Real Estate Broker Sam Benson Is Announcing Walnut Creek Pocket Listing Series
Walnut Creek, CA (PRWEB) July 12, 2014 -- Sam Benson, owner and broker of SamBensonRealty.com, Executive Brokers (SM), and WalnutCreekSeniors.com, is offering real estate industry insight on the benefits of pocket listings to both the media and his network of colleagues and clients. Benson, who has worked in San Francisco’s East Bay area real estate market for the past twenty years, says that selling is changing drastically due to pocket listings.
Sam Benson’s pocket listing series will be posted to his websites, Facebook account, and fed on the Breaking National News feed. The posts start on Tuesday, July 15th and will run until August. No email subscription or credit cards are needed to gain access to Mr. Benson’s insight on the topic. “The number one reason properties are not listed on the MLS is privacy, convenience and demand. It’s a seller’s market when it comes to luxury properties and the average home, which can cause concern for both the buyer and seller when it comes to public financial data,” says Benson. “Pocket listings allow people within my network to be referred to certain homes first, avoiding MLS-induced bidding wars. In California, there has been a significant rise in the popularity of this type of listing, and I dive into the reasons for this within the series. The amount of non-MLS listed real estate inventory is astonishing, and I suspect this trend will increase in years to come.”
In 2013, the average single-family home revealed that 11 percent of overall home sales in the city and county of San Francisco were pocket listings, according to data from the San Francisco Association of Realtors. The share jumped to 20 percent for high-end luxury properties over $3.5 million. A similar study conducted by Silicon Valley-based MLS Listings Inc. showed that pocket listings made up 26 percent of home sales in five Northern California counties in the first quarter of 2013, which is up from 15 percent in 2012. The California Association of Realtors (CAR), the U.S.’s largest realtor association, estimates $8.7 billion in 2014 transaction volume nationwide on broker commission alone. However, CAR has mixed feelings on the subject matter of pocket listings because these listings represent a threat to the MLS model in general.
“There are a lot of benefits that come with non-MLS listings or pocket listings. The inner-network of marketing each and every home is often more concentrated and results-oriented with pocket listings versus using the MLS,” says Benson. “Since there is so much misinformation on the actual benefits associated with a pocket listing, I wanted to come forward and offer my insight wherever it can be applied.”
Sam Benson is available upon request to speak to members of the press regarding this topic, the real estate market in general, and senior home downsizing issues. Interview and segment requests can be directed to Sam’s media manager, Helene Vece, or to Mr. Benson directly using the contact information found in this release. An EPK is available upon request.
About: Sam Benson’s expertise as a real estate broker, mortgage banking executive, residential developer, and investor gives him a unique and comprehensive understanding of the entire process. Sam has served as a past board member of local charities that benefit at-risk children and has volunteered as a grant writer and team member for Contra Costa Humane Society, helping to secure a $50,000 award from an animal rescue organization.
He holds a BBB (Better Business Bureau A+ rating) in California. Additional references and accolades may be accessed by clicking here: http://sambensonrealty.com/about-sam/.
Helene F. Vece, Media Manager, http://HireAProWriter.com, +1 (702) 409-1282, [email protected]
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