The Houston Association of REALTORS® is making headlines! Here’s a look at some of the media coverage our organization has received over the past few weeks.
HAR’s May 2013 MLS news release, reporting a 24th straight month of positive sales that pushed average and median pricing to record highs while sending the supply of homes down to 3.3 months of inventory, generated coverage from mid- to late June in the following media outlets:
CultureMap Houston
Examiner Newspapers
Houston Business Journal (online and print editions)
Houston Chronicle (online and print editions as well as Prime Property real estate blog)
Houston Community Newspapers
KHOU-TV (11 News)
KPRC-TV (Local 2)
KRIV-TV (Fox 26 News)
KROI-FM (News 92 FM)
KTRH (NewsRadio 740)
KTRK-TV (13 Eyewitness News)
KUHF (Houston Public Radio)
HAR worked closely with Montgomery County media, providing housing data for separate stories about real estate trends in The Woodlands and surrounding communities. Chris Cotelesse, with The Courier of Montgomery County, wrote a June 15 story about growing demand for rental homes as well as commercial property. Reporter Brian Welzel, with Community Impact Newspaper, wrote a detailed feature about how The Woodlands is in the midst of a seller’s market. His story, published on June 13, featured an interview with HAR board member Amy Smythe-Harris.
CultureMap Houston real estate reporter Ralph Bivins cited HAR data in his June 17 story about growing interest in Houston and around the country in the luxury home market, with many buyers paying cash for multi-million-dollar properties.
HAR Chair-elect Chaille Ralph and HAR board member Tim Surratt spoke to KTRK-TV/13 Eyewitness News consumer reporter Jeff Ehling about the critical market exposure some home sellers miss out on when their homes sell as pocket listings. The story aired in the 10 p.m. newscast on June 21.
CultureMap Houston real estate reporter Ralph Bivins interviewed HAR Chairman Danny Frank for his June 28 story about the effects of rising mortgage rates on the housing market. Danny explained that while higher interest rates will not bog down sales, they are more likely to slow the refinancing of mortgages.
The effects of higher interest rates on Houston-area home sales was also the focus of a July 1 story by KTRK-TV/13 Eyewitness News consumer reporter Jeff Ehling. He interviewed a local mortgage lender and HAR Chairman Danny Frank. Danny explained, “I think it’s going to push the people to make a decision to buy a home right now. That’s why I think it will make the market even stronger than it is today.”
HAR assisted Houston Chronicle real estate reporter Nancy Sarnoff with her July 4 story about Chevron’s plans for a 50-story downtown Houston office tower. HAR’s commercial division – Commercial Gateway – provided her with square footage and number of stories data for the largest buildings in Houston’s Central Business District.
HAR also provided home sales data to KUHF/Houston Public Radio anchor-reporter David Pitman for his July 8 story about whether Houston is in a housing bubble.
China’s Xinhau News Service dispatched their Houston correspondent to write a story about how Houston’s surging job market has driven the current housing boom. HAR facilitated interviews with HAR Chairman Danny Frank as well as HAR International Advisory Group member Bob Cai and the story was published on July 7.
On July 10, Inman News reported on the HAR.com Consumer Research Panel’s latest survey which concluded that most Houston consumers are unaware they are working with a REALTOR® when buying or selling a home, while others don’t know the difference between a REALTOR® and a real estate agent.
These stories and more are available in the HAR Online Newsroom at www.har.com/newsroom as well as in HAR Connect.
