36 is feeling great!
I had one of the most memorable birthday weeks thus far – memorable in both good ways and bad.
Sadly, I lost someone very close to me – basically my second mother – three days before my 36th birthday. This is a day that will stay in my memory for life.
If you remember a couple of issues back, I mentioned someone who was in hospital and had been going undiagnosed for many weeks. Eventually, her diagnosis of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma hit everyone like a ton of bricks, and I don’t think any of us realized just how quickly she would be gone.
I truly know that she is in a better place. When I saw her two weeks before her passing, the only words she said to me were:
“I’m ready.”
“Ready for what?” I asked.
“Ready for JOY.”
And that was all she said.
You would think that as we grow older and become more at peace with the fact that we are all here for such a short time, death would somehow get easier. But it truly doesn’t.
What Claudia’s passing has made me realize is that I am no longer the child.
I am no longer the innocent being looking up at the adults around me for reassurance, guidance and protection. I am now the adult, as the adults I once clung to so deeply slowly leave me behind.
That thought feels scary.
But perhaps it is another lesson we all must learn while wearing these earth suits.
And somewhere inside all that heaviness, life kept moving, as it always does. And perhaps that is the strange thing about getting older – learning that grief and joy can exist in the very same week. So, on a much brighter note…
SOLD, SOLD AND SOOOOLD.
Properties have been selling fast and furious after months of drought, struggle and frustration.
I am extremely proud to see that our inventory is significantly smaller now, but what has caused this shift? I’m not perfectly clear on that.
Is it a result of company financial years and accounting being done in July?
Is it simply good old-fashioned frustration – people realizing that nothing significant about the market is shifting and that if they plan to make a move, perhaps the best time really is now?
Or are people genuinely shifting their focus and returning to home ownership and a more settled lifestyle?
Whatever the reason, I am so happy every time Disa drafts an offer letter and the process kicks off. Of course, so much can happen during that 90-day sale close, but it feels like my efforts have not been fruitless.
Good things really do come to fruition.
Of course, this now means that we need to reinvent our inventory, and I need to deep-dive into a slew of new properties that I can get excited about here at Hart & Co.
And this is where I think our approach has really evolved.
We don’t list just any property.
Before we even visit or cross your threshold, we need to collect all the relevant documents, have you sign our non-exclusive or exclusive listing agreement, and have a conversation about your expectations.
Many people may think this sounds tedious – like we’re drawing out a process that could be so simple.
And I will tell you that I spent years at the beginning of my career doing exactly what you would expect an eager real estate agent to do: showing up outside people’s houses, dropping everything just to be present, trying to win the listing and build a bigger inventory.
But when it really came down to it, the client often wasn’t ready.
Maybe their paperwork wasn’t in order.
Maybe they weren’t mentally in a place where they were ready to sell.
Maybe the house itself wasn’t ready to be launched to the market or shown to prospective buyers.
Years of those mistakes have now culminated in us being so dedicated to the Hart & Co. method, and I’m proud to see that it is paying off.
What this method does for us as agents is allow us to become completely embedded in the specifics of a property. We get excited about the prospect of showing it, we understand exactly what makes it special, and – most importantly – we know who the right purchaser could be.
No speed bumps. No unnecessary delays. Just an intentional approach to getting the property into the right hands.
So, this is my season to dive headfirst into a listing frenzy.
Here’s my shameless plug:
If you, or anyone you know, is ready to sell, call me or a member of the Hart & Co. team. We cannot wait to meet you!
And while the sales side of the market has finally begun to move, the buying side is telling its own very interesting story.
During our weekly Monday morning meeting, I asked my agents what trends they had been seeing in the real estate market.
My North agent responded immediately with her hot take – which, was that she was extremely busy and run off her feet with showings! Of course, made me happy because it meant she was killing it!
Except…
Her busyness was multiple showings at the same units with nothing happening.
She was on her sixth showing of a Goodwood Park townhouse that day and her fourth showing of a new apartment building in Belmont.
And when I asked what the hold-up was, she was stumped.
My agents are very good at giving me direct, constructive and honest feedback from clients, so when I asked her about the feedback she was receiving, it was absolutely all about the Goldilocks Effect.
THE GOLDILOCKS EFFECT
If you’re not familiar with the Goldilocks Effect, look no further than the famous children’s story Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
Everyone should be familiar with the story of the rambunctious little girl who wanders into a bear’s cabin and discovers three bowls of porridge.
One is too hot.
One is too cold.
And one is just right.
That is exactly what we are seeing in the real estate market.
One property is too hot.
Another is too cold.
And nothing seems to be just right.
But it begs the question:
Does the “just right” property actually exist?
Is there a property that perfectly balances everything people are looking for?
Location.
Size.
Modernness.
Character.
Outdoor space.
Pet-friendly.
Multiple parking spaces.
Security.
A great neighbourhood.
And, of course, the right price.
Is this perfect property realistic?
Many real estate agents – myself included – encourage clients through TikToks, videos and educational content to have a very clear idea of exactly what they’re looking for before they start their property search.
I’m guilty of this.
I encourage people to become crystal clear and make lists of everything they want.
But have we, as real estate agents, encouraged people to go too far?
We recently received a request from a purchaser in the form of a very detailed list.
They wanted a property that could accommodate five vehicles, floor-to-ceiling windows, double sinks in the master bathroom, white cupboards throughout, a swimming pool, a new build, security walls, a good neighbourhood…
All for a maximum of $2.5–$3 million.
Now, it is not my job to tell this lovely client that what they want is a unicorn – a needle in a haystack – and to dim their spirit.
It is my job, however, to show them realistically what is available on the market and what they can customize, compromise on or work with to create their ideal property.
Sadly, in this particular price point, I think location, size and modernness are the three factors where you may have to choose two out of three.
Getting all three – plus everything else on the list – is incredibly difficult in this market.
And maybe that’s the real Goldilocks problem.
Perhaps the goal isn’t to find a property where everything is perfect.
Perhaps the goal is to find the property where the things that matter most to you are just right.
Because the perfect property may not exist.
But the right property for you just might.
ON THE BARBADOS FRONT…
I’ll be visiting the coral isle again in two weeks, mostly for pleasure and reconnecting with friends from all over the world whom I haven’t seen in over a year.
But, of course, work will inevitably get woven into my trip.
Last week, we were introduced to a brand-new townhouse development located ideally in Prior Park. This neighbourhood is highly accessible and less than five minutes from the West Coast beaches.
The Trinidadian developer is tried and tested, and what he is bringing to the Barbadian shores is surely going to make a splash.
Also at the top of my list is Olana, located just steps from Limegrove Lifestyle Centre.
Olana offers one-, two- and three-bedroom modern luxury apartments with world-class amenities at your fingertips, including a rooftop pool, sauna, gym, kids’ playroom, conference centre, paddle ball and covered, enclosed parking.
But the real cherry on top of the three-bedroom configuration is the lock-off doors.
These allow the unit to function as a rentable one-, two or three-bedroom property, depending on your preference.
Imagine the bliss of being able to stay in your one or two-bedroom self-contained, west-facing apartment while in Barbados, while having the remainder of the property rented to long or short-term tenants – potentially helping to offset the cost of your stay.
That kind of flexibility is truly a game changer.
And, increasingly, I think this is exactly the type of flexibility that purchasers are looking for.
For more information, don’t hesitate to reach out.
I can’t wait to show you the details!
Zoë
