Sotheby’s International Realty is Named America’s Most Trusted Residential Real Estate Brokerage for Second Consecutive Year

Brand News, Sotheby's International Realty

For the second year in a row, Lifestory Research named Sotheby’s International Realty America’s Most Trusted® Residential Real Estate Brokerage. The study, which compiled the opinions of nearly 6,300 participants, was conducted over the course of 12 months in the United States. Results were then compared to peer organizations “of like size and complexity” in order to garner highly reliable statistical rankings of home builders, laundry appliances, faucets, paints, kitchen appliances, residential real estate brokerages, HVAC systems, and active adult resort builders.

“Trust is the very fabric of our business: our brokers give it to their clients, it endures generation after generation, and it allows us to create meaningful relationships that last beyond and into many transactions,” reflected Stacy Jones, Vice President of Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty. “I am so proud to be part of the renown legacy of the Sotheby’s brand heritage and to be connected to wonderful people from our firm and the global network that live up to that trust every single day.”

As the Lifestory Research website describes, “Trust is calculated based on the Lifestory Research Net Trust Quotient Score.” It breaks the score into three levels of a consumer’s trust: 1) “advocates” or clients that feel strong trust toward a brand; 2) “neutrals” or those that have a balanced trust of the brand; and 3) “antagonists” or those that do not trust the brand at all.

“Our research shows brands with high-trust are profitable, create high levels of recommendation, lift employee engagement, and much more,” Eric Snider, President of Lifestory Research, said in a press release. “Trust is at the forefront of the decisions we make every day about people, products, and brands. Successful brands and companies understand it all comes down to trust.”

Trust and the power of an historic legacy were among topics in a recent conversation between BuzzBuzzNews and Philip White, CEO of Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates. In an interview, White touched on a global strategy that helped the brand grow to $108 billion in annual sales last year, and the way in which the company’s rich heritage provides a backdrop over which “we have been able to be innovative in marketing and technology, providing the best-in-class tools and support for our agents and brokers around the world.”

When asked about what separates Sotheby’s from other luxury real estate brands, White placed the strength in the “professionalism of our agents who, in 2017, led the way in terms of the largest number of agents ranked by REAL Trends/The Wall Street Journal ‘The Thousand’ in the category of individual sales volume and the highest average sales price.”

REALOGICS SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY ANNOUNCES RECORD BREAKING SALE OF $26.75 MILLION MEDINA ESTATE; THE MOST VALUABLE LISTING SOLD AND CLOSED IN NWMLS HISTORY

Executives of Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty (RSIR) confirmed today the closed sale of a property in Medina, Washington, for $26.75 million, which was listed for sale by RSIR broker and Global Real Estate Advisor Becky Gray. The estate is the most valuable residential listing ever listed and sold on the Northwest Multiple Listing Service.

“This is a very important sale and we are honored to represent the seller in identifying a new steward for this legacy estate,” said Gray. “While this price point is extraordinary for our region, there were more than a few interested parties and all very qualified purchasers. Activity at this level is yet another sign of the times that the Seattle metro area has become a global gateway market.”

Gray states the property is in a category of its own with few comparable properties on Lake Washington, let alone in one of the most prized communities in the world.

“The Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty team is a consistent, strong representation of the brand in the Pacific Northwest,” said Philip White, President and Chief Executive Officer, Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC. “We are proud to celebrate this record-setting achievement with Ms. Gray.”

True to the brand’s international real estate network, accolades about the record sale have been streaming in from around world. Sotheby’s International Realty is now represented by approximately 900 offices in 70 countries with 22,000 sales professionals. Global sales in 2017 exceeded $100 billion.

About Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty (www.RSIR.com) – Artfully uniting extraordinary homes with extraordinary lives, Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty is a leading global sales and marketing brokerage firm in the Pacific Northwest. Recognized by the Puget Sound Business Journal amongst the fastest-growing private companies in Washington State for the past five years, the boutique real estate firm of 225+ brokers consistently rank among the top producing firms within the markets that it serves with branches in downtown Seattle, Bainbridge Island, Kirkland, Issaquah and Madison Park.

Original Source found on RSIR.

