Relocation Spotlight on Bernstein Realty
For more than three decades, Bernstein Realty has been a prominent fixture within the corporate relocation arena.
The company’s relocation department has also been recognized many times for its outstanding service, and has received several awards from various relocation management companies.
During a recent interview with Mary Piper, Bernstein Realty’s director of relocation and operations, she said that when assisting clients who are moving to Houston, that she must first get a feel for their lifestyle.
Following are excerpts from our conversation.
MS: How are you able to best understand the lifestyles of your relocation clients?
MP: That’s why my preliminary conversations with our relocation clients are so important. I don’t only ask questions about the type of home they want, but also about their lifestyle and what they like to do. So, if they tell me that they want walkability to restaurants and bars, that might narrow the choices. Others might tell me that they want to be close to a park because they want to run every night.
I enjoy those initial conversations, because I can hear that they are very apprehensive, overwhelmed and scared. They might not know where they want to be, but after we talk, they tend to feel more comfortable knowing that there are options. And, I am already thinking about neighborhoods that might work for them.
MS: What is the best way for newcomers to get a good feel for the Houston area?
MP: When people are coming to Houston, we want them to get a good overview of the city so they feel very comfortable that they have seen all of the options. Finding the house becomes much easier when you know the area you want to focus your search, but we don’t expect anybody to know where they want to focus their search until they have seen the options.
MS: What if the lifestyle they hope to have in Houston is difficult to find within their budget?
MP: Oftentimes people will have a price range in mind, and often it has to be adjusted because they are a little shocked by property taxes in the Houston area. They might not buy a house that is the same price here as the one they are selling somewhere else, because we have much higher property taxes, and oftentimes they are working on a monthly budget, as opposed to the cost of the house. So, we like them to get their financing in order before they even go shopping for the house.
MS: With so much information available online, do you find that people moving here generally have a clear idea of our real estate market?
MP: Sometimes they are disappointed because they have been on HAR.com or other real estate websites, and the information is so vast. They might be looking at a big house with five bedrooms and a pool, but they don’t realize that it isn’t anywhere near their office or the area that they want to be in.
They’re not only looking online, but they are talking to colleagues or friends of friends. There’s a lot of information on the internet, but unless someone is really certain that it is the right information, they can build an incorrect picture. So, we are happy to show them, not just tell them.
MS: Do you find that you sometimes have to educate relocation clients about the real estate process in Houston?
MP: People often ask me where our office is. That doesn’t really have any bearing as to what part of the city we can show them. Things are different in other countries and in different states. Just the other day, somebody asked me whether they will have to make their own appointments to see properties. When looking at properties in England, you don’t have one Realtor showing you everything that is on the market. So, we’re not only talking to them about Houston, but also talking about how we are going to show properties, and that we are going to pick them up from their hotel, and that we are going to show them the city. We can show them everything that there is, so they don’t have to go to different companies to look at different properties.
It is also very nice for them to know that even if they decide that purchasing a home isn’t for them at this time, they will still be working with the same agent, who will help them lease a property. So, that is very comforting, but a lot of people don’t realize the agent can do that.
Michelle Sandlin is an award-winning writer, journalist and global mobility industry expert. Her work is frequently featured in Worldwide ERC’s Mobility magazine, and in various business and industry related publications and corporate blogs. Follow her on Facebook: www.facebook. com/TheMichelleSandlin and on Twitter: @ MichelleSandlin. Also visit “On the Move” at blog. chron.com/onthemove.