January.  Are the numbers below an accurate reflection for your local market?  For more hyperlocal numbers, please visit our Local Housing Data page.

CT Real Estate

MA Real Estate

Cape Cod Real Estate

NY Real Estate

Rockland County Real Estate

Rhode Island Real Estate

New Hampshire Real Estate

So it’s time to reflect on this past week’s real estate buzz by announcing the top viewed listings on raveis.com.  You know you want it, so here we go!

Connecticut

Top Viewed Homes

27 Drumm Rd, Fairfield, CT

Listing Agent: Wendy Brandt Martinenas, William Raveis Southport

Massachusetts

most viewed homes

399 Seacoast Shores Blvd, Falmouth

Listing Agent: Rich Generazio, William Raveis Falmouth

Rhode Island

most viewed homes

8 Oakwood Ter, Newport

Listing Agent: Barbara O’Reilly, William Raveis Newport

New York

most viewed homes

4 Warwick Ln, Chappaqua

Listing Agent: Stacy Levey, William Raveis Chappaqua

This past Sunday, history was made.  Super Bowl XLVI was the most watched television event in U.S. history, with 111.3 million viewers.  And once the Giants achieved victory after a series of crucial errors by the Patriots, a record 118 million Americans watched as the team accepted the coveted Vince Lombardi trophy.

But, the Giants’ victory wasn’t the only event splashed across headlines in the following minutes, hours and days after the Superbowl.  Clint Eastwood’s “Halftime in America” ad, speaking to one of the main engines of America’s growth, the auto industry, brought to light an economy steadily emerging from struggle’s shadow.  As Eastwood said, in his signature husky whisper, “This country can’t be knocked out with one punch.  We get right back up again and when we do, the world’s gonna hear the roar of our engines.”

This ad extends well beyond the auto industry.  My first instinct was to think about what Clint’s words meant for the housing market.  Let’s be honest, using Clint’s analogy, we have had a rough first half.  Unethical lending practices, lax regulatory laws, mortgage manipulation on Wall Street and an inadequate understanding of the housing market on behalf of homebuyers helped lead to the housing bubble and the aftershocks we have felt since 2008.

But things are changing.  The National Association of Home Builders released a report yesterday showing the list of housing markets with measurable improvement has expanded by 29 metropolitan areas.  Housing was a strong contributor to the 2.8 percent GDP growth in the 4^th quarter, which saw residential investment increasing by 11 percent.  Most importantly, we’re starting to see a thawing in the job market, with 243,000 jobs added in January and a measurable decrease in the unemployment rate.

We’re seeing similar trends at William Raveis and have constantly been positioning ourselves for growth and innovation despite the challenges real estate has faced.  Not only are our hard numbers positive, but we are expanding our talent base by consistently hiring new associates and opening new locations throughout the northeast.  William Raveis is poised for a strong second half.

This is what success is all about.  Persevering through challenges by preparing for achievement.  This was Clint’s message about Detroit’s now restored auto industry and improving conditions throughout the nation.  Businesses, large and small, families and individuals should be proud of what they’ve endured, all the while looking ahead for the final push to victory.

Let the second half begin.

It’s Friday and that means it’s time to look back at the week’s most popular listings!  This week, we are picking the most viewed listing from four states: Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island.  Take a look at the homes that made the cut and let us know why you think they’re getting all the clicks.

Connecticut

28 Strawberry Hill Avenue, Norwalk, CT

Most Viewed Home in CT

Listing Agent: Russ Bain, William Raveis Trumbull

Massachusetts

21 Pine Street, Falmouth, MA

Most Popular Home in MA

Listing Agent: Ralph Secino, William Raveis Osterville

New York

48 Haights Cross Road, Chappaqua, NY

Most Viewed Home in New York

Listing Agent: Stacy Levey, William Raveis Chappaqua

Rhode Island

27 Benefit Street, East Side of Providence, Rhode Island

Most Viewed Listing in Rhode Island

Listing Agent: Nelson Taylor, William Raveis Providence

Bill Raveis, our Chairman & CEO, took some time to talk with Kim Givens, Director of Relocation, on what makes the division so different from other relocation companies.  Check out the entire interview in this post!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdxItdfrU2k

Let’s face it-everyone has their own taste when it comes to a home.  Several factors can come into play: room for children, how much remodeling might be needed, number of garages and the list goes on and on.  But, there are some homes on the market that seem to have mass appeal.  We’d like to present you with a list of 10 such homes every week, starting today!  Here are the top 10 viewed homes on raveis.com for this past week.  What do YOU think makes them so appealing?

