Market perspectives from SFAR

The Santa Fe Association of Realtors works closely with our qualifying brokers (QBs), experienced brokers who may lead large, medium, or one-person real estate offices. A QB in New Mexico is issued a qualifying broker’s license if the applicant can document that his or her associate broker’s or equivalent license has been on active status with a real-estate brokerage for two of the last five years immediately preceding the application and can provide a certificate of completion of the 30-hour Brokerage Office Administration course approved by the New Mexico Real Estate Commission. To highlight the role of our qualifying brokers, the association asked several QBswhatmessage they would share with the community about the current Santa Fe housing market.

Christopher Harris, qualifying broker with RealtyOne of Santa Fe, shares that, “The biggest issue in our Santa Fe market is inventory as brokers continue to deal with high buyer demand, particularly at the lower end of the market.” He added, “People who want to buy need to revisit practices from the buyer’s toolkit, like getting pre-approved for loans instead of just pre-qualified; this will make buyers more competitive when making offers. For sellers, even though we are in a sellers’ market under $750,000, overpricing your home will not attract the well-informed buyers out there; well-priced homes are going under contract as soon as they hit the market.”

Gregg Antonsen, qualifying broker with Sotheby’s International Realty, offers this perspective: “In general, Santa Fe is experiencing a robust, healthy housing-market recovery, including action in the $1M-plus market. Santa Fe offers a good, solid value for buyers in the second-home, luxury market, especially when compared with other Southwest communities like Telluride, Aspen, Breckenridge, Boulder, Jackson Hole, and Lake Tahoe.”

Lastly, the qualifying broker with Barker Realty, LLC, David Barker, states, “The Santa Fe market is shifting rapidly today as we deal with extra-low inventory, increased buyer demand, and pricing that is escalating at a rate we haven’t experienced in a long time.” He further noted, “With the increased cost of construction over the last 5-10 years, existing housing offers very favorable price points when compared with new housing, attracting multiple bidders, especially homes priced under $500,000.”

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) and its affiliated institutes, societies, and councils provide a widerange of programs and services that assist members in increasing skills, proficiency, and knowledge. Designations and certifications acknowledging experience and expertise in various real-estate sectors are awarded by NAR and each affiliated group upon completion of required courses.

This bulletin is a feature for Home/Santa Fe Real Estate Guide to recognize the achievements of Santa Fe Association of Realtors members. Each bulletin highlights a designation or certification along with those members who have achieved the distinction. You will also find a list of Realtor members who have earned other designations or certifications since September 1, 2016.

The following members achieved the following designations or certifications between Sept. 1, 2016, and May 1, 2018:

Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR): Christopher Doyle

Certified Residential Specialist (CRS): Laura Hilton, James McCollom, Elayne Patton

Seller Representative Specialist (SRS): Laura Hilton

Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES): Sherie Stiver-Zinn

Rubel “Paco” Arguello is a Santa Fe native and chief executive of the Santa Fe Association of Realtors. Contact him at paco@sfar.com.