Spring Market Reality Check

One week in spring might give your listing a real edge but only if you do the work that makes buyers say “yes” fast. We share fresh local real estate market stats for Henderson County, North Carolina, then zoom out to what the numbers mean for real people trying to buy, sell, or invest across Western North Carolina and upstate South Carolina. If you are watching interest rates, wondering about home prices, or feeling the pressure of longer days on market, this conversation helps you sort signal from noise. 

We dig into Realtor.com data that points to a mid-April window (April 12 to 16) where listings tend to get more views, sell faster, and see fewer price reductions. Then we bring it back to what actually moves the needle: preparation, pricing strategy, and marketing that matches today’s buyer behavior. We also share a snapshot of the local picture, including 1,600+ single-family homes sold in the last 12 months, inventory that remains limited, average prices holding around the mid-$540,000s, and a noticeable rise in days on market for recent sales. 

The second half tackles artificial intelligence in real estate. We talk about how AI can improve speed and communication, where it can mislead, and why “high tech with high touch” is the future. From Zillow-style estimates to the Jarvis paradox, the point is simple: tools are helpful, but trust still happens across a table, during a showing, and in honest advice tailored to your situation. 

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Transcript

Welcome And Market Cycles

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Hello, friends. Thank you so much for being here. This is the George Real Estate Group podcast, which is a production of our live weekly radio shows hosted on multiple radio stations here in Hendersonville, North Carolina. The George Real Estate Group serves Western North Carolina and upstate South Carolina, and it is a privilege to share positive news about our local real estate market and community. Thanks so much for subscribing. And of course, if you have any real estate questions or if we can help you in any way, be sure to reach out. Visit us at George Real Estate Group Radio.com for more information. Good morning and welcome to the George Real Estate Group Live Radio Broadcast here on WHKP every Thursday morning. Bring you positive news about your local real estate market community and updates on the market and conversations, and just grateful to be here with you. We're here every Thursday morning. We've actually been doing this radio program since 2011. I've actually had my real estate license since 2005, and it's been a uh quite the journey in 21 years working in the real estate uh industry and in our community. Helping, we've had the privilege of helping over 1,600 families throughout the years with their real estate, whether it's their personal home or real estate investments or land or developments, or or we've helped our our families with 1031 exchanges and their estates and in helping. Again, life happens, therefore real estate happens, and we just try to keep perspective on, you know, when when everybody's curious always about the real estate market, what are prices doing, what are the numbers, and you know, what are interest rates, and there's always this ebb and flow. And the thing that's consistent is you know, life is keep keep life keeps moving forward. We we certainly saw that through through COVID. We saw that through Helene, you know, we we've seen that through the ever-changing real estate markets, and there's the all the cycles of the market, and there's really you know, we've touched on this before. There's four cycles of the market. You know, you have the top of the market, you have the downturn, you have the bottom of the market, you have the recovery. And you know what's interesting? You never know when you're at the top until things start going down, just like you never know when you're at the bottom of the market until things start going up, and there's this ebb and flow of the real estate market. And well, and we'll touch on that today. We'll touch on the the numbers, we'll touch on the conversation, we'll touch on the ever-changing technology, and you know, the and we've seen how technology has has changed over the years. And and from when I first got my real estate uh license, just the the the slow um you know embrace of the internet in regards to real estate and technology and social media and smartphones and now and then today we'll talk about even just the the uh evolving embrace of artificial intelligence, AI, and that's certainly all over the news. We'll touch on that. Again, if you're tuning in for the first time ever, welcome. The George Real Estate Group, we're located in in Flat Rock. We serve all of Western North Carolina. We we work in Bunkham County and Haywood County and Rutherford County, in Transylvania County, in Polk County, and you know, and the upstate South Carolina. So if you're thinking of buying, selling, or investing in real estate, we'd love to interview for the job. Uh there's never any pressure or cost or obligation. It's a confidential consultation. We'd love to have the conversation. You can call us directly, 828-393-0134. 