1.  209 Merwins Lane, Fairfield, CT

Listed by: David D’Ausilio

most viewed homes

2.  50 Lindbergh Street, Fairfield, CT

Listed by: Alan & Melissa Hamilton

top viewed homes

3.  376 South Benson Road, Fairfield, CT

Listed by: Gigliotti & Walsh Fine Properties

most viewed homes

4.  57 Tuller Road, Fairfield, CT

Listed by: Lois Lehman

most viewed homes

5.  1284 Fairfield Woods Road, Fairfield, CT

Listed by: Linda Raymond

most viewed homes

6.  1981 Mill Plain Rd, Fairfield, CT

Listed by:  Al Filippone Associates

most viewed homes

7.  208 Nichols St, Fairfield, CT

Listed by: Gigliotti & Walsh Fine Properties

most viewed homes

8.  10 Leann Dr, Norwalk, CT

Listed by: Diane Millas

most viewed homes

9.  82 Erskine Rd, Stamford, CT

Listed by:  Agent not named

10.  14 Overbrook Rd, Norwalk, CT

Listed by: Ann Rosati

most viewed homes

It’s almost the end of 2011 and it’s time to reflect.  What are the best ways media outlets and pretty much any blog does that?  Through lists- the top 10s and 5s that shookup headlines during the year.  Though they are borderline cliche, we all know how much we love these lists-they can be a handy way to summarize important occurrences, as well as keep your own life in order.  William Raveis is no exception to list usage-in fact, we just posted a top 5 apps list a week ago. And, in the spirit of reflection, we thought we would create a  list of our most shared posts from the past year.  We hope these words provide you a mini patchwork of major real estate happenings in 2011.  Enjoy and have a Happy New Year!

Sales Associate, David Popoff from the William Raveis Darien office, explains how to save money and stay green this winter with ceiling fans. Check it out: http://ctgreenrealestate.com/lower-your-energy-bill-with-ceiling-fans/

Thanks David!

One of the main reasons we whip out our smartphones these days is to utilize apps.  Particularly in real estate, there are myriad apps that can help with productivity if you’re an agent and help you understand the market if you’re a consumer-Evernote, DocuSign, RECalc and USHUD are just a few examples.  But, let’s face it, all work and no play makes for a really boring day.  Those daily lulls while waiting for a client, for a meeting to start or to meet up with friends are stolen moments for smartphone users looking to rendezvous with their favorite time-kill apps.  Don’t look so perplexed-you know you’re guilty of it!  So what are some of the more entertaining apps out there that are as addicting as holiday sugar cookies?  In honor of the infamous “end of the year top 10s and 5s list” style, we decided to name our top 5 time-kill apps:

Twitter: While this could without a doubt count as a “productive” app, it is just as conducive to frivolity.  I am admittedly guilty of surfing my timeline, bypassing “@Slate The Supreme Court is about to reshape this country” and “@housingwire median home list prices rise 4.05% over last year” for the tempting tweet lying just below : “@KimKardashian Last night was KRAY!” What did Kim do that was so exciting?  And what was she wearing?!  She would of course have a shortened photo link revealing an image of herself adorned in something form-fitting and absolutely fabulous.

We all do this and we all love it.  Tweets from the glitterati and less than economic-policy-changing twitter pages are sometimes the antidote to an otherwise scary day.

Angry Birds

This has perhaps been one of the most talked about apps this past year.  And I will say with confidence that, if you’re a realtor, there’s next to zero chance it will bring in business for you.  But, man, it’s addictive.  Sometimes there’s nothing more satisfying than slinging multicolored birds to crush evil green pigs and achieve a “new high score.”

While the app’s concept may sound puerile, the offers from investors to help parent company, Rovio, go public are anything but so.  Rovio most recently received $42 million in March and is looking to raise $1 billion before going public.  But, hey, who cares about IPOs when you’ve got a “new high score” to shatter before at the tail end of a lunch break.

Pictorial

While this app is a great way to pass those precious dull moments in your day, it also helps develop spatial reasoning, a common part of intelligence tests.  As described on their page in iTunes –“how quickly can you guess what pictures are hidden from you in the night sky full of starts?  Can you discover the story behind the dance of snowflakes in the arctic blizzard?  Will you be the first to solve the mystery of the pirate’s ship?”  By moving you finger at just the right angles, you can discover beautiful pictures hidden in five different storylines: Night City, Arctic, Treasure Island Fairy Forest and Halloween (the free version is just Night City).

This is a super cool way to pass time and challenge your mind simultaneously.  If you don’t believe me, check out some of the ratings on Pictorial’s iTunes page.

Fruit Ninja

This is my guilty pleasure.  If consuming Fruit Ninja’s goodness counted towards my overall bodily intake of fruits’ vitamins and minerals, I’d be one healthy gal!  If you don’t have the app (gasp!), this is the overall objective:  slice and dice as many fruits that pop up on your screen as possible.  That’s it.  But you have to be deft enough to cut through the sweet juices of up to dozens of melons, berries and bananas flooding your screen.  As described on its iTunes page, Fruit Ninja is “satisfying fruit carnage.”  We sure enjoy every juicy moment.

Facebook

Didn’t think we’d pick this one?  We sorta had to.  With facebook’s nearly 1 billion users, it’s hard not to run into someone who doesn’t have the app on their phone to satisfy their daily need for social interaction with friends and family.

While Facebook is an essential part of modern marketing strategy, it can also be a major time suck.  The joy of uploading media such as photos of yourself in in your latest shopping spree garb, or the video of your newborn, or the video of the weird tricks your dog can do, has become contagious, enrapturing all corners of the globe.

If you say that you don’t check you facebook app at least a few times a week, you can consider yourself “not with it.”  According to mobiThinking, Facebook is one of the top 10 mobile destinations for smartphone users.

