Five years ago my colleague and friend Chris Loeliger took a leap of faith into the world of wine. Chris and his wife Dawn sought out to build a winery of their own—and they’ve been crushing the industry and grapes along their way.
Read MoreAnother year has passed, as have many pivotal milestones for Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty (RSIR), our brand, and the local housing market that we serve. RSIR has analyzed the data and presented a report with a 2018 retrospective and look at Seattle’s performance on the S&P CoreLogic / Case-Shiller Home Price Index, a review of market activity in 8 key counties and 31 communities around Western Washington, and a Look Ahead at trends for 2019. Below I’ve compiled key insights for King and Snohomish counties, in addition to some of the most coveted Eastside enclaves, and what to watch as we continue through 2019. I offer these thoughts, as a conversation starter with you.
Read MoreSotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC today reported that in 2018 its affiliated brokers and sales professionals achieved more than $112 billion USD in global sales volume, the highest annual sales volume performance in the history of the brand. Additionally, 27 affiliated companies surpassed $1 billion USD in sales volume in 2018.
Read MoreIf you didn’t get enough snow during Seattle’s “Snowmageddon,” consider taking a weekend trip to one of the Pacific Northwest ski resorts! From Mt. Baker down to Mt. Hood, Airbnb hosts offer incredible homes to make your stay more convenient and memorable! Below are the top 5 Airbnbs near Pacific Northwest ski resorts!
Read MoreWhen the viaduct closed on January 12th, city officials and citizens asked themselves: will this be “Viadoom”?
Read MoreRealogics Sotheby’s International Realty presents a look at the housing market trends for the fourth quarter of 2018, from the shores of Bainbridge Island’s waterfront homes and in-city living opportunities to the Eastside’s most distinguished residences.
Read MoreEscrow, in the real estate industry, is a term that refers to a third party hired to handle the exchange of money and documents. When both parties come to a mutual agreement for price and terms regarding the sale of a home, the transaction “enters” escrow. An escrow account is opened to facilitate the transfer of the funds and property.
Read MoreWith the introduction of technology, the real estate industry has been in a constant state of change. 95% of homebuyers turn to the internet to begin their home search, and 51% of them actually end up finding their perfect home online, according to the National Association of Realtors.
Read MoreRealogics Sotheby’s International Realty presents a look at the housing market trends for the third quarter of 2018, from the shores of Bainbridge Island’s waterfront homes and in-city living opportunities to the Eastside’s most distinguished residences.
Inventory continues to remain at the center of real estate conversations in Seattle, as the frenetic market of recent years has given way to a more balanced one that reflects typical seasonal trends. In Q3-2018 we saw 2.7 months of inventory, up nearly 75% compared to last quarter (at 1.2 months) and a staggering 156.5% on a yearly basis. View report>>
Record-breaking home price growth for single-family homes on the Eastside moderated from Q3-2017 to Q3-2018 with a 7.11% gain, a stark difference from last year’s report, which showed a 14.80% increase in median home prices from Q3-2016 to Q3-2017. View report >>
While Seattle and the Eastside saw slight decreases in the average median sales price from the second to third quarter of 2018, home prices on Bainbridge Island increased on a quarter-by-quarter basis, from $865,000 in Q2 to $912,000 in Q2, representing a 5.4 percent increase (larger than the 2.3% year-over-year gain). View report >>
As was the case in Seattle’s single-family market, the number of homes available for sale is dominating real estate discussions, as the condominium market in Seattle saw 2.7 months of inventory in the third quarter of 2018, the highest number reported since the third quarter of 2012, when we nearly reached a balanced market at 2.9 months. Since that time, inventory has continued to dip, maintaining numbers well below 1 month in every quarter since the start of 2015. View report >>
Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty presents a look at the housing market trends for the second quarter of 2018, from the shores of Bainbridge Island’s waterfront homes and in-city living opportunities to the Eastside’s most distinguished residences.