828-393-0134. Stop in and say hello at our office. We're there on Rainbow Row and Flat Rock. Our friends at Hubba Hubba Barbecue have opened up for the season. They came out of hibernation. They always enjoy that winter break, and then they open up in this time of year, certainly with spring. Uh, we had you know first day of spring last week, and again, so much to be grateful for and thankful for. And you can find us online, realistate by greg.com. You can follow us on our social media, Facebook and Instagram, and on our podcasts. Be sure to follow us on our podcast. We we've been uh growing our subscribers on our podcasts and uh grateful to connect with you there on your favorite. It could be Apple, Amazon, Spotify, you know, wherever uh you listen to your podcast, be sure to follow us. Uh, we'd love to uh connect with you there. And and again, if we can help you, if you're just curious what your home is worth, if you're curious about you know the market and where prices are and interest rates, and then we we are here to advocate. And it and it could be your personal home, maybe you're buying your first home, and maybe you're threading the needle of selling and then buying, or or maybe you have the ability to buy and then sell. There's all types of scenarios, and so we'd love to help. Uh, we'd love to connect. And we're growing, we're hiring more agents. And and this has been uh a privilege to to grow our team. We have 20 plus agents at the George Rules group, and and we'd love to partner with you. We're growing, we're hiring more agents, we're hiring, we're just growing. And it and this has been, I mean, the market's the market, and we've and it's we've experienced this. Here, here's the interesting thing. Over the last you know, 12 months in Henderson County, there's been over 1,600 single family homes sold. That's not including condos and townhomes and land, but 1,606 single-family homes sold in the last 12 months, and the market is moving. It continues to move, and we we've seen the the the market the spring, this time of the spring. I mean, this is where you know a lot of things are are coming into place. There's this moment every year, the weather's better, you know, buyer more buyers are out, you know, the in full force, and then the sellers who who are wanting to you know time the market, which that's another conversation we, you know, the timing of the market, the you know, it really is really what's best for you. But the the this is where this time of year, they've actually have data from realtor.com that says this moment that's coming up uh every year is here's the thing, they've actually pinpointed a specific week, April 12th through the 16th. And and I know what you might be thinking, can one week really make that much of a difference? But according to the data, the answer is is yes. And let's let's break it down. That during that week, homes typically get about 16 to 17 percent more views than a normal week. And it's not just a small bump, it's it's more showings, more online views, more competition. And in a market where you know buyers have options right now, attention is everything. And so, because the more people that see your home, the more likely you're you are to get strong offers early. And so, you know, this is where it really gets interesting. Homes listed during this window actually sell about 17% faster. And and it gets, again, according to the data, and that think about it. We we've been in a market, we are in a market where homes days on market's increasing. It's it's a bit of a slowdown for you know, the the market take it's taking longer for homes to sell, but for whatever reason, during this one window that week, things move, and and so momentum builds quickly, and momentum in real estate, that that's what drives price. And so that's another interesting stat that that jumped out according to realtor.com is during this mid-April week, this mid-April window, there's about 19% fewer price reductions. And it's and it means sellers are coming in strong, they're staying strong, they're not chasing the market down, they're they're trying, and they are hitting it right the first time. Another fasting headline number is homes listed during this week can sell for about 5,000 more than the average week, and that's as much as 26,000 more than homes listed earlier in the year, and that's real money. That's not theory, it's not hype, it's it can be about timing, meeting preparation. So, this is the thing about the national trends and and certainly here in our local market. I I've shared you know, some hundred and thirty some single-family homes a month selling. Our inventory is still low. I mean, right now on the market in Henderson County, right now, only 452 active single-family homes on the market as of this morning. And so, you know, the thing is buyers watching, they're waiting, they're wanting to see the new inventory. And guess what, though? When the home is priced right and it hits the market, buyers are taking action, they're pulling the trigger. And so it's really this is it, let's be let's be really candid. It's not about listing your home for the perfect week. It's it's really about you being prepared and the timing and in the right opportunity. So it's the sellers who are winning in this market are the ones that aren't rushed, they're the ones that prepared, the ones that are getting ready. And so, you know, getting ready might look like a fresh a coat of paint. It might be, you know, fresh mulch in the flower beds. It could be decluttering and cleaning, and in it's about being strategic. I mean, what are things worth updating or upgrading? What are things that you should just leave? Or what you know, here's the thing. What is it, what actually matters to buyers? And maybe you were a home that was on the market uh and didn't sell, and and maybe you need to reframe and restart and have a fresh start with a fresh marketing. And so this is where pricing combined with marketing and preparation, and the reality is it's not about that specific week, and it's not about that window. And so, you know, you know, homes are selling year-round, and it's not just a one-week opportunity, it's really about this. We have this spring opportunity coming up. You know, we're we have been full swing. I mean, actually, even in January and April, we've it's sorry, January and February. We've had we've had some tremendous months with our