REALOGICS SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY MAKES LIST OF LARGEST RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE COMPANIES IN PUGET SOUND BUSINESS JOURNAL’S ANNUAL “BOOK OF LISTS” FOR 6TH CONSECUTIVE YEAR

Puget Sound Business Journal  released their annual “Book of Lists”, naming Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty among the list of “Largest Residential Real Estate Companies” for the sixth year in a row. Despite its boutique size, the firm ranked seventh on the list, reporting $1.07 billion in sales by its 195 brokers with an average sales price of $767,000.

In all, the 25 companies that were ranked on the list collectively reported nearly $52 billion in residential real estate sales within King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties. Together they 11,929 real estate brokers in the Puget Sound region.

Click here to find out where Sotheby's Int'l Realty is on the list.

VIBRANT CITIES & NICKLE BROTHERS WORK TOGETHER TO MOVE A PIECE OF ALKI’S HISTORY

In the early morning hours on January 20th, a collective of neighbors, reporters and casual spectators showed up at 1262 Alki SW to witness the move of a 1950s beach home that was once the residence of longtime community members Fred and Marjorie Dau. As the owners of the former Admiralty House Antique shop, the Dau’s, and their mid-century modern residence, were well known and loved in the neighborhood. Given the home’s storied past, developer Vibrant Cities dedicated themselves to the concept of moving the home, rather than demolishing it.

Clearance issues barred the first effort to relocate the home to the original family in southwest Seattle, but Nickel Brothers was able to arrange for the home to go to a new owner in Canada.

Photo Credit: David Rosen, SlickPixPhotography.com

"We were delighted to work with the City and West Seattle in repurposing a great home,” said Ming Fung, Co-Founder of Vibrant Cities. “I want to offer a huge thank you to the Nickel Brothers team for a flawless move to Denman Island, B.C., where its new family can start their next chapter with this home."

Fung said she was glad to see the community’s warm reception, as onlookers expressed joy over the company’s election to protect the home. See the rest of the images on the original source RSIR.

5 INNOVATIVE HOME TRENDS FROM CES 2018

This year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas continued the trend we’ve highlighted in years past towards new and exciting connected devices for the home. Of particular note this year is the integration of other key technology segments.

Voice Assistants

TCL’S Roku-Enabled “Alto” Smart Soundbar

As evidenced by the proliferation of Amazon Echos and Google Homes throughout the world (not to mention the iOS counterpart, Siri, introduced over 6 years ago), the sprint towards Star Trek-level voice control continues unabated. CES this year highlighted hundreds of devices powered primarily by Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa (with Microsoft’s Cortana bringing up the rear and Apple’s Siri practically non-existent), with one of the most practical and useful being a Roku-enabled Smart Soundbar by upstart manufacturer TCL. Instead of stumbling with multiple remotes to control the volume, picture settings, or navigation on your connected streaming devices, you can simply ask Roku to “watch Netflix” or “play Pandora” and it will immediately perform the command and control any devices needed to do so.

Read the other 4 Innovative trends on RSIR.

AS INTERNATIONAL BUYING SURGES, BEST BROKER PRACTICES ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER

The rise of the Seattle housing market has been such a consistent refrain for the last several years that there’s little question whether the Puget Sound has “arrived” yet.

Motivated homebuyers from diverse backgrounds are drawn by the region’s spectacular environment, great schools, vibrant culture and world-class companies. The only reason sales could decline in Seattle is insufficient inventory, not waning demand.

International buyers have been an important factor in this surge, with Chinese consumers leading the charge. It’s no surprise Seattle was the most searched U.S. market in 2017 according to Juwai.com, China’s top real estate search portal, and that many Chinese plan to go on shopping tours during the upcoming Lunar New Year celebration.

Increased demand means increased competition, especially in an inventory-scarce market like Seattle. With fewer available properties than interested buyers, consumers sometimes resort to time-saving and corner-cutting tactics to get to the front of the line, like waiving inspections, purchasing homes sight unseen or doing comparison shopping before putting in an offer.