Seattle continues its red-hot housing market streak, as the median sales price of a single-family home hit $857K, up 13.1% compared to Q2-2017, which averaged $758K. View report>>
Home prices on the Eastside continued their upward climb, increasing 12% year-over-year, while days on market decreased to just over two weeks. View report >>
Though other areas experienced increased inventory, Bainbridge Island saw a decrease of homes for sale with just 1.8 months of inventory, as the days on market fell 40%. View report >>
Condominiums in Seattle continue to draw buyers, as the average days on market in Q2-2018 was 14 days and the average sales price reached $514,000. View report >>
Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty presents a look at the housing market trends for the first quarter of 2018, from the shores of Bainbridge Island’s waterfront homes and in-city living opportunities to the Eastside’s most distinguished residences.
Seattle home prices remained red hot in the first quarter of 2018, as the median sales price reached $917,000, up over $30K from the final quarter of 2017 and 14.2% year-over-year. View report here.
A shortage of homes available continues on the Eastside, as the average days on market decreased by 5 days to just under one month with the average sales price up 13.2%. View report here.
Bainbridge Island continues to attract buyers, as the number of homes sold was up just over 28% from Q1-2017 despite a sharp 60.7% inventory decrease. View report here.
Condominiums in Seattle continue to attract buyers as the average days on market in Q1-2018 was 15 days, down a staggering 34.8% compared to the first quarter of 2017. View report here.
Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC today reported that in 2017 its affiliated brokers and sales professionals achieved approximately $108 billion USD in global sales volume, the highest annual sales volume performance in the history of the brand.
“In 2017 we witnessed the expansion of the global economy,” said Philip White, president and chief executive officer, Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC. “The Sotheby’s International Realty brand is in 69 countries worldwide, so we were well-positioned to both contribute to and benefit from that growth. The success of the global economy, coupled with our strategic goals, yielded outcomes better than we could have ever anticipated in 2017. We look forward to carrying that strength into the new year.”
The Sotheby’s International Realty brand also reported growth across its global network. At year-end, the network totaled nearly 950 offices and approximately 22,000 sales associates worldwide.
In the United States, the Sotheby’s International Realty brand achieved over $96 billion USD in sales volume in 2017 and added six independently owned and operated residential real estate firms to its network and 58 new offices. This past year witnessed continued significant growth by the brand’s existing affiliate companies through talent attraction as well as mergers and acquisitions, most notably increasing the brand’s market presence in the San Francisco Bay Area; Castle Rock, Colorado; and in Southern Florida and Key West. The brand also entered several key new markets last year, namely: Roseville, California; Avalon and Stone Harbor, New Jersey; the Central and Western Adirondacks regions of New York; Greater Greenville, South Carolina; and southeast Wisconsin.
Outside the United States, the Sotheby’s International Realty brand achieved over $12 billion USD in sales volume in 2017 while continuing to expand into key markets. In Europe, the brand grew its presence in Spain into the coastal cities of Valencia and San Sebastián, and in Belgium to Antwerp and Waterloo, as well as expanding to the Greek island of Rhodes. The brand also sold the rights to the Asian countries of Vietnam, Indonesia and Sri Lanka to establish a future presence, and grew within India to include the key markets of Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Pune, Goa and Kolkata
The Sotheby’s International Realty brand website, sothebysrealty.com, saw another record year with nearly 27 million visits, a 25% increase year-over-year, with 60% of visitors coming from outside the United States and 17.5% of traffic being from new users.
An exclusive alliance with the Nikkei, the most influential news publication in Japan, was launched in 2017. The alliance enables the brand to generate Japanese buyer interest through the Nikkei’s digital platform which reaches over 29 million monthly readers. The Sotheby’s International Realty brand is the first real estate brand to present property listings outside of Japan to readers of the Nikkei, giving Japanese consumers access to residential real estate offerings in nearly 70 countries and territories.
“In 2017, the brand launched a dedicated effort to establish meaningful connections with the emerging affluent consumer,” said Kevin Thompson, chief marketing officer, Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC. “Data from sothebysrealty.com indicates that we are already well-positioned among this demographic, showing that nearly half of the traffic coming to the site was from the 25-to-44-year-old age group. As personalization has begun its reign over the luxury mindset, the consumer journey has also experienced a shift; it is our mission, as a preeminent luxury residential real estate brand, to continue to identify and execute new and authentic ways to connect with discerning clients.”
In 2017, the Sotheby’s International Realty brand added to its senior leadership team. Thompson was appointed as the brand’s Chief Marketing Officer to oversee the marketing, advertising, and public relations initiatives worldwide. With an extensive background working with globally recognized luxury brands, Thompson set forth early in the year to create exceptional consumer experiences through the strategic use of marketing and branding. Later in the year, Julie Leonhardt-LaTorre, a proven global real estate and management leader, was appointed Chief Operating Officer to spearhead strategic growth plans for the brand.
