Written by: Vanessa Molina Santamaria • March 8, 2021• Cutler Bay Real Estate

Client-Focused Real Estate

Luxury real estate firm The Home Boutique Realty seeks to fundamentally change the process of buying and selling residential property. That’s because licensed real estate broker and owner Lori Lopez has no interest in selling every single home on the block. Instead, Lopez and her team of six agents ignore the cookie-cutter one-size-fits all approach in favor of providing tailored services that fit the individual needs of each client.

“There are so many facets to residential real estate – from buying and selling your primary residence to investing in properties that will serve as homes for others,” Lopez says. “I opened The Home Boutique to service only residential real estate needs and made it a point to create a company where our clients can be assured they are working with a knowledgeable, ethical, trustworthy agent throughout their transaction.”

The Home Boutique Realty is a client-focused real estate firm that prides itself on delivering the best service and best solutions for buyers and sellers.

The team works closely with Lopez and are in constant communication with her throughout their transactions. They work as a unified team sharing experiences, knowledge, and suggestions along the way. It is important for real estate firms to be constantly in communication to ensure that they are doing what they can for their clients, this includes looking into how a Florida, New York, Texas transaction coordinator, wherever the firm is based, can help facilitate this professionally.

A Customer Centric Foundation

Lopez’s unique approach to focusing on client relationships began while working as an Investor Relations Associate at a Coral Gables investment firm that manages hedge funds. It is in this role that she learned the importance of educating her clients, so they could make informed decisions about buying or selling investments.

This approach works exceptionally well as a broker since real estate is an industry where clients can easily feel lost during the buying or selling process without appropriate guidance. Lopez realized that the better her clients understood the process of buying or selling a home, the easier it would be for them to achieve their goals.

“Every transaction is different and has its own unique backstory, challenge, goal and path,” Lopez says. “Some are easier than others, but none have ever been the same. It’s a constant learning curve with new challenges presented whether they be due to market conditions, an unmarketable home, or even a global pandemic.”

The Current Housing Market

Because of the challenges we’ve all faced this past year, the need for exceptional Realtors that can provide much-needed council as an investment advisor is now more important than ever. Although we are experiencing historically low interest rates, we are also dealing with housing inventory that does not meet current demands.

“To put it simply, sellers are still sitting on the sidelines giving buyers limited options to buy and this is driving home prices up,” Lopez says. “This is a great advantage for sellers right now, but affordability is not as favorable for many homebuyers since income levels aren’t keeping up with the increase in home prices.”

The pandemic has also had an interesting effect on buyers and what features they’re looking for in their next homes. Some homebuyers are scrambling to find manufacturers of small houses, which have proven to be reliable investments over the past decade. Low maintenance costs, small mortgage deposits and cheap insurance have greatly enhanced the appeal of small home builders. While location remains an important factor, many buyers are less location sensitive and more focused on spacious interiors and open kitchens, extra room for a home office or gym, and backyards that offer plenty of outdoor living space.

Tips from a Real Estate Pro

If you are considering buying a home between now and 2022, Lopez has several takeaways for you. “Talk to your loan officer first before looking at homes,” she suggests. “Guidelines for qualifying for a mortgage change frequently, especially now with COVID-19. You may have qualified for a loan a year ago, but today, you may not.”

And the second takeaway? “I’d have to say in a market like this where bidding and losing bids on a home is common, it’s easy to feel like you may be swindled into overpaying for a property,” Lopez says. “But remember the meaning of these words: Fair Market Value. It’s the price agreed upon between a willing buyer and seller. In a market like this, the appraised value and Fair Market Value may differ and that is OK. Offering over appraised value is a great tactic to winning a bid on a home. Don’t be shy about doing so if you have the ability to. It makes your offer stand out and could be what’s necessary to get the home.”

Most importantly, she says, you should hire someone you trust and who you can be honest with. The process of buying and selling is a team effort so make sure your team is a good one.

The Home Boutique Realty, located at 8603 South Dixie Hwy., Suite 218, specializes in several neighborhoods, including Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay and Cutler Bay. Call Lori Lopez and her team at 786.368.1317 or visit thehomeboutiquerealty.com for more information.

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