Current Market Insights from the REALTORS® of Pinehills Brokerage Services Resale Team
Meet the REALTORS® of Pinehills Brokerage Services Resale Team (left to right): Karin Cruz Bianchi; Jesse Greenstein; Kimberly Allen.
The licensed Massachusetts REALTORS® of Pinehills Brokerage Services Resale Team bring decades of combined experience and a sole focus on helping you navigate the ins and outs of buying or selling a home in The Pinehills. As the top-producing real estate team here, (and a valuable resident amenity,) they have a very personal interest in the long-term value of The Pinehills -- you're not a client, you're a (future) neighbor!
Pinehills Brokerage Services only sells homes in The Pinehills. And, with over 25 years invested in marketing and building an award-winning brand, we reach the buyers who want to live HERE. Most importantly, this team has expertise and resources you can only find at The Pinehills Summerhouse, backed by a deep understanding of The Pinehills and the nuances of each neighborhood.
After several years of tight housing inventory and sellers setting their own terms, the market is in a transition. So, we asked each of our REALTORS® to tell us:
What do we need to know about buying & selling homes at The Pinehills right now?
Advice from Karin Cruz Bianchi
🏠 Sellers: Pricing your home in a shifting market
After several years of tight housing inventory and sellers setting their own terms, the market has evolved and there are more homes listed for sale. Karin helps sellers understand how to price their homes competitively in this new reality.
"Sellers entering the market today may still think like it's 2023 when they could name their price, and buyers were anxious to move as quickly as possible on any available inventory. The market has stabilized - we're transitioning to a more even playing field between sellers and buyers. Buyers are taking more time and home sellers need to be more competitive with listing price.
What homes sold for six months ago is not a barometer for pricing today, so it's important to heed the advice of an experienced Seller's Agent. The big home sale volume managed by Pinehills Brokerage Services provides us unique insight into the current market pulse of The Pinehills, including how it varies across our more than 60 neighborhoods. It's timely information that we'll use to recommend a listing price that will help get you the highest and best offer for your home as quickly as possible."
🏠 Buyers: Expert buyer representation matters more than ever - especially at The Pinehills
With new buyer agency rules and The Pinehills' unique structure, having knowledgeable representation has never been more crucial. Karin explains the dedicated service model that protects buyers' interests.
"There's a lot to know about living at The Pinehills – the amenities and services provided through the Pinehills Landowners Association and other neighborhood associations, the lifestyle, clubhouses, and guidelines – and Pinehills Brokerage Services ensures you have the information you need. Our depth of knowledge comes from our focus - we only work with buyers who want to live in The Pinehills, and we've helped thousands find the home that's just right for them.
It's also important to know that we work as a designated office; we don't practice dual agency. That means when we're working for you as a buyer's agent, we're working exclusively for you to get you the best price for a home that is the best fit for you."
Advice from Jesse Greenstein
🏠 Sellers: Listing on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) is still the way to get the best value for your home
Even in the era of publicly accessible online real estate listings, the full market exposure that MLS provides is still the best way to get top dollar for your home sale. Jesse explains why listing your home on MLS is the proven way to get the highest and best price for your home.
"I tell my sellers, if my colleagues and I were selling our own homes, there's no question we'd list on the MLS because we want the world to see it. When you list on MLS, you're opening your home to every buyer in the market, and every agent who might represent the perfect buyer match. The MLS casts the widest net possible. Not only does it feed out to brokers with buyers, but it is the source for home listings on all the aggregator home listing sites you know, like Zillow, Realtor.com, and Homes.com. Simply put, thanks to the broadest reach and exposure, listings on MLS see better results." *
*Zillow recently published research finding in 2023 and 2024, home sellers who opted to sell off the MLS typically lost out on nearly $5,000, selling their home for 1.5% less than those listed on the MLS. Zillow has recently changed their policy, based on the research cited above, and now requires that homes listed on Zillow must be listed on MLS.
🏠 Buyers: Make the offer!
Buyers often come into a home search reticent to make an offer on a home that's listed outside of their price range. They might not be familiar or comfortable with the negotiation strategy behind making an offer. Jesse advises and encourages a proactive approach.
"Don't be afraid to throw your hat in the ring. An offer is essentially an invitation for a conversation, and in a shifting market, it's a great tool for buyers and sellers to uncover the true market value of a home. Our job is to help buyers present an offer in a way that will invite engagement from the seller. You might be happily surprised where that conversation will lead… but first you have to make the offer!"
Advice from Kimberly Allen
🏠 Sellers: Staging isn't just styling, it's strategy - make your home stand out
At The Pinehills, your home's potential buyers may be comparing your home to others on the market nearby of a similar age and with similar floor plans. Presenting your home for sale in the best light is always important, but here in The Pinehills, it's critical. Kym shares why professional staging isn't an expense - it's an investment that pays for itself.
"In The Pinehills, buyers can be looking at multiple houses with comparable floor plans. Sellers get one chance to make a great first impression. Cleanliness and decluttering sells. Make your home shine. Sometimes that means bringing in the help of a professional stager. I had buyers who initially crossed one of my listings off their list. After I recommended professional staging to the seller, I asked those same buyers to take another look because I knew the home was a great fit for them. They came back, loved what they saw, and made an offer. That staging investment paid off with a sale."
🏠 Buyers: "Matchmaking" at the Summerhouse
Buying in The Pinehills involves unique considerations, and those considerations are compounded in each specific neighborhood. First, always start your visit at The Summerhouse. There we have a team of greeters whose job is to orient you to the homes and lifestyle in this special place. That's also where you'll find the REALTORS® of Pinehills Brokerage Services, with their deep knowledge of The Pinehills. They are well-informed to help you navigate the homebuying experience here, and that expertise is a competitive advantage in finding your perfect home.
"A lot of buyers come here from outside of the immediate area and don't have an agent with experience in The Pinehills. An added benefit of working with a REALTOR® from Pinehills Brokerage Services as your designated buyer agent is that once we establish our relationship, we are able to really get to know what you're looking for and we can focus the search for your perfect home - no small feat for the uninitiated with 5 square miles and thousands of homes. I like to say we're matchmakers. Homes in The Pinehills are our sole focus, we know them incredibly well and understand all the finer points of living in different neighborhoods. Once we get to know you, we are pros at making a ‘love’ match!"
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