Shopping for a Lifestyle

By Paige Tepping

RISMEDIA, Nov. 24, 2007-When you’ve been in the industry for just short of 25 years, it’s a guarantee that you’ve chosen to ride the wave of various trends sweeping their way through the industry. But for Mark Woodroof, partner, Prudential Gary Greene, Realtors, one “trend” that has staying power in real estate is looking beyond selling homes to sell lifestyles.

Mark Woodroof
Partner
Prudential Gary Greene, Realtors
Houston, Texas

Years in real estate: 23 Number of offices: 18 owned, 9 franchise offices Number of agents: 1,300 Region served: Greater Houston area Average sales price: $233,925 Average time on market: About 80 days If I wasn’t in real estate: “I have always talked about taking what I have learned and giving back to the community through teaching business classes at a local university. I could also see myself being involved in political activist work for the real estate industry.” On my career in real estate: “My time in real estate has been unbelievably satisfying, both professionally and personally. It has also been a very positive growth experience for me.”

Describe your current market conditions. The market in the greater Houston area is not like the markets around the country that we are hearing about on CNN. Luckily, we have not experienced the real estate bust and mortgage debacle that seems to be a common theme around the country. We actually have a relatively flat market, but in relation to the rest of the country, it is probably the best market to be in.

What’s on the minds of home buyers and sellers in your region? In our market, a person’s lifestyle is the main thing on their mind when looking to buy a home. Buying a home is not seen only as a financial investment anymore, but rather purchasing a place in which a lifestyle can be created. Buyers are looking to areas where the surroundings and the infrastructure support their desired lifestyle. We see communities springing up that have been promoted and marketed according to a lifestyle theme. Simply having “good schools” is not enough today-people are looking to move to communities that have more of a communal-type feeling.

How have you altered your services to keep up with the changing market? We have spent a lot of time and energy trying to understand the ways in which consumers want to do business with us today. We have provided ongoing enhancements to our marketing tools and interactive capabilities with our consumers so that we not only stay in contact with them, but relationships are developed much earlier in the process. Consumers are continually looking for a one-stop-shopping experience; therefore, we have modified our services so that we can offer them what they want, when they want it.

What do you like most about the region in which you work? The Houston area is a very vibrant one with a solid yet diverse local economy. Being home to the world’s domestic and international energy business, one of the largest ports in the country, NASA Johnson Space Center and a world-renowned medical center has offered a balanced local economy in support of the real estate industry. It is a nice place to live and to do business in as we have a stable and predictable marketplace. Our market is a great place for homeowners as they get a lot for their money.

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