Seaport Real Estate Services Blog

Are you a rowboat or a sailboat real estate professional?

“ Sometimes the path you’re on is not as important as the direction you’re heading.” Kevin Smith

In the real estate industry, like many other industries, knowledge is a highly valued commodity.  The generally accepted thinking is that the more time you have in the business, the more knowledge you have amassed, and that cumulative knowledge can be used for the benefit of your clients. This is certainly true.

It is also true that over time you have been a participant in more transactions which gives you a wealth of experience in dealing with a variety of situations. This experience and situational awareness that can only be developed over time can be of tremendous value to clients.

Our industry then, is one in which knowledge,…

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Zillow Group - A Catalyst for Change

It may be time to push the chair back from the table and stand up to the behemoth before us.  We as real estate professionals should not be threatened or scared of the paradigm shift that is currently taking place in the industry. We must embrace change and be nimble. There is an opportunity for the Brokers in this country to come together as one. An opportunity to create a portal that will enable the real estate industry to grow and thrive indefinitely.

Let’s back up a few years and look at Zillow’s business model. Zillow proposed to add value to the consumer by offering a Zestimate.  The Zestimate made the consumer flock to www.zillow.com .  The consumer felt that they now had a tool offered by a disinterested third party that made the Appraiser…

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Now is the Time

Despite our typical beliefs, now is the time to place your property on the market. Consumer confidence is as high as we have seen in the past decade due to low interest rates and historically low gas prices. 

The abnormally high number of sales in the lower price ranges will be having a ripple effect throughout higher price ranges in the  months to come. 

View our latest video on this topic below or https://youtu.be/DSE3NZLBmQw

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Incredible Commercial Property Hits The Market in Downtown Mystic

Click here to view the marketing packet for this  property.

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High Performing Real Estate Group Offers Rebate, Seminar, and possible Closing Credit.

Seaport Real Estate Group of William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty and two local reputable lenders will be hosting an informal open discussion regarding the current real estate market and if it is the right time to buy, sell, hold or rent. Get answers to your questions and find out if you are eligible for $1,500 towards closing costs and a 10% rebate of the agent’s commission to be paid outside of closing.  Only those individuals attending or registering for this event will be eligible for the rebate and credit.

This event will be held at Divine Wine at 275 West Main St in Niantic. Ken Turcotte, Owner and wine educator will graciously be hosting and speaking about wines as well.  This deal will only be offered to the first 25 buyers and…

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Should My Realtor be Local? Finding the Right Realtor

I get it..Your Aunt Jenny, Cousin Uma or Brother Sam just received their real estate license and you feel compelled to utilize their services in order to keep the peace within your family tree which happens to be shaped like a wreath.  STOP BEING A PLEASER as it is you who will be adversely affected by the negative outcome of utilizing an agent who is not at the top of his/her game.  Next Step…

You just located a Superstar Agent or team of agents but they are located over 30 miles away from you.

15 Years ago I would have recommended that you utilize the services of a location specific agent as they really had their finger on the pulse of print advertising. Today print advertising is simply a tool for agents to market themselves in an attempt…

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You Will Fail Unless you become a Gardener.

Being a real estate professional may be one of the toughest careers you can choose as your initial results are not directly correlated to your hard work but rather to the choices that you make.  I liken this profession to that of a gardener who initially works alone. 

Your first goal is to find a piece of ground that is rich in nutrients and near a sustainable water source.

Your second goal is find a few healthy seeds to start your garden.  Each customer that you are blessed to come in contact with is like a seed whose species is yet to be determined.  You must take extremely good care of each and every seed to make sure that they have a chance to mature and potentially bear fruit…… Not ever knowing if any of your seeds will make it to…

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“I Don’t LIKE, TRUST, or BELIEVE Real Estate Agents”

These are the words that I continuously hear from consumers in the open market in regard to the real estate profession. Instead of pushing back and getting defensive I have chosen to look at the commonality of this mindset and find shared ground and ask “Why?”

Could it be that 80% of the agents in the marketplace turn over every 4 years?

Or that 94% of the work is done by 6% of the agents?

The 94% will handle only a handful or transactions and make many mistakes due to a lack of experience at the expense of the consumer. Everyone knows someone with a real estate license and feels that the license makes them all equal. Not True. Buying and Selling Real Estate is a huge investment and should not be entrusted to a novice. Long gone are the days of…

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Municipal and State Conveyance Tax in CT Updated 3/22/18

Public Act 11-6

I am writing in an attempt to clear up any confusion about the current conveyance taxes in the state of CT.  There has been some confusion since the laws changed.

When you sell property in the state of CT you are taxed on both the Municipal and the State Level.

On the Municipal level you will be taxed at a base rate of .25% of the sales price plus up to an additional .25% in 18 “Targeted Investment” municipalities.  Towns that are eligible for the additional .25% are Bloomfield, Bridgeport, Bristol, East Hartford, Groton, Hamden, Hartford, Meriden, Middletown, New Britain, New Haven, New London, Norwalk, Norwich, Southington, Stamford, Waterbury, and Windham.  Unfortunately all of these towns have elected to embrace the .25%…

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Within Noank Village there is a Hidden Gem

Noank Village is not just a wonderful place to own a home, it is a special place to live. There is a quality of life and a quality to life here that is unmatched. Situated on a peninsula at the mouth of the Mystic River, the sun reflects off the water on three sides giving the village a special glow. Noank is also imbued with a unique community spirit that shines forth in the longest running continues annual Memorial Day Parade (since 1875) and the annual Holiday Carol Sing and Tree Lighting at the park.

Noank’s history is reflected in the beauty of its homes. Because surrounding deeper waters were advantageous for shipbuilding, Noank developed several thriving wooden shipbuilding yards during the 19th century, including one of the largest in the…

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