Thanks for letting us officially educate you on how to waste your time!

What are your favorite time kill apps?

Bill and Ryan Raveis (Executive VP of William Raveis Mortgage) took some time this week to talk about the current state of the mortgage market and what homebuyers and sellers should be aware of as they enter 2012.  They also took a walk behind the scenes into our Mortgage Division to see what’s involved in the underwriting process.  Check out the footage below!

httpv://youtu.be/hs5SgYECv0A

Take a look at our monthly charts below to find out how the northeast fared in October 2011 vs. October 2010 according to major market indicators.  If you would like to see how your local market is doing compared to the entire region, check out our local housing data page.  Hope this data can help shed some light on the state of the current housing market!

CT real estate

MA real estate

Cape Cod Real Estate

Rhode Island Real Estate

New Hampshire Real Estate

Good news in corporate relocation?

Yes, yes, yes.  Between 2006 and 2009 corporate sponsored relocation has been on the decline, with 2008 and 2009 experiencing double digits declines.  The good news was that 2010 saw a 15% increase in transfer volume.  2011 looks promising with many corporations projecting another 10% increase in transfer volume which includes current employees as well as new hires.Relocation is all about employee mobility.  For much of the country, the real estate market has been challenging.  Many homeowner employees were unable to relocate because they were upside down on their mortgages or lost considerable equity in their homes making it difficult to move to a new location.  In response to this many corporations now assess home value as part of their pre-decision programs so employees have a clearer understanding of their financial picture.  Some employers have added a “loss on sale” policy or increased the cap of their existing policy to enable their employee to make the move.

In the past, according to Worldwide ERC there was an equal division of homeowner and renters being relocated from their old location.  In 2010, 62% of those employees being relocated were renters while only 38% were homeowners.  In response to this, many employers have either extended their homeowner benefits or modified their current renter policy.  Again, the good news is corporations are willing to modify their policies to meet the needs of their employees.

Here are some interesting facts and statistics on US Domestic transfers provided by Worldwide ERC:

• $10 Billion:  amount spent annually in U.S. on corporate relocation by Worldwide ERC member corporations
• $15,110,135:  average annual amount each company spends to transfer its employees
• 216,143:  annual number of U.S. domestic transfers from Worldwide ERC member companies
• $90,081:  average cost to relocate current employee homeowner
• $23,497:  average cost to relocate current employee renter

William Raveis Real Estate is continuing its rapid expansion on the Cape with the opening of a new office in Provincetown.  The office, formerly Harborside Realty, is an established and highly respected firm that has been known for providing outstanding service to Provincetown clientele.  William Raveis identified Harborside as an ideal opportunity to enter one of the Cape’s most desirable and historic markets.

“Provincetown has significant crossover with several of our primary markets in Massachusetts and the northeast,” said Chris Raveis, Managing Partner of William Raveis Massachusetts.  “We identified Harborside as a perfect opportunity to leverage the advantage of William Raveis’ broad network in Provincetown, as well as deepen our ties with the Cape community.”

The new William Raveis Provincetown office will be managed by Rob Tosner, former co-owner of Harborside Realty.  Len Bowen, the other former co-owner, will also continue to be involved with sales in the new William Raveis office.  Tosner and Bowen have a profound knowledge of Provincetown, its community and its vibrant culture.  Since 1990, Bowen has been actively involved in the sale of homes, condominiums, guest houses and multi-family properties in Provincetown.  He established Harborside Realty in 1993.  Prior to this, Bowen spent 15 years in Boston’s South End, where he owned his own real estate firm.  Tosner is also deeply familiar with Provincetown, beginning to frequently visit 25 years ago to becoming a co-owner of Harborside in 2005.

Since first opening its doors on the Cape in 2006, William Raveis has experienced phenomenal growth in the region.  When acquiring its first office, William Raveis ranked as number 34 in the region by marketshare.  Within three years, the firm became the second largest on the Cape. With the opening of the Provincetown location, William Raveis continues its vision to become the most successful real estate company on Cape Cod.

Chris Raveis, President of William Raveis Affiliates, recently announced the alliance of William Raveis Real Estate with Baer & McIntosh Real Estate, an independent boutique agency in Nyack, New York.  This office represents the seventh William Raveis location in New York since the company began its rapid expansion there two years ago.  William Raveis Baer & McIntosh will exclusively service Rockland and Orange Counties in New York.

The addition of Baer & McIntosh Real Estate to the William Raveis network shows the company’s continued commitment to grow its affiliate program throughout the northeast.  William Raveis Baer & McIntosh is the eighth independent company and 11^th office to join the William Raveis Affiliates network.

Deborah Blankfort, Broker/Owner of Baer & McIntosh, continues to grow her company with the William Raveis affiliation, operating from their premiere Nyack location.  Blankfort brings 20+ years of superior entrepreneurial skills and business experience.  She and her team specialize in marketing luxury, riverfront and vintage homes, without sacrificing service to the more reserved homebuyer.  This breadth of marketing capability helped make Baer & McIntosh the premier independent real estate firm in Nyack and greater Rockland County for over 30 years.  Baer & McIntosh maintains the same internal philosophy and culture, but can now offer unlimited benefits to all their clients and agents.

