If you’re an investor in Wilmington - whether seasoned, green or aspiring - make sure to take advantage of meetings offered by the local chapter of the National Real Estate Investors Association. The Coastal Carolina REIA has been gathering in Wilmington since 2002!

Meeting agendas vary from education topics to discussions and networking. There’s even a “state of the union” market update that’s given by our fearless team leader, CB Johnson, during the 1st 10 minutes.

If you’re a flipper, make sure to hit up the Rehabbers Subgroup that meets with Jonathan Swanson the 3rd Monday of every month. Swanson often meets with members at homes under renovation for hands-on discussions. In this town, investors are on deals like bees on honey. Often, the best way to find a great property is to look outside the MLS by networking with agents and residents. REIA provides a no-pressure, non-bias platform in which to do this.

The next general REIA meeting is August 9th 6-8PM at the UNCW Executive Center on Military Cutoff Rd near Eastwood Road. Generally, they meet the 2nd Thursday of each month. It’s $15 at the door or $150/year for unlimited access. For more information, visit CoastalREIA.org or call Penny Myers at 910-409-9511.

In a real estate market where sales have dipped 20% since last year, Keller Williams Realty in Wilmington continues to advance in market share, agent count and closed dollar amount. In June, our office reported having 81 agents, a 14% increase from the year before.

When our market center opened in 2004, we were known as Keller Who? People are still shocked to learn we have over 80 agents, but I think they’ve become more familiar with our brand. In my opinion, it’s really just a matter of time before we’re a major player in Wilmington. In many large markets, such as California, Texas and Boston (to name a few), Keller Williams has already advanced to the head of the pack.

Nationally, Keller Williams Realty is the fourth-largest real estate franchise company with more than 650 offices and nearly 75,000 agents. In 2006, The Wall Street Journal added Keller Williams Realty to its elite “Franchise High Performers” list, and Entrepreneur Magazine ranked the franchise in several categories, including No. 66 in the Franchise 500® and No. 52 fastest-growing franchise.

For those who don’t know, Keller Williams Realty is a “learning based company” that treats agents as partners and offers educational programs focused on personal productivity, marketing skills, and career development. Other features that make this company unique are the capped commission structure and profit sharing. By simply switching to Keller Williams and doing nothing else, most agents would realize a 15-30 % increase in gross commission income. And this isn’t even taking into account the resources and training offered.

If you’d like more information about those numbers or anything else, please give us a ring at 910-442-2030.

We’re excited to launch a new web log dedicated to Wilmington Real Estate Statistics. The blog includes detailed zip code reports, market briefings and a Total Market Overview (TMO™) that tracks activity according to price range to provide you with a multifaceted understanding of the market.

For example, you’ve probably heard that Wilmington is in a buyers market. You may even have read that there’s currently over 8 months of inventory available here (if you haven’t read that and would like to, click here). But did you know that if you’re home is priced around $150K, this is not the case? Homes in the $150-175k range are actually experiencing a transitional market in which the demand and supply for real estate are balanced.

In life and real estate, generalizations can be dangerous. Don’t let broad market reports fool you. If you’re a buyer, seller, investor or Realtor, make sure you know the ins and outs of the market by subscribing to the TMO™ available on WilmingtonRealEstateStats.com.