Siesta Key
The market for homes throughout our region has been—and indeed remains—a veritable beehive of activity. Buyers in unprecedented numbers continue to comb every corner of our Gulf Coast communities searching for properties in all price ranges; making ours one of the most active real estate markets in Florida, if not the country. In their wake, however, they have left property inventories bereft of listings for the better part of four years. Gulf Coast Communities in the Spotlight That so many buyers have Southwest Florida in their sights comes as no major surprise since elements of our lifestyle have been the subject of countless articles within the foreign and domestic media. Time and again, our Gulf Coast strand of communities scores high praise for such things as its outsized cultural scene, unparalleled beaches, unlimited recreational possibilities, nationally-ranked public and private schools, top-notch medical facilities; and so forth. Just last week, in fact, Sarasota—ranked at #14—was the only Florida market to crack the top 20 in U.S. News' ranking of the best places to live in the U.S. Thus, with Sarasota real estate cruising at some of the highest levels ever, one might be tempted to wonder why Michael Saunders and some 60 of her agents were in Miami last week convening with real estate leaders from around the world with the goal of networking their way into as many new buyers for our market as possible. The answer is fairly straightforward. Real estate markets are endlessly moving targets, with supply and demand capable of fluctuating significantly from year to year—and even from neighborhood by neighborhood—based on all sorts of influences. Thus our chief responsibility as a brokerage dedicated to exceptional results is to always make sure there are plenty of buyers in the pipeline for the moment when each new seller entrusts us with the privilege of selling their home. Feet-on-the-Ground at the Fontainebleau So there we were late last month, fanned-out within the confines of the iconic Fontainebleau Hotel; moving from meeting room to meeting room in order to link up with over 2,500 real estate agents from 25 countries and most of our 50 states—with an obvious focus on those who represent our region’s most active “feeder” markets. All were assembled in South Florida to participate in the annual global conference of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World, or LeadingRE as it is commonly known among its 500 member firms. Annually, this prestigious amalgamation of the world’s leading independent brokerages—which includes 14 of the top 25 U.S. real estate companies—accounts for over one million property transactions and over $321 billion in closed sales volume.
A crew of the MSC agents who attended the LeadingRE conference at the Fontainebleau.
That same week saw dozens of our agents networking with—and indeed learning from—an impressive roster of major international thought leaders at the Luxury Portfolio SUMMIT, which also convened its annual gathering in Miami Beach. There they joined hundreds of other accomplished real estate specialists from around the world to share the latest trends in luxury housing, decipher new and emerging trends; and share best practices for the successful marketing of high-value properties. Global real estate customs and practices were also part of the focus, with an emphasis on how Luxury Portfolio International connects the best brokerages across borders. Luxury Portfolio International is to the worldwide market for luxury properties as its parent organization, Leading Real Estate Companies of the World, is to the broader global market. Each is a dependable source of buyers for our region; while each adds yet another layer through which our agents can market their listings to buyers transfixed by our wondrous Gulf Coast lifestyles. So there you have it. We currently have an abundance of buyers actively searching for properties in our market—but we are always planning for more. Wherever there is a gathering of our international brokerage affiliates—which also includes Christie’s International Real Estate and Mayfair International Realty—you can bet the room will be sufficiently populated by agents from Michael Saunders & Company.