In regards to her team’s experience servicing high-end clients, Blankfort believes the support of William Raveis’ renowned Exceptional Properties Division will provide unique international marketing opportunities for luxury homes throughout Rockland and Orange County.  “I was very impressed by the global exposure that Raveis can offer to Rockland’s unique homes, Orange County’s equestrian properties, new construction planning and developments, and everything in between. We now have the ability to give our clients the most powerful marketing in the entire industry, with the impressive Raveis track record to prove it,” stated Blankfort.

Blankfort is also confident her team will benefit from William Raveis’ constant growth and innovation.  “The William Raveis mission is to empower agents to succeed, plain and simple,” she stated. “Raveis’ support will ensure that we are staying at the cutting edge of technology and engaging in the newest of marketing techniques by providing tools and an infrastructure that would otherwise be unattainable. Raveis’ wide array of services enables us to offer real estate, in-house mortgages, and insurance services, all under one roof. I can’t wait to grow our company with the most impressive people I have met in the industry.”

Blankfort shares much of the company’s core values, particularly the desire to stay family-owned amidst a sea of franchises.  “I do think this affiliation is literally, two great families, joining as one,” said Blankfort. “My husband Gary works with me as well as my older son, Adam.”

Baer & McIntosh, one of the oldest independently family-run real estate companies in Rockland County, is proud to unite with the largest independently owned family-run real estate company in the northeast.  “This partnership was a no brainer for us and the timing was just right,” concludes Blankfort.

William Raveis Real Estate, Mortgage & Insurance recently had the honor of being ranked #1 in Fox CT and Hartford Courant’s “Top Workplaces” survey.  William Raveis was the only real estate firm to be nominated and win amongst about 800 companies who were invited to participate in the survey.  “Top Workplaces” measures employee satisfaction in several key facets of workplace life.  Below, see Fox CT catch up with Chairman & CEO, Bill Raveis, and Executive Vice President of Sales, Kent Hanley, on what makes William Raveis employees so happy with where they work.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTaHNlgJKLs

Last night, William Raveis Real Estate, Mortgage & Insurance was awarded 1^st place in Fox News and Hartford Courant’s “Top Workplaces” in Connecticut survey.  William Raveis was the only real estate firm to be nominated amongst nearly 800 Connecticut companies, nonprofits and public agencies.  Awards were based on thousands of employee surveys completed at companies of varying sizes. 

Fox News caught up with Kent Hanley, Executive Vice President of William Raveis Connecticut, at the Awards venue, Aquaturf of Southington.  He discussed why respect and value for employees is vital to William Raveis’ company philosophy.  “As the old saying goes, treat people the way you would want to be treated,” he said.   “I think that really goes a long way.  It’s a core value for a happy family, and we treat our employees as family!”

WorkplaceDynamics LLC, a research firm in Exton, Pennsylvania, conducted surveys on behalf of the Hartford Courant and Fox News.  A total of nearly 800 firms were invited to participate and 12,685 employee surveys were completed.  The survey covered myriad aspects of workplace culture, from employee appreciation to quality of wages and benefits.

“Top Workplaces” is one in a slew of awards William Raveis has been awarded this year alone.   A big highlight for the company was receiving Inman News’ “Most Innovative Brokerage or Franchise” award for William Raveis Agent Dashboard, the first free-to-agent CRM and marketing tool.  Additional accolades include “Best Residential Real Estate Firm,” “Best Mortgage Company,” “Best Insurance Company” all from Banker & Tradesman, placing as a finalist in Boston Business Journal’s “Best Places to Work” survey, and being the only real estate firm to place as a finalist in Fairfield County’s “Top Workplaces” survey. 

A special insert, titled “Getting it Done” will profile William Raveis and other winners in Sunday, September 25^th’s Hartford Courant.

Mega-agent from Westport, CT, Michelle Genovesi, takes a moment to talk about the power of William Raveis Mortgage.  Michelle believes an in-house mortgage company like WRM can instill a better sense of trust between the client and agent, as well as alleviate any confusion associated with obtaining a mortgage.  She what else she has to say below!  And for more information on her team, visit http://www.michelleandcompany.com/

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hwy8W0ZqPG4

Take a look at our monthly charts below to find out how the northeast fared in August 2011 vs. August 2010 according to major market indicators.  Click on each to get a larger view.  And yes, you can get more specific and see how your city or town is doing!  Visit local housing data and get the scoop.

In this week’s Social Juice, read about Steve Jobs’ stepdown from CEO of Apple and check out some must-read email video marketing tips!  Read on for more!

Steve Jobs Steps Down

Steve Jobs, the man who has arguably had the greatest influence on the modern technology age, has stepped down as CEO of Apple.  Even if you didn’t grow up with Apple products in your home, Steve Jobs and his revolutionary ideas still influenced the way you thought about technology.  I read a fascinating PC Magazine article that talked about Apple’s early influence on other mainstream PCs and digital products in the mid 80s.  The author of the article, a passionate Atari fan, reflects on Apple’s significance in Atari product launches.  “It turns out that my beloved Atari 800, like so many products of that era, was really just another me-too response to the Apple,” he stated.  “After seeing Apple’s early success, Atari switched gears and began adding computer-like features to the design, such as support for peripherals, BASIC programming, and text.”  And we thought Apple had become the unbeatable kid in the park only post-iPod.