group. We're March is strong. We're just here's the thing. We're all we're all in right now, and and and we're meeting every single day with buyers and sellers who are preparing and the ones that are getting ready to hit the market. We have a lot of new inventory. The the thing is, if you're thinking about buying or selling, it's it's it's about being prepared, it's about having the conversations and having the right team. It's not just the real estate professional from the attorneys and the lenders and the inspectors and our surveyors and our uh tax strategists. I mean, it's working together and having the conversation. Now's the time to have the conversation. It's there's it's not, you know, there is certainly an increased demand in the spring, but guess what? Year-round homes are selling. We we have evidence of that. We're we're literally working with buyers and sellers all year round. But a lot of people love the spring market, of course, and and we'd love to talk with you. Again, you can call us directly at 828-393-0134. 828-393-0134. You know, we continue to see, again, in the last 12 months, there's been about a hundred more homes sold in the last 12 months versus the previous 12 months. That's significant. Uh, home prices are holding, they've come down slightly. If you look at the the current 12 months versus the previous 12 months, it's there's been a slight uh drop. Not not a lot, but a slight drop uh in the price. I mean, we're still in the 540s for the average single-family home price. I mean, less than a 1% change in the average single-family home price. But you're every home's unique and different, every situation is you unique and different. I will tell you this though, the days on market, days on market are getting longer. You know, the time from you know going on the market until going under contract. That the work we're in the in January, in February, uh, we are in the 80-day range, uh, so over two months now for those homes that sold in January and February, uh, which is an increase. There's an increase in the days on market. It's just homes are sitting on the market longer. Um, the number of the the amount of inventory, which is really interesting, the amount of inventory that hit the market through the end of February was actually down 20% here locally. And we typically will see here in fet in March and April more homes hitting the market. Uh, the homes going under contract have been steady. Uh, number of homes closed uh was down about 7% when we look at just January, February. But the market, here's the thing the market's the market. When you price it right, when you position it correctly, working with the right real estate agent and team. Again, all these things come together, and we'd love to have the conversation. There's no pressure, there's no cost, there's no obligation. You certainly can can can give us a call, 828-393-0134. You know, certainly a uh conversation that's front and center right now is is about artificial intelligence. And and you know, would you trust an agent who uses AI to help sell your home? Now, maybe the question is, would you trust one who doesn't doesn't use AI? And and because whether we realize it or not, we are living through one of the biggest shifts in how real estate and honestly life works now. And in real estate, right now, there's only two types of agents there's those are who use artificial intelligence, AI, and those who are falling behind. And I've seen this throughout my 20-plus year career, you know, that how we adapt to change, and we've seen this before. And it's not just about writing listing descriptions faster or posting more on social media, it's how we adapt to change. And we've seen this with the internet, the adoption of the internet and and uh you know, internet marketing, social media marketing, smartphones. Every time we see people who lean in early gain an advantage. I remember very early in my career in 2005 when I first got my real estate license, the well, first off, the um uh embrace of digital photography, the embrace of you know internet marketing. I remember you know, in 2005, sellers were demanding to see their home listed in the newspaper. And if I I'd come from the internet uh industry working with some startup.coms prior to my real estate career, and I'd embrace the internet early, embracing then also embracing social media early. But this is it's happening faster than ever. And here's one here's the thing about AI. If you've not heard this this comparison, AI is like um nuclear power, and and it can power entire cities, and of course, we know the the downside of nuclear, if used the wrong way, it can be devastating. It's here's the thing about AI it can create better marketing, it can improve communication, it can help real estate agents move faster, it can give clients better results. On the other side, it can spread information, it can give you incorrect information, it can remove human touch, it can be used carelessly or unethically. And so the question is the question isn't should we use AI? That decision has already been made. The real question is who is using it well, who's using it responsibly, and who is still putting people first. And and here's the thing at the end of the day, real estate isn't about houses, it's about people, relationships, families, uh, you know, finances in in the future. And no matter how advanced technology gets, people don't trust AI with those decisions. They trust someone sitting across from them. And and and here's the shift I think is happening right now. As the world becomes more digital, as AI becomes more powerful, in real life, you know, IRL becomes more valuable, the conversation at the kitchen table, the showing where you walk through the home together, the honest advice, and the moment where you say, Here's what I would do if I were you. And