ERA Knight Realty reports record sales for August 2011
“August sales stats for ERA Knight Realty were the best monthly totals of the year for a single month” , reports Rick Knight. “We saw a slower 1st quarter this year than what we expected. Then sales started to take off this summer. Knight Realty sold over 5.7 million in real estate in the month of August. That is closed sales volume. That is an increase over August of 2010 so we are excited. We also will sale more in September 2011 than September 2010. So there is a buzz around the office that, Hey we are seeing the light at the end of th tunnel.”
ERA Knight agents are talking about the low interest rates and a new crop of young home buyers. “These guys were in college when the market was starting to slide a few years ago. Now, these young men and women are getting their careers together and looking at the interest rates and buying. ” adds Rick Knight, ” We are also seeing a lot of retired home buyers paying cash for homes. That is a good sign that prices are attractive and they see good value. Our average sales price in August was $247,826. And that really nails it about what is hot in the market. We sold in all price points this summer but the bulk is in the popular neighborhoods in the $200,000’s plus or minus. We still are seeing price pressure on the more expensive homes. But as we look to the 4th quarter we see buyers interested in getting a good price with a very low interest rate. Our Corporate Relocation business has been busy all summer. Our property management division is very busy and they are seeing prices increase because of demand. That is huge for sales. When rent prices go up, it makes buying more attractive. ”
Rick Knight is Broker / Owner of ERA Knight Realty. He can be reached at 1-888-892-7373
Cartus Network Affinity Specialist
BROKERS OF ERA KNIGHT REALTY EARNS AFFINITY SPECIALIST CERTIFICATION FROM CARTUS BROKER SERVICES
Certified Agent Advantage offers Broker Network agent specialized expertise to assist customers.
LAKE NORMAN,NC, MARCH 31, 2011 – ERA Knight Realty today announced that the “A” Team agents have achieved the Cartus Network Affinity Specialist (CNAS) certification. This annual certificate is part of the Certified Agent Advantage program, a professional standard available exclusively to the members of the Cartus Broker Network — the leading network of real estate brokers serving the clients and customers of Cartus.
The CNAS course in which the brokers participated covers performance metrics and goals to address the critical-to-quality elements of successfully servicing affinity clients and their customers.
“As members of the Cartus Broker Network, our agents strive to deliver excellent service to every client,” said Rick Knight, Broker / Owner. “The Certified Agent Advantage program helps to differentiate our agents and provides them with a wider range of resources and career growth opportunities.”
Other certifications available through the Certified Agent Advantage program are Cartus Network Marketing Specialist (CNMS), Cartus Network Referral Specialist (CNRS), and Cartus Network Inventory Specialist (CNIS).
About the Cartus Broker Network
Cartus Broker Network is the nation’s leading network of more than 425 Principal and 600 Associate brokers — market-leading real estate companies that serve the clients and customers of Cartus. Cartus Corporation is the premier provider of global mobility management and workforce development solutions serving the corporate, government, and affinity markets. Through its industry-leading outsourcing, consulting, intercultural, and language training, Cartus helps the mobile workforces of organizations of all sizes achieve success worldwide. With more than 50 years of experience, Cartus helps clients achieve their service performance goals to enable them to accomplish their organizational objectives. Cartus, formerly known as Cendant Mobility, is part of Realogy Corporation, the world’s leading real estate franchisor whose diversified business model also includes real estate brokerage, relocation, and title services. Headquartered in Parsippany, NJ, Realogy has more than 15,000 employees worldwide. Visit www.cartus.com and www.realogy.com for more information.
# # #
Contact:
Aubri Knight
Relocation Department
ERA Knight Realty 1-888-892-7373
Rick and Aubri Knight attend Cartus Broker Network International Conference
ERA Knight Realty Inspired by New Strategies and Networking
at the Cartus Broker Network International Conference
(DANBURY, Conn. – March 8, 2011) – ERA Knight Realty attended the 2011 Cartus Broker Network International Conference held February 27-March 1 in Scottsdale, Ariz. The annual event, this year themed “A Strong Foundation,” brought together Cartus Broker Network members from across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom for an intensive, three-day event that included an awards celebration as well as an agenda of interactive workshops, roundtable discussions, and executive presentations.
The Conference’s hands-on sessions were designed to facilitate the sharing of knowledge and best practices among the brokers who compose the Cartus Broker Network. ERA Knight Realty was involved in interaction and discussion on a wide variety of relocation issues, while networking with other leading brokers and the Cartus Broker Network leadership team.
Corporate speakers at the conference included Richard A. Smith, President and CEO of Cartus’ parent company Realogy, and Kevin J. Kelleher, Cartus President and CEO.
“To say the least, this has been an interesting year for those of us in real estate,” said Gerald Pearce, Cartus’ Executive Vice President of Broker and Affinity Services. “Despite the economic challenges they’ve faced, the members of the Cartus Broker Network have continued to provide service of the highest quality to their customers. This event has given me the opportunity to congratulate and thank them for all that they’ve done and for their ongoing professionalism.”
