Each Friday, Russ Anderson, the president and CEO of Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty, writes about luxury, trends, business and more in the advertising pages of the Mansion section of The Wall Street Journal. Below is his letter of July 19, 2024.
FROM THE PRESIDENT'S P.O.V.
Yes, almost anyone can find a home for sale, online, in 2024.
So, what is a key value of a homebuyer’s agent now? I have about a hundred answers to that question.
But, for starters, while an agent’s value may not be in locating a house, it’s in their advice about a house:
Is this the right home for you? Is the price right? What are the sales trends in the neighborhood? How will this neighborhood do in the future?
That’s what the big real estate websites can’t tell you. But a professional agent, who knows the neighborhoods and studies the markets every day, can. And that guidance leads to confidence in your homebuying decision. To me, that is a value that is invaluable.
A Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty agent is an advisor, one who has always been able to prove their value to their buyer clients — as crucial guides, risk mitigators, and wealth builders. Among the hundreds of things they do in the 120 hours they spend, on average, working for a buyer are two critical things: deeply evaluating the homes that buyer looks at (especially knowing how to read between the lines of disclosures and inspection reports); and achieving the most advantageous deal for them, from the final price itself to forecasting which home in which neighborhood could make them a significant amount of money down the road.
It is an art. It is a science. Yes, these days, homes are easier to find — but harder to buy. And, there is lots of money and emotion at stake. Our No. 1 value is in helping make sure you get it right.
Russ Anderson
President and CEO
Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty
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