StartingPoint Realty Keeps Focus on First-Time Home Buyers
Recent trends show the first time home buyer segment declined in 2014 to it's lowest percentage of the market (33%) since 1987. However, StartingPoint Realty, a real estate agency in Chicago that's dedicated to work with potential first time home buyers, has continued to grow and innovate their approach to this niche.
Chicago, IL, February 17, 2015 (Newswire.com) - StartingPoint Realty Keeps Focus on First-Time Home Buyers
The percentage of renters in Chicago has been rising, while the percentage of first-time home buyers hit a 27-year low during 2014. The trend would cause most real estate brokers to shy away from serving the first-time buyer. But for Chicago-based StartingPoint Realty, the trend evidences the continuing need for homebuyer education and guidance.
"If you're in real estate and your market is a younger demographic, you need to adapt to them instead of hoping they adapt to you."
Ryan Gable, President
“The home buying landscape is always changing,” says Ryan Gable, founder and managing broker of StartingPoint Realty. “Since our company inception in 2004, Chicago real estate has run the gamut. But we stay true to the market that we have a passion for, a market that is often neglected - the first-time home buyer.”
Gable launched StartingPoint Realty in 2004 with the mission to educate and assist potential first-time home buyers, without any pressure or sales pitches. The company has experienced impressive growth, recently hiring its twelfth agent.
To further its mission, StartingPoint Realty opened a unique home buyer resource center in Roscoe Village during 2014. The resource center provides hands-on information about credit, financing, the home search and buying process, community data and public transportation.
StartingPoint Realty also recently launched a new, robust website, www.startingpointrealty.com, and has scheduled 14 first-time home buyer seminars throughout Chicagoland. The educational seminars are completely free to the public. Advance registration is requested to ensure ample seating.
“The buyers may change,” says Gable, “but they always have a thirst for knowledge without the sales pitch. To make sure we stay on track, we survey every seminar attendee and ask them, up front, if they felt anyone was trying to sell them something. I’m pleased to say the answer is always no. We also have 27 5-star reviews on Yelp. We focus on the client, not the commission, and our testimonials prove it.”
Gable states that potential first-time home buyers have very individual needs. “Most buyers want an education. Some just want to see the homes, and worry about the details later. But buying your first home is a life-changing, emotional decision. People need to understand that this is a process. They need to be financially prepared and well-informed before walking into their first showing."
This is why Gable and his agents spend considerable time with lenders and attorneys, as well as local organizations offering down payment assistance. "We get daily calls and emails from various providers about FHA and VA mortgages, energy-efficiency loans, and down payment programs. They know it’s our mission to deliver practical information and help first-time buyers. Our dedication to serving these clients with the utmost integrity, along with our down-to-earth approach, are the keys to our success.”
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