Timing the real estate market
By Patricia Nugent
“Timing is everything.”
As the ages-old phrase implies, you can have luck and all the advantages in the world going your way, but without perfect timing you have nothing.
Nowhere is this more evident than in real estate. The agent who sees clear opportunities where others don’t is the one who lands clients their dream homes and sells their former ones with ease.
Katy Dix Brahler has honed a long and fruitful career at RE/MAX with many accolades along the way, by acting as a master of perfect timing.
If You Listen, She Will Sell
For Mary Forster, now of Westlake, it was time to downsize. Katy worked with Mary for several months, showing her about 50 condos in the general area. And she helped to get her rambling three-bedroom home ready to sell.
“Other Realtors told me that since we were not in a neighborhood, but located at the edge of the MetroParks in North Olmsted, we would have difficulty selling our 3,500-square-foot home to a family. Also, some thought January was not a good time to put our house on the market. Katy thought otherwise,” says Mary.
“She was upbeat, helping me declutter and depersonalize my home to sell. It ended up being sold in three weeks to a family with four children.”
With the quick sale, Mary was a bit panicked to find a home. Katy took her to about 10 more multi-level condos as well as several townhouse condos.
“Through her impeccable research and expertise, she opened my eyes to a location in Westlake with a townhouse-style condo I might not have considered,” Mary says.
“By this time, Katy knew my style, my needs and my wants. Without her ability to see ‘location’ and ‘good bones,’ I might not have purchased this condo. Katy could see the possibilities and opened my eyes to its many advantages.”
Mary still has pictures of the condo as it was when she first saw it, and it is almost unrecognizable compared to the glamorous abode it is now.
“Katy helped me see that I was buying space and location and could make it my own,” Mary recalls. “She held my hand throughout the entire process. Her response was immediate to any question I threw her way, at any time of the day.”
First-Time Buyer’s Tale
For Noah Rayne, a personal trainer at Perfect Fit Health Club in Bay Village, the road to buying his first home was riddled with frustration.
“After looking at 30 homes all over the west side, bidding on three and losing all three, I was in a place of worry,” says the energetic twenty-something. “But Katy reassured me that my dream home was still out there.”
As a busy trainer who works about 60 hours a week and cannot spend much time at home, Katy knew that finding a home that was in perfect condition would be ideal.
“Knowing her through training and classes here, I realized what a go-getter Katy would be as a Realtor, and she certainly was,” he says.
“Although I was working with the budget of a first-time home buyer, she treated me like I was her only client, spending time with me, showing patience and caring, and explaining everything thoroughly.”
Noah says he knew the passion for helping others that they both share would be important in a Realtor relationship. And now, living three blocks away from work in his dream home, he’s recommending Katy to all of his other clients.
“Since I see her in class almost every day, her dedication is evident,” he says.
“I knew that would translate into a relationship I could value and that her never-say-die attitude would produce positive results.”
Woman of the Year Winner
As testimony to Katy’s drive and dynamism in the community, it’s not surprising that she won Woman of the Year earlier this summer after being nominated by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS).
She competed against six other nominees to raise funds over a 10-week period.
“I am overwhelmed and thankful for the support of my family and friends throughout the campaign,” she says.
Knowing Her Neighborhoods
Though she boasts listings as far away as Kent and downtown Cleveland, the Bay Village resident likes to keep things close to home, with an abundance of homes for sale in Bay and Rocky River.
“There is just an unexplainable magic about these cities,” says Katy, who, as a member of The Cleveland Yachting Club in Rocky River, enjoys the best of Lake Erie.
And when it comes to communicating with clients, she keeps it personal through phone calls. “I know a lot of Realtors just shoot an email or text to communicate, but I don’t work that way. I like to engage in real dialogue with people for the most effective results.”
Best Time to Buy or Sell? Now.
“I cringe whenever I hear people say they want to wait until next spring to put their homes on the market,” she says. “I have dozens of pre-approved buyers who are just waiting for your home to come on the market.”
Historically low interest rates and a shortage of homes on the market can only mean one thing: now is the prime time to sell. Anyone thinking of selling a home should take advantage of Katy’s free Competitive Market Analysis service.
And for busy buyers, Katy does the heavy house hunting for them. She’s intrepid, waking up each morning and scouring MLS listings, then emailing potential homes that fit her clients’ criteria.
“The market is so hot right now in Bay and River, sometimes mere hours make a difference,” she says. “I get my hands on those listing the second they come on the market, and put my clients in the position to find the home of their dreams.”
RE/MAX is located at 20006 Detroit Road, #201 in Rocky River. Katy Brahler is a Multi-Million Dollar Producer and a distinguished member of the President’s Club and Executive Club of RE/MAX. Call 440-333-1230, ext. 705. Her direct line is 440-724-4313. Visit KatyBrahler.com for more information.