so these moments, they're they're not being replaced, they're becoming the difference. And so who the agents who are going to win moving forward and helping their clients aren't just the ones who use AI, they're they're not the ones who ignore it either. And it's the ones that combine high tech, the systems, the speed, the leverage, and the high touch. It's it's relationships more than ever, the trust, the presence. And so artificial intelligence can help. It can help with the the technology, but it it does not replace judgment, it does not replace care or integrity or connection. And so, you know, if if we're being honest about AI, the biggest danger with AI isn't just bad information, it's it's disconnection. It replaces the conversations with convenience. It it's hiding behind screens, and it's be it's becoming more efficient, but less human. And so the you know, are these tools and the and the question to consider are these tools to get closer to people or or letting them create distance in the future isn't human versus AI. It's it's human with AI versus human without it. And and the ones who win are they won't just be the most tech savvy, they'll be the ones who stay the most human. And this is where we're seeing this every single day, the conversations that we're having with our clients, the the connection, the you know, the context, the story that we're we're we're able to be uh witness to, empathetic witness to our clients and and how real estate impacts their life and their choices. And this is where it's more important than ever before to have an entire team working together. And this is where you know, if you're thinking of buying or selling and you want the both best best of both worlds, this is where technology you know gives an edge, but it's the in in real life, in-person guidance that you can trust. And so we're having conversations every single day across the table from one another, where we we want to understand the dreams, the goals, the challenges you're facing, and and then we can help navigate and put together um a process and a plan and and and clear and and guiding choices and decisions that we're when we're working with our clients, we we have the the AI as a tool, but it it can't replace um you know just again the the true connection and relationships. And and so you know, we are seeing how the adoption, you're either you, you know, this is what we saw with the internet, we saw this with social media, and you know, and if your agents not uh embracing or utilizing AI, it it can be the truth is the gap is growing between the two types of professionals, those are learn who are learning how to use AI, um, and those who are slowly becoming less competitive. And it's and it's not about technology, it's the it's the adaptation. It and it's not about replacing humans. It's it's it's in it's it's again it's it's it's adding value and and adapting. And so that we're seeing this the shift happen. We saw we saw this with the internet, we saw this with social media, but but again, all those things never replaced the real estate agent. It was the agents that embraced those things to give a competitive edge ultimately to their clients. And so we we are so grateful for the relationships, we're so grateful for our clients, and we have incredible agents, we have incredible, incredible staff and and clients, and again, working with our clients and navigating through navigating through the changes, and it and you know again how we're helping our clients where clients do that. This is like this is happening right now. We're seeing this, uh, we're seeing this how we navigate this through with our clients, and we'd we'd love to have the conversation, how we see this impacting our clients, and and we we are working with our clients and we incorporate the technology. But your your specific you know, your specific you know situation. I actually heard um about the the Jarvis paradox. This is where this is this is really interesting, the Jarvis uh paradox. And I don't know if you've heard about this. If AI, the idea goes actually like this, and I'm really going down a rabbit hole, but it's so interesting. If AI becomes powerful enough to run your life perfectly, you may stop developing skills needed to run your life at all. So this paradox is you know, the more helpful and capable AI becomes. the less capable humans may become, which makes us more dependent on AI, which accelerates the the cycle. But you know, this is why this this is where, you know, the here's the thing. The goal isn't to uh avoid AI. It's meant to empower and ultimately not outsource. This is where the danger can happen. It's the it's the outsourcing thinking completely. And this is where it doesn't replace the the it's meant to enhance, it's meant to add value. And okay you might say well what's Jarvis from you remember the movie Iron Man? And Jarvis was the computer that ran everything for Tony Stark. He said it scheduled his life it answered his questions it it solved problems before Tony even knew they existed and so you know this is where again here's the thing we the idea is the more powerful AI becomes the less we actually may actually think for ourselves but you know don't get me wrong AI is incredible but this is this is the tension of of AI right um and we've actually seen this with GPS right we stop memorizing directions and smartphones we stop remembering you know phone numbers and and autocorrect we stop paying attention to spelling and so this is this is the thing AI is a tool it's a powerful one but this is we gotta be careful it's meant to enhance our thinking not replace it. And I think it's the difference that you'll see where again when those that maintain and and again are challenged with their thinking that are thinking critically this is where the real advantage becomes something