Webinar in March: Do I really need a real estate agent?
The Times Union will host a webinar at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 29 to address the perennial question for a homeowner planning to sell their home: Do I really need a real estate agent?
A panel of experts will talk about their experiences and take questions from the audience. The session will be streamed live and recorded. Staff writer Leigh Hornbeck will serve as moderator. Register and you will be entered to win a $500 gift card from Hewitt's. The link to register is https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_fvyAQQh3QveyYR2uN-wYCg.
Two of Howard Hanna's top sales people will join the conversation: Associate broker Cathy Cooley and salesperson Angela Cugini along with Elizabeth Byrne-Chartrand, a lawyer who's specialty is real estate and Laura Burns, CEO of the Greater Capital Association of Realtors.
A mixture of factors — low inventory and low mortgage rates — have pushed up prices for residential real estate both locally and nationally, creating a seller's market, when sellers have the upper hand in deals. When houses are in high demand, it prompts a homeowner to wonder if they need to pay a real estate agent to guide them through a sale.
The median sale price increased compared to last January by 9.2 percent from $228,900 to $250,000. Sellers are getting 98.1 percent of their list price in the sale and list prices are expected to continue rising in 2022.
Pending sales increased by nearly 2 percent from January 2021 to 939 for the month. Closed sales decreased 10 percent from January 2021 to 891 for the month. Sales dipped from last year with the continued lack of inventory having a negative impact on other sales metrics.