Steve Jobs is not saying goodbye to Apple, oh no sir.  He will serve on Apple’s Board as Chairman, still offering his brilliant ideas and personal touch to the company’s unique products.  And many would say that Jobs’ has embedded his DNA and thought process into Apple.  Thanks to him, Apple is synonymous with innovation, as are the company’s briliant engineers and staff.  They have learned an awful lot from Jobs and are poised to take Apple to new levels in fast-developing digital eras, such as cloud computing (I, for one, am eagerly anticipating iCloud).

So what does this mean for realtors?  Well, in the past few days there have been the naysayers who have written articles on how the company could fall apart without Jobs at the helm.  However, a majority of the analysis I am seeing points to the company doing just fine, if not better in the post Jobs era.  Tim Cook, previously the company’s COO, will now serve as CEO.  This is a great appointment, since Cook has essentially been running Apple since Jobs took ill with pancreatic cancer in 2004.

The long and short of this all is real estate agents will still utilize Apple products for years to come in marketing their business.  As an increasingly large percentage of people conduct real estate searches through mobile phones, Apple’s products will become all the more indispensable.  Sleep well, realtors of the world, Apple isn’t going anywhere.

Spice Up Your Emails with Video

Video is one of the most popular real estate marketing tools.  As real estate is a very visual industry, it makes sense to utilize video to give consumers a comprehensive view of a home.  Video is consumed at an alarming rate ( according to comScore, the average U.S. internet user watches 186 videos every month, yes, month ).  And it has become a staple on good brokerage websites.  However, I think it is equally important for brokerages and agents alike to integrate video into their client communication plans-ie, email.

Constant Contact, and excellent email marketing system, has just introduced a video insertion feature into its interface.  As Constant Contact states on its website, “Now video can be added to your Constant Contact email campaigns with a few clicks of the mouse.  Our new Video Insert feature allows you to easily link to a video hosted on YouTube, Vimeo, or Blip.tv by automatically pulling in a thumbnail image, adding a player overlay to the image, and making the resulting image clickable.”  This goes beyond just having a url that leads to a  video within the body of your email, now you have an actual thumbnail from the video, making the viewing experience similar to that on a video service site, like YouTube or Vimeo.

Here are tips on how to use video within your emails-

1) If you do a monthly snapshot of the real estate market, opt out of the traditional text format and shoot a video.  Make sure to post this video on your social media- facebook, twitter, Google +, etc.

2) Thank your email list for keeping up on your maket updates and supporting you on your blog, facebook or twitter pages

3) Share a milestone-for example, a unique sale,  a certain amont of fans on your facebook or twitter pages, or having a certain blog post shared or tweeted a certain number of times

4) Do a video on how to use your website or your mobile site

5) Provide a snapshot into your local town

6) Share buyer or seller advice-ex. how to choose a Realtor

7) Share testimonials on your service

8) Wish your clients a happy holiday

Check out Constant Contact’s Video Insertion Feature guide on its website for more information on using video within email.

Take a look at our monthly charts below to find out how the northeast fared in July 2011 vs. July 2010 according to major market indicators.  Click on each to get a larger view.  And yes, you can get more specific and see how your city or town is doing!  Visit local housing data and get the scoop.

CT Real Estate

MA Real Estate

rhode island real estate

ny real estate

cape cod real estate

New Hampshire Real Estate

We have been raised to believe that change is, more often than not, a good thing.  Changing a menu order at your favorite restaurant, changing solutions to solve a problem at work, changing politicians, changing employees or even changing hair color are decisions people make frequently to move forward in life.

But, in a society that espouses change as a means of progress, it is ironic to see how slowly the real estate industry is catching on to one of the biggest technology changes it has encountered since MLS listings migrated from hard copy to the internet.  The traditional real estate brokerage is being redefined as we know it.

The WAV Group, a leader in real estate consulting services, recently released a report discussing this major shift.  WAV defines it as a shift from the “brick and mortar” real estate company to one that offers technology tools to enable complete mobility for agents.  As the report states, “successful real estate companies may not have any offices at all.  We believe what they will do is provide a central point of integration for agents.  Technology will be the new glue of the real estate industry.”  Rather than accessing data from multiple applications, agents need a single point of entry to an entire database of marketing, real estate statistics and contact management to help manage their business.

Though few brokerages understand just how important this change is, William Raveis has already helped lead the industry through this transformation with the January release of its simplified, single source mobile application, Agent Dashboard.  Agent Dashboard is the first free-to-agent CRM, marketing and business management tool in the nation.

Agent Dashboard offers mobile syncing for the most critical parts of an agent’s business.  Calendars, contacts and email updated on a mobile device, including iPhone, Android and iPad, are automatically synced on a desktop and vice versa.  Agents can receive automatic alerts to stay aware of clients’ needs at all times.   For instance, an agent can instantly receive an alert via email, on Agent Dashboard homepage or by text message if a client is interested in a property, changes search criteria or various other actionable items.  Agents can even select the time of day they would like to receive text message alerts.

