Realtors offer advice for surviving summertime relocation
Regardless of the time of year, relocation has long been considered one of the most stressful events in a person’s life. Even under the best of circumstances, moving to a new city has its challenges.
When that new city is Houston, and it is summertime, dealing with the heat and humidity can add to the tension of an already stressful situation. Nonetheless, the summer months typically bring the highest concentration of people into the marketplace, all of whom are attempting to get moved and settled before the start of the new school year
hile it may be difficult to beat the heat of the Houston summer, working with an experienced agent who knows the local real estate market can newcomers feel more at ease about the home finding process and their move into a new city and community.
“The key is to have a competent agent, who listens and knows how to take care of the clients’ needs,” said Monica Brashear, an agent with Martha Turner Sotheby’s International Realty. “When people have a competent agent, it’s really important for them to listen to the agent, because the agent has the experience and market knowledge, and he or she knows the schools, the areas, the trends, the market value, and how quickly things are moving.”
She added that although Houston isn’t experiencing the market frenzy of 2013 and 2014, that relocation buyers still need to be ready to act quickly if they see a property that they like, as it is not likely to remain on the market for very long. This is especially true in highly sought-after neighborhoods and areas, because there will naturally be more buyers competing against each other for the same properties.
It also can be difficult for people to manage their priorities when moving to a new city, so Brashear said that effective communication with the agent can make their time spent on house hunting more efficient.
“The client has to communicate their needs to the agent, and be able to trust that the agent understands those needs,” Brashear said. “The agent really knows the inventory and the market, so he or she can identify the properties that best meet the client’s needs.” For people who are moving to Houston with children, schools often drive the decision about which neighborhoods and properties will be considered. Since kids are out of school for the summer, Brashear said that the discussion about neighborhoods, schools and extracurricular activities can be a great way to involve the kids in the process.
“Bringing the kids along on the house hunting trip is often fun, because kids seem to get more excited about the move when they see the properties. They might see a pool in the backyard, or a big game room or media room, or even look at the bedrooms and say which one will be theirs,” Brashear said.
Karen Woodworth is an agent with BHGRE Gary Greene. She said that she has experienced relocation first hand, which enables her to empathize with her clients.
“My son was actually in junior high school when we moved to Katy, so I am very cognizant of what my relocation clients might be going through. I share with them that my family and I have moved to four different states, which I think helps to calm them a little bit. So, they know that I’m not just somebody who’s trying to sell them a home, but that I am somebody who has actually been in their shoes,” Woodworth said.
She added that it can be difficult for people who are relocating to try and keep their kids entertained, while juggling house hunting and other activities associated with the move.
“I have several clients who have made their house hunting trip into their family vacation,” Woodworth said. “So, I created a packet of information that includes a lot of family friendly activities, and I send it to them ahead of time so that they can have different activities planned when they get here.”
Like Brashear, Woodworth said that it is important to involve the kids in the process, especially if she can see that they are apprehensive about the move.
“One of the things that I do is drive them around the area to get them acclimated, and try to engage them in conversation. I ask them questions about the kinds of things they like to do, and the activities that they were involved in before the move, so that I can show them and tell them that it will all be here for them as well,” Woodworth said.