KELOWNA REAL ESTATE - FEBRUARY

FEBRUARY REAL ESTATE UPDATE

The weather and the real estate market were both warm for January 2014.

We saw an almost 6% rise in Single family home sales and a decrease of over 11% in new listings. This theme was consistent for 2013 and is expected to continue for 2014 and beyond. 

What does this mean for Kelowna Real Estate? It means we are now seeing a balanced market, and that buyer's confidence has returned. Sellers can now feel confident that their home will sell within their desired timeframe (when priced at the market).

Both Alberta and Vancouver are seeing healthy growth and sales, with many people looking to move to Kelowna and/or to purchase vacation homes.

Sellers:
The buyers who are in the market in February are serious buyers ready to make a quick purchase. Take advantage of these buyers before your yard maintenance starts.

Buyers:
Sellers may be willing to negotiate a better deal now if they have been sitting on the market over winter. Sellers are also looking to make a sale before the major spring yard maintenance jobs start.

If you are thinking of buying or selling in the Okanagan, I would love to work with you to make your move.

Tiffany Munsey
tmunsey@coldwellbanker.ca
www.tiffanymunsey.com
778-214-4843

Skating at Stuart Park - Living in Kelowna

Living in Kelowna has its perks  and if you are thinking of buying a home in Kelowna Stuart Park Ice Rink is one of the many great features you will find. 

With Kelowna Real Estate sales on the rise, this is just one of the reasons why many people choose to make Kelowna their home. 

 The skating rink is open daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., weather permitting. The camera image will update frequently allowing residents to view rink conditions before heading downtown.The ice rink is expected to remain in place until late February, weather permitting.

Skate Rentals

This year, skate rentals will be available at Stuart Park daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., except Christmas Day and Boxing Day. This on-site service makes it more convenient for people who want to skate at the outdoor rink but need to rent skates. For skate rental information, contact 250-215-4458.

Skaters can also enjoy Public Skating at Rutland Arena, Capital News Centre and Memorial Area.


If you are thinking of buying or selling in Kelowna, give me a call today!

TIFFANY MUNSEY
778.214.4843
tmunsey@coldwellbanker.ca
www.tiffanymunsey.com



COLDWELL BANKER HORIZON REALTY
14-1470 Harvey Ave
Kelowna BC V1Y 9K8
250-860-7500

Social Media Sells Homes

Picking the right Realtor® to sell your home can be a daunting step, however the choice is more simple then you think. Today 88% of buyers used the internet in their home search. So if you want to sell your home fast then it must be listed on the internet, in addition to being listed on the MLS®, it should also be advertised by your agent with social media. 

Finding an agent who is "social media friendly" has never been more important in selling your home because it is what you and people who are looking for a home interact with on a daily basis. A huge part of your Realtors job is advertising your property in an efficient way to secure a quick sale of your home. 

Here are my 5 favorite ways to market and sell my clients homes with social media.   

1. Facebook

For most people, facebook is a daily if not hourly part of life, smart phones are connected to every status update, photo or uploaded video.
Savvy agents have a huge network of personal friends, realtors and businesses and when they post information about you property, it instantly exposing your property to the world.
Facebook also allows you, your friends and other realtors to instantly access and share your amazing property. 

2. Youtube

At any given moment, there are hundreds of thousands of users watching videos on YouTube. How many times have you been forwarded a link to a funny YouTube video, only to find yourself staying there and browsing additional clips?
Successful realtors use Youtube to give buyers the inside scoop on what your home looks like as well as neighbourhood features that make your home amazing. 

3. Twitter

A Realtors profile is like a “micro-blog” Twitter is like a typical blog (aka web-log) in that it lets you say anything you want to say to anyone and everyone who will view it. Looking for fun things to do in Kelowna, search #kelownafun? What to know what is happening in the Kelowna Real estate market, search #kelownarealestate. It is quick, easy and informative. 

