CONTRIBUTED CONTENT — For Joe Eves, real estate is all about the people and being able to play a small part in their hopes and dreams.
“It’s about taking care of people,” the Red Rock Real Estate realtor told St. George News. Professional yet personable, Eves said he strives to make everyone’s experience a very pleasant one.
To that end, the most important thing for him is always being there for his clients — no matter the time of the day.
“I do business how I would want someone to treat me,” he said.
Eves was born in Ogden and raised in LaVerkin. He is a family man who said he understands it’s a big deal to buy or sell a house. Having been on both sides of the coin himself, he knows exactly how stressful the process can be. He said occasionally he has clients text him at 1 a.m. in a “freak out,” and while that’s not necessarily his preferred time to be working, he said if he doesn’t answer his phone, he will always text and call back no matter what.
With five children, that can be hard sometimes, but thankfully his family is very supportive.
“Sometimes I have to walk outside. My wife tells me, ‘Don’t come in the house until you’re done doing your business,’” he said with a laugh.
Eves’ father was developer who worked in real estate, and at first, Eves wasn’t interested in following the same path. Instead he started by pursuing a career in computers and internet marketing, but after six years in business, he closed shop and took all his experience into real estate full time.
“The satisfaction I get is when I help a client,” he said. “They don’t know the process, but they love how flawless and easy it was rather than the horror stories they may have heard.”
Lately, he said one of his goals has been to increase marketing to help clients get as much exposure for their properties as possible.
“A lot of people, when they look at homes these days, look at them online before they actually step through the doors. I want to get as many eyeballs as possible on my clients’ homes.”
After six years in the business, Eves is more passionate than ever about helping people. He recently went back to school in April to finish earning his broker license. He said it has been some extra work but well worth it, because the more he knows, the more he can benefit his clients.
As one of the original 12 realtors of Red Rock Real Estate’s current staff of over 160, he said it has been awesome to see their growth and success over the years. In the beginning, they were little, he said, but they had really good people, great morale and were serious about real estate.
Eves said the secret is out about Southern Utah, and people are attracted to the area for a myriad of reasons, from great schools to the beautiful climate and abundance of outdoor activities. But he said if he’s being honest with himself, it’s all about the pickleball, something he tries to play at least twice a week.
“It’s the very best place in the nation for pickleball,” he said, adding that he has met many people who have moved here just for the sport and its long playing season due to the great weather.
As to why he personally loves it so much, he said that, much like real estate, you get to know people and learn everything about them.
“Pickleball’s a very social sport, and it’s a sport that is very inviting and open. I do a fair amount of business that I got on the pickleball court. And you get to play,” he said. “It’s good for all ages.”
‘The market is self-correcting right now’
Eves said the days of listing homes at the top of their potential price range may be over, and sellers must really look at the market. Referring to August’s housing market report released last week, he suggested people take an honest assessment of their home’s value and be aggressive when deciding on its price.
More homes were sold this August compared with last year, he said, and the average home list price rose from $445,000 to $476,000, with the median home price in August 2018 at $363,500 compared with this year at $380,000. The average sale price also increased from $328,023 to $348,129, an increase of 4.5%.
Despite the positive numbers, Eves also noted that the average number of days a home stays on the market has gone up from 51 to 66 days since last August. In real estate, almost two weeks is a big difference, he said. When the average days on the market become longer, he said that’s when he expects to see prices start going down a little bit.
“I don’t think it’s going to drop dramatically. Interest rates are still really good,” he said, but added “if you’re listing it high and hoping you’re going to get close to that, that’s not going to happen.”
He said there is too much inventory to choose from right now, especially in the $450,000-$525,000 range.
“Our absorption rate, it’s longer, so it takes longer to sell a house, which means there are going to be more homes on the market.”
It is just simple supply and demand, he said.
“The market is self-correcting right now. “
Eves said buyers and sellers are savvy, and he believes if they have a good agent that helps them, they can still definitely find or make a good deal.
He welcomes everyone to come into his office and meet him to see if they’re a good fit and then come up with a plan to move ahead together.
Red Rock Real Estate is located at 90 E. 100 South, St. George. Eves can be reached by phone at 435-817-1265. His current listings are available on his website.
Written by ANDREW PINCKNEY, St. George News.
• S P O N S O R E D C O N T E N T •
Resources
- Joe Eves, Red Rock Real Estate | Address: 90 E. 100 South, St. George | Telephone: 435-817-1265 | Joe Eves website.
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