Happy New Year! As we begin a new year, I count my many blessings, both on the work and personal front. Blairfield Realty had a great 2017, beating our sales goal and seeing our year-over-year dollar sales volume increase by 40% with a total of 100 transactions, up from 87 in 2016. The real estate market continues to be good to us and is unusually busy for this time of year—the only thing that seems to hold true anymore in Austin real estate is that the seasonal rules are out the window!
What’s new with us? A lot! Several of our five full-time and two part-time agents have broadened their services to commercial real estate (as opposed to strictly residential). Tamara Carlisle and I ventured into commercial real estate ourselves, including purchasing a space in downtown Lockhart that’s already under lease by a well-established, Austin-based architecture firm. Lisa Holden, our property manager, is now managing a whopping 54 properties. And Kenneth Huerta, our design and staging expert (and soon-to-be licensed agent), has done an amazing job getting our staging warehouses organized.
The warehouse project was no small feat, by the way. One interesting aspect of today’s real estate industry is that real estate brokerage isn’t what it used to be; companies need to go that extra mile to set themselves apart. We are proud to offer the best staging services in the business, transforming homes in a way that translates into real value for our sellers: extra money in their pockets. And as anyone who’s been to one of Blairfield’s annual yard sales can attest, we update our inventory regularly so the homes we stage always have a fresh look. The sale is one of our favorite events of the year; it’s a fun way to catch up with our neighbors and help them a great deal on lightly-used, trendy, high-end furniture and accessories.
On a personal front, I’m in the process of completely renovating a 1912 historic property in Lockhart that we’ve named The Blair House. It’s a completely different type of project for me, a labor of love and a long-term investment. I’m excited to host guests in this beautiful home that’s just 35 minutes from town, but that provides a complete change of pace from our hectic day-to-day lives.
Looking back on 2017, I can honestly say that for Blairfield Realty, it was the best year yet. I am filled with gratitude for the things we accomplished and the opportunities ahead. Yes, the year definitely had its moments, but we focused that energy more than ever before on getting back to the basics of what we built the business on: relationships and giving back to the community. We continued to be involved with several public schools near and dear to our hearts (and our home base): Barton Hills Elementary, Austin High and Ann Richards. We supported numerous programs and services that make Austin special: KUT and KUTX, ATX Kids Club and Hill Country Ride for AIDS. And we stood behind organizations that fight for issues we believe in: EqualityAll and the American Civil Liberties Union.
Well, that’s 2017 in a nutshell. I couldn’t ask to work with a better team: top-notch professionals who are serious about the business, and the most enthusiastic and incredibly helpful staff. And I couldn’t ask for better clients, many of whom have become friends. Thank you! I wish you and yours the very best in 2018.
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