4. Pinterest

This is a huge addiction for many people, it has become a virtual scrap book of thoughts, ideas and inspirations."Home" is the No. 1 category of "boards" on the site, accounting for 17.2% of all pinning, according to a study by business-intelligence firm R.J Metrics.
I love collecting ideas for clients renovations, new building trends and interior design inspiration. Personally I found a great photo of a home exterior renovation, I was able to “pin” this photo and share it with my clients which inspired them see what their future home could look like.
Have a great kitchen or bathroom in your home? You bet I am going to “pin” it. 

5. Instagram

“In the first 12 months, Instagram acquired 12 million users. In the first two years it acquired 30 million users. And now, as of May 2012, it has 50 million users” Inman news. Images are tagged in the same way Twitter is tagged. I love to post photos of my clients beautiful homes and tag them with #kelownarealestate or #kelowna. If someone searches for photos of Kelowna or Kelowna real esate, guess whose house is going to pop up...yours!

When picking a real estate agent to sell your home, it is important that they are willing to work with you to create a custom marketing plan. Remember the nursery rhyme Dem Bones - “The leg bone's connected to the knee bone”, well think social media as the same thing... “The instagram picture is posted on facebook, the facebook picture is tweeted on twitter”....you get the idea. A "social media friendly" Realtor has never been more important and the stats prove it!

Realtors + Internet / Social Media = Homes Sold Faster!

Source:  The 2011 National Association of Realtors® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers

When you are ready to sell your home, call me! Lets make a plan to sell it fast and for the right price!

Happy Selling!

Tiffany Munsey

REALTOR®
778.214.4843

tmunsey@coldwellbanker.ca

www.tiffanymunsey.com

How to go green and be a super hero!

The Coldwell Banker Horizon Realty team had the pleasure of visiting Spider Agile Technology today for a presentation on our future presence in Kelowna. We have many exciting things to look forward to including our website, social media presence and our office redesign.  The thing that got our REALTORS® most excited was the new and improved plan of the Coldwell Banker Horizon Realty office located at 1470 Harvey Ave in Kelowna BC.

Our inspiring leaders have partnered with Spider Agile Technology to redo, revamp and re-inspire our office.  Out with the old and in with the new way to construct commercial and residential building technologies! “The old way of wiring buildings just doesn’t suit the 21^st century: Environmentally, economically or technologically. It is too slow and too wasteful. Spider offers you a chance to turn your power infrastructure into an environmentally sustainable business strategy. Turning a cost of doing business into an asset."- Spider Agile Technology

 While our office is taking a macro approach to changing the way we do we approach the world of real estate and our business, every single one of us can take small steps to improve our own footprint and it does not have to be as expensive as you think.

Here are 10 smart and simple things you can do under $100 from Houselogic.com

1.     Seal switches and outlets with insulating foam gaskets.

2.     Trim grocery bills with a vegetable garden.

3.     Seal out drafts with thermally lined drapes.

4.     Stop air leaks with weather stripping.

5.     Trim energy use with a programmable thermostat.

6.     Capture free water with a rain barrel.

7.     Get free fertilizer from a compost bin.

8.     Save water with a dual-flush toilet converter.

9.     Outsmart energy loss with a smart power strip.

10. Cool down with a ceiling fan.

I am very excited to be a part of a larger vision and the awesome team at Coldwell Banker Horizon Realty! I cant wait to see what our office is going to look like and how we can inspire others to make simple changes in their lives that benefit the world! Realtors may not be super heros but maybe we can help inspire a global shift to a green future....and help sell a couple houses along the way!

Here is a sneak peak of the concept design for our new office:

Meeting rooms with smart boards and TV's. 

Smart boards and TV's

 Ok so maybe we won't have a wine room....but a girl can dream right? What about smart technology for your home?

 Living wall...maybe an indoor herb garden?

 Office model, similar to what our meeting rooms will look like. 

 Big thanks to the team at Spider Agile Technology!

Tiffany Munsey

A Licenced REALTOR®

778.214.4843

tmunsey@coldwellbanker.ca

www.tiffanymunsey.com

Twitter

Facebook

Coldwell Banker Horizon Realty

#14 - 1470 Harvey Avenue

Kelowna, BC, V1Y 9K8
Office: 250.860.7500
Fax: 250.868.2488

www.kelownarealestate.com

The Next Generation of Real Estate Agents

I work at Coldwell Banker Horizon Realty in Kelowna, BC and I am the youngest real estate agent in our office. I personally "grew up" with facebook when it was first launched in February 2004. For me, social media became an essential way to communicate with my friends and family, and today it is an integral part of how business all over the world is conducted.

