SHREWSBURY, Massachusetts – No doubt it’s challenging to think of spring on days like this, but I’m happy to be the first to announce that the spring market in SHrewsbury real estate is right on the horizon, and signs are pointing to a fabulous season indeed.   Inventory remains at a critical low point, and with rates still hovering near 50 year lows, there is tremendous pent up demand from the Buyer community.

At this time of year, when so many people are having trouble picturing spring at all, I tend to try and get them to think backwards, from summer.   For someone thinking of a closing at the end of June, remember that it usually takes about 60 days to close a transaction.   That means that in order to close at the end of June, it would be great to have the property under contract by the end of April.   Allowing about a month for it to go under agreement, from the date it hits the market, would indicate that it should be listed by the middle to end of March, which is only a few weeks away.

People often ask what the most critical element in a successful Shrewsbury real estate sale is, and there are certainly no shortage of important things to consider.  One of the most critical, has to do with the few weeks that actually precede the home going on the market in the first place.   This is a time I call the “pre-marketing phase” in which we work to properly prepare the home for the market in a way that will ensure that you achieve a top dollar sale.   For this, a pre-marketing team is an essential “value added service” for an agent to bring to the table.  Recognizing the frustration that people often go through with trying to get vendors to even call them back, much less show up and do the work, I’ve spent years assembling a turn-key team of professionals to assist us with all aspects of pre-sale preparation.  By bringing in my team of painters, handymen, rug cleaners, stagers, landscapers, carpet installers, exterminators, and other top professionals I work with all the time, we can get a house to it’s absolute best state, so that it hits the market as near to perfect as it can. The better job we can do in preparation, the higher price you’ll ultimately command for the property, and that’s a win-win for everyone.

This pre-marketing team has a hidden side benefit as well.  Once the home is on deposit, and through the home inspection, we will inevitably have a few nip and tuck items on the Buyers punch list, and in comes the team again to polish off the items on the list efficiently, effectively, and affordably.  By removing that layer of stress from the transaction itself, we can add a level of piece of mind that enables a seller to relax, move on to the search for their next home without worrying about the details of the Shrewsbury real estate sale.

Now that we seem to have turned the corner in the market, we can begin anew with an exciting and fresh approach, and with nothing but hope and optimism for what lies ahead. In recent weeks, I’ve had multiple clients re-enter the marketplace after being previously for sale with other agents last year.  So far, I’ve been pleasantly surprised to see many of those properties sell as fast as we can get them listed.

When that happens, we know that we’re on the right track in terms of our marketing approach and pricing, and that the overall health of the market itself is vastly improved over where we left off last year.  We’re still seeing inventory shortages in many towns and ranges, so if you were on the market in the past, or even if you weren’t, now is the time we should be talking.  Once the tulips are blooming you may be the last one to the party.

Working with people re-entering the market is one of my favorite things.  It’s sometimes a bit challenging, because these homeowners usually feel as though their last agent let them down, and so naturally they are scared to trust anyone again. In the end we need to look at each and every one of these as an individual situation and come up with the most decisive marketing strategy to get the job done.  The one thing we know for sure isn’t the answer is that “nothing was selling” last year.  In fact, an analysis of the Shrewsbury market shows increases in both prices and home sales over the same time period a year ago.

For new listings entering the market, I have seen some impressive results in the last couple of weeks.  Homes in outlying suburbs in which the market had been sluggish for over a year were coming on the market and selling in a week.   Always in demand, those pristine younger colonials in great neighborhoods are still commanding bidding wars at the first open houses.

We all are aware that these are challenging times in the market, but they are not unique.  After 25 years in the business, I’ve been through this type of market three times, and so I suppose that I tend to approach it from a standpoint of practicality, rather than one of fear.

As I do each winter, I’ve opened up the Homeowners Blend program again, in the hope that we can get 10 or 12 new listings on that program in the next 30 days.  That’s always been a huge hit with the local home sellers, just because it puts extra money in their pockets. Feel free to email me for more information on that program.  You can see the results first hand by checking out this little video that we put together, starring a host of your Shrewsbury neighbors.  See how many people you recognize!   Here’s the link  Shrewsbury Real Estate Video

Remember, if I can be of any help to you, or anyone you know, you can always reach me at steve@shrewsbury.net