In addition, a single interface offers extensive property town data, comprehensive marketing plans, social media management, robust contact management, full MLS integration and listing notifications spanning multiple states, cities and towns.

Due to a focus on maintaining a culture of innovation during this transitional phase in real estate, William Raveis was recognized at the 2011 Inman Innovator Awards as the “Most Innovative Brokerage or Franchise” and placed as a finalist for “Most Innovative Website or Web Service” for the creation of Agent Dashboard.

We believe change and who will be able to keep up with it is what will fuel this industry in coming years.  We’re excited for what will happen next!

Last Thursday afternoon was a surreal moment for William Raveis Real Estate, Mortgage & Insurance.   The company was announced as the “Most Innovative Brokerage or Franchise” at Inman News’ 2011 Innovator Awards, held in the beautiful Hilton San Francisco.

Inman’s Annual Innovator Awards recognize exceptional national achievements in real estate technology and marketing.  To give a simple analogy-winning an Innovator Award is akin to winning an Oscar at the Academy Awards.  Every year, the real estate glitterati, from world renowned brokerages to Silicon Valley startups-gone-mainstream, gather in San Francisco and New York to talk about what they see in the industry’s future.  It’s sort of a big deal.

About 10 days prior, we had been informed that we had made the coveted list of Finalists for two critical categories in Inman’s 2011 Innovator Awards- Most Innovative Brokerage or Franchise and Most Innovative Website or Service for our multipurpose CRM, William Raveis Agent Dashboard .  We were honored to be named among such forward thinking companies as Zillow, Trulia, Better Homes & Gardens and SpatialMatch.com.

This has been a remarkable year for William Raveis Real Estate.  In addition to winning several accolades over the past few years from highly regarded real estate organizations, the company has been named as a “Best Place to Work” by the prestigious Boston Business Journal and as “The Best Residential Real Estate Company” by Banker & Tradesman, a subsidiary of The Warren Group.

We launched William Raveis Agent Dashboard (announced by Inman), an enterprise CRM, marketing and business management solution, free to our agents.  Agent Dashboard enables sales associates to be mobile, conducting business from their smartphones.

We won a Gold Award from the American Advertising Federation for our custom mobile version of raveis.com, offering access to 300,000 listings from the convenience of a smartphone or tablet.

We continue to push forward our Exceptional Properties Digital Magazine, featuring some of our standout luxury listings and the latest news on the luxury market.

We continue to add to our library of agent education through our Career Development Division-offering over 200 classes per year on topics ranging from targeted marketing with social media to mobile strategies for increasing lead generation.

We engage with clients and the public in new ways, particularly with social and new media. We’ve added enhanced functionality and access to listings on our facebook page and ask our followers for their feedback on the condition of the real estate market in their area.  We utilize twitter, linkedin, youtube and foursquare to run contests and encourage participation from our virtual SOI.  It’s their feedback that helps us continue to refine our social media initiatives.

Our company continues to grow despite a challenging economy.  In fact, William Raveis Mortgage had a record-breaking year, closing over $900 million in loans and William Raveis Real Estate is expanding its footprint throughout the northeast, opening new offices in Massachusetts and New York.

We thank Inman News for recognizing our efforts on a national scale.  And, of course, we thank our sales associates, staff and management team for their incredible efforts.  It’s your vision and dedication that help this company lead and innovate.  Here’s to you and what you come up with next!

William Raveis Chairman & CEO, Bill Raveis, takes a few minutes to talk about the importance of assessing local housing markets rather than national indexes when looking for a home.  For more information on this topic, check out this recent post.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6Nb-S-dwAs

A confluence of low interest rates, extremely low home prices and the highest affordability rate in U.S. history have created ideal conditions for homebuyers.  However, you wouldn’t think that with the onslaught of negative reports from national indices and various media outlets.

Home values have fallen dramatically since 2006.  The New York Times recently referred to Case-Shiller’s national index, stating 20 large cities slumped for the 7^th month in a row in February.  The Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard Review dwelled on the excess inventory on the market.  Any of this sound familiar?  It should.  You can’t open a web browser or scan through a news reader without encountering these kinds of bleak statistics.

An age old adage comes to mind-what is it again?  Ah yes, real estate is local.  As a key economic barometer for this and many countries, the real estate market is rife with implications of consumer sentiment and mindset.  But, how are consumers to make educated real estate decisions about a home purchase in East Longmeadow, MA by assessing average sales prices in Nebraska?  If you said they can’t, you’re right.

William Raveis Real Estate, the ninth largest real estate brokerage in the country, is encouraging agents and clients to take a more intelligent approach to the housing market by looking at seasonal trends and the latest data within their own markets.  William Raveis utilizes a comprehensive system that tracks major local market indicators from Maine to New York, known as Local Housing Data.  This system collects raw data from 16 MLSs’ throughout the northeast-representing the activity of over 65,000 REALTORS- to compile a bird’s eye view into local markets.

