But while summer is cancelled on the sales calendar, brokers have learned to adapt to the 12-month cycle by keeping in touch even when they are on the go.
“For better or worse” we have become a 24-hour society, said Kathy Braddock, who recently left Rutenberg Realty to launch the first New York office of the William Raveis brokerage.
“Years ago, people would wait for the Times’ Sunday real estate section to come out on Saturday at midnight if you were actively searching for something.
“The reality of the market is that certainly the internet has changed the way people work anywhere and the way we shop and live.”
Now, with websites like Streeteasy, Trulia, and Zillow, which can be one-stop-shop sites, and multiple news sites like The New York Times offering real estate listings, as well as comprehensive cell phone and iPad apps, real estate never takes a breather — even in the summer.
“As soon as something comes on the market, you get instant notification,” said Braddock. “You can be in Paris, Rome, the Hamptons — therefore the consumer, who is in the process of looking for something, is not going to put their search completely on hold for.”
Meaning the broker needs to be around to guide the process — a reason why having a small team can help share the load.
“In the summer, sometimes people to choose to cover for one another – no different from a trading desk,” said Braddock. “It’s not that they won’t take a vacation, it’s how they will work from where they are.”
And working from where they are is a breeze with an abundance of wi-fi, and video chat programs like Skype.
Braddock, who has been in the business for more than 20 years, recalled the time before smartphones and apps, when access to information was a very different story.