The Sotheby’s International Realty brand’s affiliated companies and sales associates raised more than $500,000 USD for New Story, the brand’s charitable partner and a certified 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, by the end of 2017. The funds raised will go directly to the construction of new homes in Mexico. The highlight of the partnership came at the brand’s Global Networking Event, where affiliates of the Sotheby’s International Realty brand pledged funds for over 150 homes in just 32 hours.
The Sotheby’s International Realty brand was the No. 1 real estate brand represented in two of the six categories that comprise the 2017 REAL Trends/The Wall Street Journal “The Thousand” for the second year in a row. The brand claimed 46 of the top 250 sales associates in the REAL Trends Individual Sales Volume category, more than any other real estate brand, and had the highest combined individual sales volume from sales associates in the same category. In addition, the Sotheby’s International Realty brand had the most individuals represented in the Individual Average Sales Price category.
Sotheby’s International Realty listings are marketed on the sothebysrealty.com global website. In addition to the referral opportunities and widened exposure generated from this source, each brokerage firm and its clients benefit from an association with the Sotheby’s auction house and worldwide Sotheby’s International Realty marketing programs.

$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.
$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
Seattle has made seemingly endless headlines in recent months for its impressive housing market, and it seems no end is in sight as Seattle Times reports that the Emerald City has now maintained its position as the hottest market in the nation for 12 consecutive months. On top of boasting the largest home price gains of any other city, the Puget Sound also made headlinesfor 2018, as the annual “Emerging Trends in Real Estate” study ranked the city number one on its list, up from a fourth position in 2017.
Looking at data from August 2017, Mike Rosenberg says Seattle’s 12-month reign is “the fifth-longest streak in the country since 2000, and the longest since Phoenix led the nation in home value increases for 13 months in a row from 2012 to 2013.” In looking to the rest of the nation, “home costs here [in Seattle] are growing at more than double the national rate of 6.1 percent.” What’s more, the second-place market, Las Vegas, saw an 8.6 percent growth, “nearly five percentage points less than Seattle.” In looking to Seattle’s West Coast peer markets such as San Francisco, the growth is almost astronomical, as home values are now growing twice as fast as those in the Bay Area, according to a recent Puget Sound Business Journal article.
Rosenberg attributes the region’s growth to high paying tech jobs, competition amidst anemic inventory, the impact of foreign investment, and soaring rents, sentiments which echo the findings of the recently released “Emerging Trends in Real Estate” report and those previously noted by Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty and experts of The FutureCast Forum.
Regarded as “an important measure of economic conditions,” Seattle Times reporter Jon Talton shared key findings from the report, which include a positive housing outlook, strong population growth and a well-diversified economy. He adds that “we benefit from having twice the U.S. average – 12 percent – working on STEM occupations.” Looking to the future, he says “overall costs, housing affordability and availability of construction labor” will be important considerations, in addition to “infrastructure improvements.”
Want to know more about the latest housing market trends in the greater Seattle region? Read Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty’s latest insights on the S&P Case-Shiller report, dive into the third quarter market reports, or explore The FutureCast Forum, a collaborative of opinion leaders that explores the current and projected market fundamentals and trends influencing the Seattle/Bellevue metro area by 2020 and beyond.
Original source on RSIR
Following a recent report by Forbes and Bert Sperling which ranked the “coolness” of the 100 largest metro cities in the country, Seattle Magazine says 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.
Following the launch of an exclusive Luxury & Lifestyle Division this past spring, Sotheby’s New York will be hosting an inaugural week of sales and events to launch Life of Luxury from 30 November to 7 December. During this time, Sotheby’s will offer the very best in a variety of lifestyle categories, from Jewels, Watches and Fashion to Wine and Automobiles.
Read MoreAs one of the leading companies in tech news, GeekWire has been tracking the number of out-of-town tech companies that have opened engineering centers in the Seattle area for the past few years, and as they recently reported, “the list has doubled in size.” The addition of Baidu’s new Bellevue office brought their list to over 100, and GeekWire admits that “despite our diligence in documenting this trend, we’ve probably missed one or two along the way.”