“The national indexes are misleading the public to what’s actually occurring in their local markets,” said Bill Raveis, Chairman and CEO of William Raveis Real Estate.  “Local Housing Data draws numbers directly from the MLS, rather than relying on formulas used by national indexes.  These indexes may be helpful to investors, but do not necessarily measure what homebuyers or homeowners care about,” he continued.  Using Case-Shiller as an example, the index does not provide a full representation of the market, focusing only on changes in average sales prices.  In addition to average sales prices, Local Housing Data presents key market variables, such as unit sales, median sales prices, inventory, market time and price per square foot.  A reader can analyze by price ranges using Local Housing Data, whereas Case-Shiller simply provides composite averages.  Looking at the dates of each report, one can see the index is not timely, featuring data with an approximate 2-3 month lag time.  Local Housing Data furnishes state, county and town numbers between the 7^th-10^th business day after the end of the month.

To see an example of the disparity between state and national indexes and local numbers, look no further than Case-Shiller’s most recent housing report for April 2011 and The University of Connecticut’s Real Estate Market Update, published July 15th.   Case Shiller showed the nation’s 20 major cities experiencing a drop in home prices for April 2011 vs. April 2010 and The University of Connecticut’s report indicated that the absence of the homebuyer tax credit is depressing Connecticut home prices.  However, Local Housing Data presents a different trend.  For the past 3 months, including April, average sales prices pointed upwards by as much as 16% in CT and other states covered by William Raveis.  Year-to-date, average sales prices were up by as much as 12.5%.  “Some of this data, particularly from University of Connecticut, is just plain erroneous,” said Mr. Raveis. “We have the data from the trenches, from the MLSs’, that points to price appreciation despite the lack of a homebuyer tax credit.”   The table below displays further detail on price increases for single family homes and condominiums:

Average Sales Prices

Each county and town is driven by hyperlocal market trends, as Local Housing Data proves.  In fact, marked differences can be seen between towns that are only within 35 minutes of eachother.  Shelton and Wilton, two towns in CT about 20 miles apart, show substantial differences in inventory and average sales prices.  Shelton’s inventory stands at a relatively healthy 9 months, year-to-date, while Wilton is at 14 months for the same time period.  Shelton’s average sales price is $318,268 and Wilton’s is substantially higher at $909,318, both year-to-date.

Local Housing Data has been referenced by major news publications in the northeast to assess market conditions.  These numbers, along with careful analysis by William Raveis’ office VP’s, portray key market indicators to be on a brighter path, not heading in the wrong direction.

As an example, PJ Louis, Sales Vice President of William Raveis’ Avon, Connecticut office assesses Local Housing Data for his market, “Unit sales are up, average sales prices are up by almost 14 percent and we are seeing activity in all price points.”  “Our local market is definitely going against the national reported trend,” he continued.  Louis described this year’s brutal winter to be deterrent to homebuyers and sellers, contributing to a slow paced 1^st quarter.   However, as soon as the spring market took off, so did a launch in demand.  Louis admits this isn’t a 2006 market, but the last couple months in his office have felt busier than the past 4 years.

Further south in Greenwich, site to some of Connecticut’s premiere homes, there is movement in all price points.  Sales Vice President, Beckie Hanley cited very encouraging data, including a 14% increase in average sales prices and a unit sales jump by 40% in May 2011 versus same time last year.  “We are seeing multiple offers in the $2-$3 million dollar range and buyers who are ready to put their money down when they see value,” said Hanley.  Her point draws on an important trend happening in the northeast and other parts of the country: an equilibrium between buyer and seller needs presenting sales opportunities.  Simply stated: buyers are ready to make a purchase when sellers set prices relative to the home’s current market value.

This trend is also present in William Raveis markets in other parts of the northeast, such as Massachusetts.  Hingham, a beautiful seaside town in MA’s South Shore, is home to very particular buyers.  “All buyers are seeking ‘value’ in all price ranges,” says David Friend, Sales Vice President of William Raveis, Hingham.  “Buyers are picky about details, but still buying.”  A ‘good deal’ is what homebuyers are after and sellers pricing their homes in accordance with market tendencies are receiving multiple offers.

Despite the search for a ‘good deal,’ William Raveis agents have experienced some record breaking offers on unique homes.  In Rye, New York there is a pending deal on the market for $12.5 million.  “This sale will close at the highest number thus far in MLS history for Rye,” said Marylin Hoffman, Vice President of Sales for William Raveis, Rye.

Record breaking offers aside, the real estate market could very well be improving for a variety of income levels, contrary to reports that the upper echelon of wage earners are the only group of people ploughing through a down market.  This is what Wendy Beaulieu, Sales Vice President of William Raveis, Cape Cod, believes is happening in her market.  Baby boomers are purchasing second homes due to the high level of affordability on the Cape.  Citing Local Housing Data, Wendy states, “average sales prices on the Cape are $370,000.  Since affordability is so high and prices are so low, middle class buyers are seeing this as an opportunity to get the coveted second home.”

Milford, Connecticut, is seeing positive movement, as well.  Despite the lack of the homebuyer tax credit, which helped buoy housing demand for much of the first half of 2010, Milford’s median sales price has stayed nearly the same for the first half of 2011.  “Last year, our median price was $286,000 and this year it was $284,500,” said Herb Mehlman, Vice President of Sales for William Raveis, Milford.  This may be a vital sign that the market is beginning to correct itself, without the creation of artificial demand from the government.