different. It's the advantage is actually becoming more human in a world where everyone has access to the same technology the difference is being more human and so this is the the more advanced technology gets this is and I touched on this earlier the more valuable real human connection becomes and so if you are thinking about real estate if you're thinking of buying or selling if you're thinking about trying to make sense of the market from one human to another we're here to help you think through it person to person and and again technology is powerful AI is powerful but relationships still win and and this is where we're embracing technology but we're leaning into relationships more than ever I've already experienced it. I had to talk to the Lowe's customer service line it was artificial intelligence. Have you driven through a fast food place recently and realized that the person talking on the on the a on the on the drive through is artificial intelligence the we're seeing it creep into our lives now and and you know what it it it maybe it's efficient but it it doesn't you know we value and we're gonna value human connection more than ever we're gonna value the the the trust of a human and and we are seeing again AI isn't I I it's gonna be interesting but if you're not you know thinking about it or leaning into it I mean we are embracing AI to to help us but it's not going to replace the human i at least that's again I could be wrong but here's the thing in real life and this this is what we call IRL intelligence in real life awareness being present using discernment there's emotional intelligence there's real conversations and so ironically in a world in a dig in the digital the the more the digital world becomes the more valuable the human traits become and so there's the balance between using AI leveraging it helping us be faster and sharper but it doesn't and the again not replacing our thinking our instincts our gut you know our relationships and so this is where what's happening right now in real estate it's the balance and in someone who knows how to use AI without losing what makes you human. And so here's there's a lot of noise out there in the real estate market. There's a lot of noise um navigating it but if you're trying to make sense of it all don't just rely this is why why by the way let's Zillow when they were doing the zestaments I mean they even disclosed that 80% of the time they were within 20% there's the the they've never seen your home again AI might be able to give you answers but wisdom still comes from people not just relying on algorithms having a real conversation and we're here at the George Real Estate group to help you think through it clearly strategically and most importantly personally so it doesn't the the power of sitting across the dining room table from someone is is more important than ever. That's why I mean again we lean into in-person conversations if you're able to come into our office we want to meet with you if we need to come meet with you and sit at the dining room table with you we will sit down with you. This is the importance of relationships and we are leaning into personal relationships more than ever. We've had the privilege of helping over 1600 families throughout the years we we're so grateful for the relationships we have with our clients and our agents and our staff and in our community we'd love to help and this is talk about the importance of our community we are we're committed to shining a light on the difference people are making in this community and this is why we have for years sponsored the Hometown Hero Series the Hometown Hero Series uh sponsored by the George Real Estate Group this week we we have Victor the owner of BTM food trucks and he has one of his trucks on Spurnbrook Highway if you've not stopped by you should you should he's got another one in Fletcher but he's been caught giving away food and taking care of people during the storm and many other occasions he's incredible and we're gonna love getting to meet and know Victor with BTM food trucks tomorrow morning at 845 shining a light on incredible men and women making a difference in this community tomorrow morning 845 is going to be no exception to that but this is where it's relationship driven we certainly embrace AI we we take it with a grain of salt we we utilize it but again it's the relationships that are more important than ever. You can call us directly at 840 828 3930134. Let me say that again you can call us directly at 828 3930134. You can find us online at realestatebygreg.com oh by the way we have two open houses you can find that on our social media this Sunday one from 12 to 2 and one from 2 to 4 hosted by the Amy team find that on our social media but have a great day have a great great week we'll be here tomorrow morning and thanks so much for tuning in the house feels a little too big these days the stairs a little steeper the pace of life a little too fast. But what if your next move wasn't about letting go it was about making space for peace for freedom for what matters most at the George Real Estate Group we understand that real estate isn't just about the house it's about transition timing and trust we've helped thousands of families in Western North Carolina make smart possible moves closer to nature closer to family closer to home so when you're ready to write size, simplify or start fresh, we'll be here the George Real Estate Group local, trusted proven call us today 828-3930134. Find us online at realestatebygreg.com because your next chapter deserves to feel just right.

SPEAKER_00 30:28

Thank you for listening to the George Real Estate Group podcast. Tune in next time for more industry news updates and real estate tips. You can reach Greg, the George Real Estate Group at 828393 0134 or at realestatebygreg.com