Tell us about any new developments or business establishments in your market that you think might help attract potential buyers.
Indian River County was one of only four communities in North America- and the only community in the southeastern U.S.- featured in the January/February 2014 edition of Trade & Industry Development magazine. The article included the benefits of locating a business to Indian River County for many reasons, including the county’s unique position as a tourism destination for corporate executives, no state income tax, one of the lowest property tax rates in Florida and a stable government structure.
In addition, the Indian River County Chamber of Commerce recently announced the expansion of two local businesses and the possibility of a California company relocating to Indian River County.
Florida and Indian River County are the perfect location for companies that want a more welcoming and competitive business environment. Indian River County is on Florida's east coast, located an hour north of West Palm Beach and 90 miles from Orlando. It’s also within three hours of 90 percent of Florida’s population, with easy access to markets, yet far from urban sprawl, traffic and congestion. The area’s appeal as a light industrial site is best demonstrated by the fact that many businesses have based their location decisions on the C-level executive’s positive vacation experience and its central location. Indian River County represents a broad spectrum of industry, attracting the best and the brightest employees to the area.
Name the top two online or social media outlets you use most frequently when a new property becomes active. How do you use these sites to your advantage when advertising your listing?
I love Facebook and Twitter and have found that posting a new listing on both sites allows me to reach a large and engaging audience. I also like using these sites because they are both so accessible at all times and information can be shared immediately.
I make sure that I when I post a new listing I describe the property using words that give my audience a picture in their mind of what each property looks like. I love describing my clients’ homes, including their unique features, location, the neighborhoods and surrounding property. I think people, when looking for a home, know some of the basics they want, such as number of bedrooms, type of community (beach, golf course, gated), and what type of finishes they want. I let them weed out the ones they aren’t interested in and focus on the ones they are interested in right away.
With springtime now approaching, are there certain properties you expect to get more attention than others? How can sellers make their properties more marketable in the spring?
It’s different in Florida; due to the mild weather, our homes are always marketable. In Vero Beach, our daily average temperature is 74 degrees. And with so many days of sunshine, our grass is green and flowers blooming nearly year round. It also means we have many more days in which to keep the exterior of our homes nicely maintained.
However, we do see a large influx of people during the “winter” months of November through April, when it’s colder up north. Our seasonal residents as well as vacationers take this opportunity to tour homes and neighborhoods, looking for their next place to call home. With so many great neighborhoods and beautiful homes to choose from, we remind our clients to keep their homes “show-ready.”