As you can see, the proof is in the numbers.  Several local markets are showing movement in the right direction and even national reports are bringing some optimism to the industry.  The most recent Case-Shiller index reported 13 of 20 major metropolitan areas showed an increase in home prices.  Inman News talked about stronger economic data pushing up mortgage rates.

So next time you feel you are about to get trapped in a sense of hopelessness because you hear a scary real estate report on the evening news, do yourself a favor and check your Local Housing Data numbers on raveis.com.  You may be surprised find that your town is doing just fine.

The William Raveis New Homes Division has provided stellar marketing and consulting services to developers, builders, investors and financial institutions for the past 30 years.  This division specializes in finding profitable building opportunities based on careful research and analysis.

New Homes has been recognized for cutting edge marketing and performance by the Home Builders Association of Connecticut, receiving HOBI Awards for Best Builder Marketing Programs, Best New Homes Sales Person of the Year, Best Marketed Single Spec Home and Best Marketed Small Community, to name a few.

Below is a profile of the success New Homes is having marketing a new community of homes, Cranberry Hill Estates in Shelton, CT.  Cranberry Hill is now in phase two of construction, with all but one of the colonial-farmhouse styled homes in the first phase having been sold.  This piece originally appeared in RealEstateRama.

A one-of-a-kind mix of classic style, smart energy-efficient features and luxurious amenities have helped propel steady sales at Shelton’s new Cranberry Hill Estates as phase two of construction at the Armstrong Road community continues, reports John Tarducci, Senior Vice President of the New Homes Division at William Raveis Real Estate, Mortgage & Insurance.

All but one of the Colonial farmhouse-styled homes in the first phase of construction have been sold, while deposits have been taken on four more homes in the second phase of construction. There are already five families in residence.

“Most homebuyers coming in to view the model home arrive here a little skeptical about the whole idea of a freestanding condominium, but by the time they leave, the overwhelming majority of visitors walk away extremely impressed,” said Cranberry Hill Estates Sales Director Vera Clark.

“It speaks volumes as to the quality of construction,” continued Clark. “It’s like what you’d find in lower Fairfield County, from the basement up. Nine-foot ceilings on the first floors, double crown moldings, upgraded insulation, tilt-in casement windows and trey ceilings are all standard. People say ‘Wow, we’re not used to seeing this kind of thing at this kind of price.’

New homebuyers Julie and Greg Bshara couldn’t agree more. The proud new owners of a four-bedroom Deerfield model, Julie explains that other properties in their price range just didn’t compare.

“We looked at a lot of older homes that seemed to need extensive updating when it came to the flooring and bathrooms,” she said. “It often seemed like we would need to redo the whole house. Then we came across Cranberry Hill Estates, and it felt perfect, almost unreal. It’s the perfect size for us. We want our daughter to have room to ride her bike and grow up in a neighborhood that’s off the main road, and we wanted to be in an up-and-coming town.” (Shelton was named one of the Best Affordable Suburbs in America in 2009 and 2010 by Bloomberg Businessweek.)

“The builders, Shaun and Tom Nettleton, really accommodated us in many ways.  We felt very comfortable with them.  We trusted them to give us what we really wanted, and everything we needed was taken care of when we moved in.”

Buyer Cemal Dikmen, who purchased a 3-bedroom Avon model, said his decision to buy came down to two things: quality construction and a functional floor plan.

“When I looked inside, it was obvious they used very good quality materials and that it was built well. The homes were also very functional. The house was designed so that each room was where I felt it should be. In fact, if I were to design a house, this is exactly the way I would have done it.”

Each one of the 40 traditionally-styled homes offers state-of-the-art kitchens, energy-efficient gas heating and fireplaces, two-zone central heating/central air and rich details like crown moldings, trey ceilings, custom paneling and oak flooring. Prices for the 2,000 to 2,900-square-foot homes in four different floor plans range from $449,900 to $499,900.

For more information about Cranberry Hill Estates, call the William Raveis sales center on Armstrong Road at (203) 307-2213 or visit www.cranberryhillestates.com.

4^th of July is merely days away and in the spirit of patriotism,  I could write about The American Dream of Homeownership being alive and well – yesterday, the New York Times published an article stating “nearly nine in 10 Americans say homeownership is an important part of the American Dream” according to a poll conducted with CBS News- or about some of the shining stars in recently reported real estate numbers-Case-Shiller released a report this week stating 13 of 20 metro areas tracked showed monthly gains.  This is welcome news before the impending holiday.

However, I want to share something that I believe is equally patriotic and shows the incredible strides we have taken as a nation since our forefathers signed The Declaration of Independence, changing the course of American history.  And that is the advances we have made in digital technology.  Most fascinating to me are the ways we share and gather data-on desktops, smartphones, tablets and other internet-enabled devices.  An increasing trend I have seen is a visual representation of data, called an infographic.  There have been several infographics representing trends in real estate- you can see one below.

real estate infographic 1

But in honor of the 4^th, I would like you to take a look at a really cool 4^th of July infographic I stumbled upon-see below to learn some revealing statistics about this national holiday!  Anything you didn’t know?

Click image to enlarge

Via: VA Home Loans