Since our company was founded, Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty and our brokers have had an unwavering commitment to always follow best practices throughout the home buying process. We know how important it is to ensure buyers are protected, that they have the information they need to make educated decisions and receive the best counsel from objective, professional experts both here at RSIR or among our preferred list of advisors including accountants, lawyers, inspectors, school admissions consultants, immigration specialists and the like.

We also understand the unique factors that Chinese consumers face when contemplating a home purchase in the Puget Sound. That’s why we founded the first-of-its-kind Asia Services Group, a network of trusted, experienced brokers who speak Chinese and understand Chinese culture, and are able to serve as responsible, accessible advisors when Chinese consider buying a home.

With Chinese New Year approaching, RSIR recently hosted a Town Hall meeting with the Asia Services Group to review best practices when working with overseas buyers. The meeting was attended by China Daily reporter Linda Deng, who covered the findings in a recent China Daily cover story, and was moderated by Marc Berger from Nyhus Communications.

Find the  top ten results from this meeting on the original source from RSIR.

COLLECTIONS VOLUME IV, 2017

Sotheby’s International Realty recently released the fourth volume of Collections for 2017, which reflects on the brand’s extraordinary growth and members of a network that spans over 930 offices in 69 countries and territories.  “It has been another landmark year for the Sotheby’s International Realty  brand and I want to congratulate each of you on your continued success and wish you all the best for a prosperous 2018,” writes Philip White, President & Chief Executive Officer, Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC. The issue highlights Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty in two places, as broker Blake Ruud-Johnson shares his experience at the 2017 Global Networking Event and the brand recognizes Becky Gray’s representation of The Iconic Medina Waterfront Estate.

The Power of the Brand section took a look back at the Global Networking Event, which “was held at the Wynn Las Vegas in Nevada and brought together approximately 2,400 members of the brand’s global network with more than 155 of the brand’s companies represented from 34 countries and territories worldwide. The event was shared across social media using the hashtag #SIRGNE over 900 times.” The feature included a selection of Instagram posts shared during and after the event, including a photo by RSIR broker Blake Ruud-Johnson.

Read what Blake said in the full article on RSIR.

FORBES CROWNS SEATTLE THE SECOND COOLEST CITY IN THE NATION

Following a recent report by Forbes and Bert Sperling which ranked the “coolness” of the 100 largest metro cities in the country,    that having taken the second spot, “you might even say we’re the municipal equivalent of Beyoncé, expensive denim jackets and cigarettes in the ‘70s.” As the article outlines, after looking at a number of factors including “entertainment and recreation options, the food and drink scene, transit choices, population growth and where young people are living,” Forbes crowned the Emerald City the second coolest city in the nation, behind only San Francisco. 

Among the factors helping Seattle’s cool factor are “recreation and the jointly weighted coffee shops and breweries.” And as Sperling observes, “a city’s desirability (or coolness, if you will) drives the housing demand up.” “It would be an anomaly if you found a place that was really really cool but was really really cheap,” he says. 

To be sure, Seattle’s housing market is on fire, as the latest CoreLogic Case Shiller index reveals that over the past 12 months, home prices in Seattle have increased 13.2 percent, far outpacing those in major U.S. cities across the country. Recent analysis by William Hillis, Research Editor with Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty, reveals that despite the run-up in Seattle home prices, the city is still more affordable relative to local incomes than any of its peer metro markets. Real estate analyst Mark Hanson observed that in Seattle, the difference between household income and income needed to buy a median-priced house is about 18 percent, where a city such as San Francisco is currently at 52 percent. 

Original source on RSIR

MARKET TRENDS FROM AROUND THE SOUND: Q4-2017

Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty presents a look at the housing market trends for the fourth quarter of 2017, from the shores of Bainbridge Island’s waterfront homes and in-city living opportunities to the Eastside’s most distinguished residences.

Seattle  |  Single Family Homes

Seattle home prices continued to reach far beyond seller’s expectations in Q4-2017, as the median sales price increased 16.7% year-over-year to $882,000. View report here. 

Eastside  |  Residential

Q4-2017 posted impressive gains on the Eastside, as the average sales price increased 11% compared to last year and the days on market plummeted to 26 days. View report here.