With engineering outposts for larger companies such as Apple, Google, Facebook and Alibaba plus local tech giants including Microsoft and Amazon, there are now a staggering “136,910 tech jobs in Seattle,” which represents “a 33 percent increase since 2011.” What’s more, is these employment opportunities are lucrative, with “an average wage of $113,906.”
According to GeekWire, these new engineering facilities are changing the Emerald City’s tech community, because they are “adding more competition for Seattle’s tech talent all the time.” In addition, the influx of new arrivals “is also diversifying the tech landscape of Seattle, creating a more vibrant tech ecosystem that goes beyond the historical roots” of locally based companies.
Given GeekWire’s latest stats, it comes as no surprise that Seattle was recently ranked the second coolest city in the U.S. by Forbes, with the strong economy and tech industry helping bolster the Emerald City’s “coolness” factor.
Original source on RSIR
Market Experts Array Pent Up Demand for In-City Homeownership; Downtown Seattle Condo Prices Surge 33%
Representatives of Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty and Burrard Group announced a major milestone in the development of the 41-story NEXUS Condominium Tower today as it begins a vertical ascent towards completion in fall 2019. With excavation now complete, SKANSKA, the general contractor for NEXUS, has poured the foundation mat, which comprised of 3,900 cubic yards of concrete and measures up to twelve feet thick.
“The entire development and construction team is excited to shift the focus from digging down to building upward and constructing this iconic tower,” said Chad Mathis, Senior Development Manager with Burrard.
After analyzing market demand, Burrard also announced a change in the final product offering. The final construction documents include a revision to the floor plates in the “third cube” between levels 28 and 35 where a larger one bedroom and den floor plan will now be built as two independent and efficiently-scaled residences called City Suites – a 484-sq. ft. studio and a 503-sq. ft. urban one bedroom. Conversely, a penthouse home assembled two units to create a 4 bedroom plus den offering nearly 3,200-sq. ft. These revisions increased NEXUS Condominiums by 8 residences to 389 units.
“We took this opportunity to optimize the product offering based on market demands,” added Mathis, who acknowledged the flexibility to assemble and disassemble floor plans.
“This design update presents an encore sales release of new homes priced from the mid-$500,000s to mid-$600,000s, a price range that was previously sold out at NEXUS,” said Dean Jones, President and CEO of Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty. “There’s a lack of attainably priced homes in downtown Seattle. Consumers can afford to live in less space but they can’t always afford the cost of new condominiums. We’re facing a condo crunch as more and more apartment dwellers desire homeownership but there are few options available in the market.”
Jones points to RSIR research showing that 78-percent of the 496 new condominiums being built in downtown Seattle are currently presold with virtually all remaining homes priced above $700,000. Consumers will find little relief in the resale marketplace as according to the NWMLS, there are only 11 homes listed for sale priced below $700,000. Meanwhile, RSIR reports the median price of resale condominiums sold in October 2017 was $649,500, an increase of 33-percent over the prior year. A preference for newer condominiums was also noted at the recently completed Insignia Condominiums. This presale development was delivered in 2015 and 2016 and experienced four resales last month – all within days of hitting the market, several escalating above asking price and exhibiting an average of 25-percent increases from presale to resale values. Market wide, S&P/Case-Shiller tracked 13.2-percent median home price increases making the Seattle metro area the fastest-rising housing market in the US for the past 12 months.
Citing pent up demand, market pundits anticipate the latest sales release at NEXUS will sell out quickly upon listing on November 18th. Recently, the Urban Land Institute heralded Seattle as the #1 investment market in the US as part of their “2018 Emerging Trends in Real Estate” report. However, the opportunity for individual home ownership has been challenging given the dearth of for-sale housing being built. Research by RSIR and O’Connor Consulting Group confirms that no new condominiums will be delivered in 2017 and it’s estimated that 94-percent of the 27,000+ new multifamily housing units to be built in downtown Seattle’s urban center for the current decade will be for rent and not for sale.
Mathis says more new condominiums are on the horizon but suspects most developers will want to retain their inventory as income property because the market is appreciating.
“Land and construction costs are rising rapidly,” claims Mathis. “The reality is future deliveries will cost more to build and developers will need to charge more to make new developments pencil.”