Rick Knight, President of ERA Knight Realty spoke of the value gained at the conference. “I appreciate the depth and breadth of information that was made available during the event,” Knight said. “This conference provided me with an opportunity to learn and grow as well as hear from our industry leaders.”
Representing nearly 900 of the top-performing brokers across the country, the Cartus Broker Network provides real estate services to clients and customers of Cartus’ affinity, corporate, and government clients. In 2010, Cartus and the Cartus Broker Network closed sales of more than 70,000 properties on behalf of Cartus clients and Network members with an approximate value of $19.4 billion.
About Cartus and the Cartus Broker Network
Cartus Broker Network is the nation’s leading real estate referral network, consisting of approximately 425 principal brokers and 475 associate brokers who serve the clients and customers of Cartus.
Cartus provides trusted guidance to organizations of all types and sizes who require global relocation solutions. Serving more than 60% of the Fortune 100 and providing service to over 160 countries, Cartus applies a half century of experience to help clients with their mobility, outsourcing, consulting, and language and intercultural training needs. Honored in both New York and London by the Forum for Expatriate Management in 2010 as “Relocation Management Company of the Year” and “Best Vendor Partnership,” Cartus is part of Realogy Corporation—a global provider of real estate and relocation services. To find out how Cartus’ greater experience, reach, and hands-on guidance can help your company, visit http://www.cartus.com; read our blog at http://www.cartusblog.com; or click http://www.realogy.com for more information.
Aubri Knight Relocation Coordinator toll free 1-888-892-7373
My Real Estate Career Online Website
November 2010
ERA Knight Launches new training and coaching
website for Sales Associates and Recruits. “It is an awesome website packed with great information for agents to use to get their business plan up and running. ” states Rick Knight, Broker Owner.
|
Pending Home Sales Slip but Modest Recovery Expected in 2011
November 2010 From The National Association of REALTORS
Pending home sales retreated after two monthly gains, signaling an uneven recovery entering 2011 with some near-term disruptions from the foreclosure moratorium, according to the National Association of Realtors®. The report was released here at the 2010 Realtors® Conference & Expo.
The Pending Home Sales Index,* a forward-looking indicator, slipped 1.8 percent to 80.9 based on contracts signed in September from an upwardly revised 82.4 in August. However, the index remains 24.9 percent below a surge to 107.8 in September 2009 when first-time buyers were jumping into the market to take advantage of the initial deadline for the tax credit last November. The data reflects contracts and not closings, which normally occur with a lag time of one or two months.
Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said there is a mix of factors in the housing market. “Existing-home sales have shown some improvement but the foreclosure moratorium is likely to cause some disruption and contribute to an uneven sales performance in the months ahead,” he said. “Nonetheless, there appears to be a pent-up demand that eventually will be unleashed as banks resolve their issues with foreclosures and the labor market improves. However, tight credit and appraisals coming in below a negotiated price continue to constrain the market.”
The PHSI in the Northeast slipped 1.7 percent to 59.6 in September and is 28.3 percent below a year ago. In the Midwest the index fell 5.7 percent in September to 64.2 and remains 33.0 percent below September 2009. Pending home sales in the South declined 3.5 percent to an index of 87.6 and are 19.1 percent below a year ago. In the West the index rose 3.5 percent to 104.6 but is 24.7 percent below September 2009.
In examining the underlying fundamentals, Yun expects the Gross Domestic Product to grow 2.0 to 2.5 percent over the next two years. With a projection of 1.5 million additional jobs over the next two years, the unemployment rate should decline to 8 percent by 2013 and return to a normal level of around 6 percent in 2015.
“Mortgage interest rates currently are bouncing along the bottom, but are expected to gradually rise and average 4.9 percent next year, then rise to 5.8 percent in 2012,” Yun said.
Existing-home sales are forecast to gradually rise, with some occasional dips along the way. “For 2011 we should see more than 5.1 million existing-home sales, up from about 4.8 million this year. Housing starts are expected to rise to 716,000 in 2011 from 598,000 this year,” Yun said. “We’ve added 30 million people to the U.S. population over the past 10 years, but sales are where they were in 2000, so there appears to be a sizable pent-up demand that could come to the market once the economy gathers momentum.”
The National Association of Realtors®, “The Voice for Real Estate,” is America’s largest trade association, representing 1.1 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.
# # #
*The Pending Home Sales Index is a leading indicator for the housing sector, based on pending sales of existing homes. A sale is listed as pending when the contract has been signed but the transaction has not closed, though the sale usually is finalized within one or two months of signing.
The index is based on a large national sample, typically representing about 20 percent of transactions for existing-home sales. In developing the model for the index, it was demonstrated that the level of monthly sales-contract activity parallels the level of closed existing-home sales in the following two months. There is a closer relationship between annual index changes (from the same month a year earlier) and year-ago changes in sales performance than with month-to-month comparisons.
An index of 100 is equal to the average level of contract activity during 2001, which was the first year to be examined as well as the first of five consecutive record years for existing-home sales.
