Hillsboro realty broker sees uptick in home sales
Re/Max Realty Cafe is seeing a resurgence of business after a nearly three-month period of inactivity.
Cort Dietz, a broker and owner of the business at 10890 Hwy. 21 in Hillsboro, said real estate is a sellers’ market right now because people who stopped looking for homes at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic are ready to buy.
“July was one of the strongest months we ever had,” he said. “August was a very big month, and September is going to be huge. October looks like it will be our biggest month ever. A lot of that is pent-up demand because people were not buying.”
Dietz said the real estate market practically came to a halt in April as stay-at-home orders went into effect across the country.
“The faucet was turned off,” he said. “New business coming in was shut off. That didn’t feel very good, and we were concerned.”
But, the concern has subsided now that buyers have re-entered the market and sellers are receiving offers for 8 to 10 percent higher than the prices homes were predicted to sell for, Dietz said.
Dietz also said he is confident people can buy homes safely. He said agents wear masks and gloves when showing homes, and that sanitizing efforts have increased.
Re/Max Realty Cafe also offers 3D virtual walk-throughs and video tours of homes on the market.
“We had been doing video tours and 3D scans for five or six years,” Dietz said. “They have become valuable for a different reason. Before, they got people interested. Now, we have sold homes (to people who) have never walked through the house. That is different.
“It is important technology because it keeps people safe while looking at houses.”
