Experienced buyers and sellers know that an appraisal has the power to make or break a real estate transaction. In this short video, mortgage lending expert Carese Busby shares why high-quality appraisers are critical to successful outcomes and how that should influence your lender selection.
Guest Blog: When to Include an Interior Designer
This month, we’re thrilled to introduce you to Stacy Becker — Owner and Principal Designer at White Label Interiors. At the age of 5, Stacy was sketching floor plans in her grade school notebook — a hobby that would eventually turn her passion into a career. Continue reading…
Touring the Floating Homes of Lake Union
They are some of Seattle’s most unique and recognizable homes, and there’s only 500 of them. Last month, team member Enrico Pozzo—an expert in all things floating homes—led a tour of Lake Union and the homes that top its waters. Skippered by Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty (RSIR) CEO Dean Jones, our team was joined by nearly 40 of our RSIR colleagues and a few guest brokers from our affiliates in New York and California.
Insights from Our Broker Network

Throughout the years, we have befriended many quality real estate brokers around the country and other parts of the world. In our effort to always provide the best possible service to our clients, we have built professional relationships and friendships with the best of these brokers and touch base on a regular basis to discuss how our individual regions are changing while learning about new services and technologies they’ve implemented. This year, we will share a collection of articles co-written with some of these amazing professionals.
You Can Help Change Lives!

The SeattlebyDesign Team has come across a wonderful charity that supports local neighbors going through challenging times. Tia Baker, the Director of the Seattle chapter, describes the Humble Design mission as:
Asian Home Buyers Snap Up Real Estate Worldwide
Location, Location, Location has become Location, Education, Environment for Asian buyers in the Seattle Area
Over the past decade, several global markets have seen an influx in Chinese buyers seeking to diversify their real estate investments and fulfill aspirations to own property across the globe. Vancouver, New York City, London, California, Seattle and Australia all have experienced heightened interest in real estate investment from the Asian buyer.
In April, our President and CEO Philip White will co-chair the Asian Real Estate Association of America’s 2014 Global and Luxury Summit, which will highlight the emerging market opportunities present in both the international and luxury real estate markets and provide key insights regarding Asian home-buying behaviors, a group that represents a significant portion of both high-end and international buyers.
“I am honored to serve AREAA in this capacity for the 2014 Summit, having personally been involved in the organization’s efforts over the last several years,” said White. “The Asian American market represents a significant growth opportunity in our industry. According to AREAA, the market has the highest growth rate of any multicultural group in the United States. The Asian American consumer base is growing, affluent, technologically savvy and has increasing buying-power: $718 billion currently, and expected to reach $1 trillion in just five years.”
$2,700,000 USD | Seattle, Washington | Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty
The Pacific Northwest region has always been an attractive destination for Asian buyers due to its proximity and lifestyle, but in recent years brokers say the trend has grown exponentially. ”When it comes to Chinese buyers the real estate axiom isn’t location-location-location but rather location-education-environment,” says Dean Jones, President and CEO of Seattle-based Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty. “The Pacific Northwest is viewed as the Pacific Northeast as we are the closest mainland port and boast a pristine natural environment and top ranked schools and universities while real estate remains a relative bargain compared with Vancouver to our north and San Francisco to our south. We’re building an Asia Desk with Mandarin-speaking brokers, landing services for new arrivals and a specialty website—www.dragonandthepearls.com—focused on the unique needs of this demographic.”
$8,950,000 USD | New York, New York | Sotheby’s International Realty-East Side Manhattan Brokerage
In New York City, Nikki Field Senior Global Real Estate Advisor and Associate Broker at Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. on the East Side of Manhattan, along with her team have spent the last five years immersing themselves in Asian culture. “Finding a new home on foreign shores is filled with perplexing decisions,” said Field. “There is a distinct Asian worldview on real estate investments that require a vast new skill sets needed to work with these buyers; cultural, social and business protocol is profoundly different in style. The focus on harmony, balance and order is fundamental to their life-style choices and we Westerners have much to learn from the East.”
Field and her team study the Chinese language, attend business culture classes and participate in numerous Chinese business organizations as guest speakers and seminar panelists in order to better understand their Asian customers.
Original Post by: Sir Luxury Real Estate
Is it Really Less Expensive to Own than Rent?
Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty and Caliber Home Loans looked at average prices of newer condominiums and compared rents for comparable apartments. They found the total cost of ownership was effectively lower when factoring income tax deductions, not to mention the opportunity for capital appreciation. The research was performed as part of a recent think tank hosted by the Puget Sound Business Journal, which was published as a section called The Manhattanization of Seattle.
When is the Best Time to List a Home in Seattle?
In a recent Puget Sound Business Journal article, Emily Parkhurst declares that “This is the best time to list your house for sale in Seattle.” The dates she’s referring to? The first couple of weeks in May. As the feature describes, “houses listed between May 1 and May 15 sell 20 days faster than the yearly average.” What’s more? “They also sell for an average of $2,600 more.” These dates apply to most of the market in the United States, but are even weightier in a market as hot as Seattle’s.
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Market Trends from Around the Sound: Q4-2018
Data from the fourth quarter of 2018 is in and Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty has analyzed the numbers. Take a look at the latest housing market trends in Seattle for single-family homes and condominiums.
Featured Property: The Hobbit Houseboat
The Hobbit Houseboat is one of Seattle’s most charming floating homes! A custom-crafted 2 story, 2 bed/1 bath cottage on one of Lake Union’s loveliest docks, features include a 200 year old cedar log bathtub, sculptural wooden sink, sleeping nook with cedar carved door, and cherry floors. Natural light pours into the open floor plan of this home from every direction, especially from the exterior deck, perfect for contemplating the lovely channel and lake views. Pet friendly dock. Small boat moorage subject to community approval.
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