Now that I'm in Boonville all of the time I'm even more impressed with the local businesses we are lucky to have in our community. I always appreciated them but not as much as now that I'm walking distance to so many. I have several spots to choose from to eat lunch or get a coffee, a place to get a piece of plumbing, a fantastic local masseuse, a place to get clothes mended or altered, places to buy gifts or things for the house, shops to buy groceries and sundries, places to buy fuel for my vehicles, a web designer, a lawyer, a therapist, plus the health center and it's attendant services - and, if I weren't already in the business, places to buy and sell real estate.
In Anderson Valley, denizens have three local brokerages to choose from for their real estate needs, two with offices in town. The latter two have 30+ years of real estate experience going for them. All agents have lived in the Valley and watched the changes, for better or worse (depending on your viewpoint) over the years. They have raised families here and have supported the other local businesses themselves over the years.
Local brokerages have outside competition, just like every other business here in the area. You can use a firm in Ukiah or from Healdsburg, just as you can shop at one of the large supermarkets over the hill, or hire an attorney from there, see a doctor there, buy your household supplies there, and so on. Why should you consider using a local brokerage? There's the same arguments that are made for why you should do your other business locally - such as supporting local families and improving our community from the inside out. By purchasing locally you keep the funds in the valley and it can in turn be used by the receiver to do further purchasing locally. But there are better reasons to use a local brokerage for your real estate needs.
Who sells the most real estate in the Valley? By percentage, over the past five years, 66% of local real estate has been sold by local brokerages. While the remaining 34% is sold by out of area brokerages, most of those are one-offs - only nine out of 26 outside area brokerages sold two or more listings. The reason? Most buyers shop locally - they come to town to buy and use a local agent, regardless of who carries the listing.
Who knows the Valley better than those of us who live here? We know neighborhoods, weather patterns, noise issues, general water quality and availability. We know how to introduce buyers, mainly brightlighters, to the community - where to eat, shop, what community groups do what, how the local volunteer services work. We know who to steer buyers to once they've moved here that will help them become part of the community, whether that means someone they might become friends with or a group they might want to get involved with. We know the quality of the local schools, health care and emergency services, often due to first hand experience.
One of the minor pitfalls of buying locally can be that you will pay a bit more for the convenience of not having to shop outside the area (on the other hand, you aren't having to drive as far, either). However, in real estate, you don't encounter any such surcharge - commissions are negotiable by California law and generally they are the same, whether you choose a local or out of area brokerage.
Local brokerages belong to the same nine county Bay Area multiple listing service that the out of town agencies use, so your property gains the same exposure either way. However, with local brokerages, you capture the buyer who stops by a local office to check out listings and engages a local agent. In that sense, your exposure is greater using a local brokerage.
What about response time? Local brokerages have agents who live right here and can respond to your needs in a matter of minutes, not hours. And when you need to see one of us in person, we're just a few minutes away, not a trip over the hill.
Finally, your local brokerages are active in the community, whether that be volunteering on boards, involvement in organizations or simply donating to various community events and charities. How often do you see out of area brokerages represented at Senior Center or Grange events?
When you feel you are in need of real estate expertise, remember to think locally! I need a cup of coffee after this - think I'll take a walk down the street and pick one up.