If you have met me, you know that I am a bit of a social media/technology geek and I should be paid by apple for the amount of sales that I generate and the endorsements that I give the brand on a daily basis. I love my iphone, ipad and my macbook, it allows me to not only be mobile with my business but efficient as well. Instant access to the web, documents in a cloud and staying on-top of the next social media trend or technology gadget is what sets agents apart from the crowd as the next generation of Real Estate Agents. 

The business of Real Estate Sales in Kelowna and across the world is changing at a rapid pace. Goodbye to the highly sought after thick bound books printed weekly containing the MLS listings, environmentally damaging print advertising, paper contracts and what is a phone book? Say hello to contracts being signed electronically, social media marketing, environmentally friendly business practices that save time, money and energy for both the client and the agent. 

So why is it important to deal with the next generation of real estate agents who are social media and tech savvy? For sellers; your property is marketed better, faster and more efficiently, which means it is sold faster. For Buyers; instant access to customized searches and less time wasted looking at less than desirable potential homes which means you are able to save time, money and find the home of your dreams faster. The way real estate is being done has changed and it is changing everyday, hiring the right agent with an edge on the competition is becoming more important than ever. 

The next generation of real estate agents are mobile and efficient. They twitter, text, youtube & facebook, the come equipped with a iphone, an ipad and every resource you need at the touch of a finger to help you buy and sell your dream home whenever and where ever you are. The world of real estate has already change and will change again tomorrow, luckily today we can keep up all with the touch of a button. 

I am in the next generation of real estate agents and I cant wait to work with you! 

Call...or text...or twitter...or facebook...or email me! (no carrier pigeons accepted)

Tiffany Munsey

778-214-4843

tmunsey@coldwellbanker.ca

@tiffanymunsey

www.tiffanymunsey.com

Facebook -Tiffany Munsey Real Estate

Official Report from the Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board (OMREB) APRIL 2012 STATS: OKANAGAN-SHUSWAP HOUSING MARKET REMAINS STEADY WITH MODEST GAINS

Kelowna, BC – The Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board (OMREB) reported April 2012 sales activity of all MLS® property types were up compared to the same month last year and have improved over the first four months of 2011, as the housing market remains steady and continues to see modest gains.

Okanagan-Shuswap home sales saw gradual improvement during April. We continue to see up and down fluctuations in each Zone as there are a lot of dynamics in our area – depending on the community, housing type and price point. Now more than ever, it is important for anyone thinking of buying or selling to ask their REALTOR® how their property type is currently faring in the overall market and, more significantly, in their particular neighbourhood.

In April, sales were the strongest in the North Okanagan with a 30% improvement over 2011 and single family homes saw the most significant gain with a 48% increase in units sold. Overall sales for the month also picked up 18% in the Shuswap, and lot sales jumped significantly over April 2011 – from 2 to 8. In the Central Okanagan, it is encouraging to see a 26% rise in the number of lots sold year-to-date compared to the first four months in 2011. The bump-up indicates that builders and developers are purchasing land in our Board area, and more lots are being listed and added to the inventory.

With significant active inventory plus the expected seasonal increases in listings, and the demand for housing growing at a slow but steady rate reflective of the economy and employment, prices are holding steady in most segments in the Board area.

Working with a real estate professional to understand current local market conditions and to provide comparisons specific to your neighbourhood is essential as home values vary based on property type and location. Pricing continues to be of utmost importance when selling a home. Consult with your REALTOR® to make sure your pricing is strategic and reflective of the current values in your area. Remember that serious buyers are motivated by well-priced properties with great curb appeal and room to negotiate. It is important to have realistic expectations when buying or selling a house. Buyers and sellers must agree to come together if they are serious about closing the deal.

For current statistics and the monthly media release, please contact Tiffany Munsey tmunsey@coldwellbanker.ca