Bainbridge Island  |  Residential

Bainbridge Island continues to attract buyers, as the number of homes sold was up slightly compared to Q4-2016 despite a sharp 32.9% decrease in inventory. View report here. 

Seattle  |  Condominiums

The average sales prices for condominiums in Seattle as a whole increased by 11.6% compared to the third quarter of 2016, while the value of condos in the downtown core continues to skyrocket.

Read full article on RSIR where you can also view the full report.

Video of the Week: Majestic Waiea Grand Penthouse in Kakaako, Honolulu, Hawaii

 
$35,000,000 USD | Honolulu, Hawaii | List Sotheby’s International Realty 

 
Waiea is a masterpiece created by the world renowned architect, James K. M. Cheng in collaboration with one of America’s iconic interior designers, Tony Ingrao. In his words, James Cheng calls the penthouse “a villa in the sky.” Designed with the connoisseur of life in mind, no detail has been overlooked. This six-bedroom, six-and-one-half-bathroom residence sprawls over 8,532 square-feet and features a spectacular, over 2,000-square-foot rooftop lanai and a private, ocean-facing infinity pool. 

Discover luxury home tours around the world 

Original source on RSIR

New & Notable Luxury Properties for Sale

From a vast historic island estate in New York to a modern masterpiece in Dubai, this month’s collection of exceptional properties for sale feature homes from some of the world’s finest locales. 

$125,000,000 USD | Glen Cove, New York | Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty 

Salutation is an exquisite 46-plus-acre island on the North Shore of Long Island. The land was granted by King George I and purchased by Peter Caverly in 1721 for two hundred pounds. More than 10 adjacent acres were granted with “underwater” rights, valuable for fishing, clamming and boating. The tranquil 28-plus-acre pond, which flows into the Long Island Sound, is home to oyster beds and many varieties of wildlife. The fortified 700-foot sea wall, a 250-foot dock that accommodates yachts and seaplanes, and a helicopter landing spot complete this phenomenal property. 

36 200 000 $ CAD | North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | Canada Sotheby’s International Realty 

In total, this property comprises three separate titles, over 14 acres, a 9,000-square-foot custom-built West Coast home, another self-contained Guest House, working 12-stall paddock/barn, and Greenhouse. The main residence melds indigenous materials of stone, fir, and glass, spilling onto the maturely planted grounds of both native and specimen plantings, with natural and man-made water features. The homes are mechanically superior and the seamless marriage of West Coast architecture and Japanese influence create the perfect backdrop for this one and only retreat. Never before offered as one, the possibilities are endless and with RS3 zoning the future potential, this really could be the last of its kind and is truly a Lower Mainland trophy. 

$16,000,000 SGD | Singapore | List Sotheby’s International Realty 

This minimalistic bungalow-style home in Treasure Island’s Sentosa Cove features captivating, modern amenities such as a floating staircase, infinity edge pool with indoor access, open floorplan, and incredible views. The home also features a rooftop terrace, partially covered and ideal for entertaining. 

$58,500,000 USD | Snowmass, Colorado | Aspen Snowmass Sotheby’s International Realty 

Taking its name from surrounding Snowmass Mountain, Capitol Peak, Mount Daly and Mount Sopris, Four Peaks Ranch is the consummate mountain sanctuary. Once inside the gate, a world of unique splendor and beauty awaits. An outdoor paradise spreads out amongst the 876 pristine and unspoiled acres with 15 miles of alluring private trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding, four-wheeling, snowmobiling, paintball, and cross-country skiing. Moreover, a stocked pond and private beach with cabana, abundant wildlife for an exceptional private hunting experience, a chipping and putting green, and even a private labyrinth make these outdoor activities unrivaled for a personal residence of this stature. 

129,000,000 د.إ AED | Dubai, United Arab Emirates | Gulf Sotheby’s International Realty 

With an expansive 26,000-square-foot built-up area, this Emirates Hills villa exhibits the finest in architectural design and materials used to create a serene family home. From the moment you enter this full golf course-facing home, you feel a sense of tranquility. The oversized picture windows that are inserted into the structure, allows every room to enjoy fabulous views. 

Original source on RSIR