Dawn Gagliardi is a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Realty. She and her business partner, Abby Dudarewicz, are on the top-producing Corrado Team. A former attorney, Dawn is a fierce negotiator and zealous advocate for her clients. With over 250 transactions under her belt, Dawn brings real-life business experience to the table to help her clients navigate the unique Connecticut housing market. We spoke with her about the real estate market and the trends for 2024.
Q. What's the market like right now?
A. The market in central Connecticut is still hot and very much a seller's market. With interest rates down slightly, we're still seeing multiple offers on homes with most going above asking price. Especially in a popular town like Glastonbury, there is so much pent-up demand which continues to send home values higher.
Q. What should I consider if I’m thinking of buying or selling?
A. Timing is key. Many think if they wait it out the market will slow down and prices will drop. But with the interest rates set to drop this year we're expecting a very busy summer market with more price increases and competition getting even more fiercer. For sellers, it's all about home preparation and presenting your house in the best light possible.
Q. What’s the benefit of working with a local agent?
A. It's extremely important. Our market is very competitive and a good agent knows how to make your offer stand out and get accepted. For sellers, a great agent can guide you through the strategy of preparing your home for sale, including staging, decluttering, painting, and any other improvements that can add value to your home. They will also make sure the pictures of your home look great and will market the home well to catch buyers' attention. Most importantly, they will guide you in pricing your home appropriately so that you get as many offers as possible, which ultimately will drive the price up.
Q. What changes do you see coming in 2024 for local real estate?
A. Interest rates are already coming down and are predicted to come down even more by the summer. With that drop, we expect to see an influx of buyers who were waiting to purchase, and the market is going to be very hot again. This is great news for sellers, and good news for buyers as far as buying power. However, competition will get much tougher when purchasing a home, so it's even more important to have a great realtor on your side.
Q. What is the most common question you get during the home buying and selling process.
A. A lot of people ask if they really need an agent. The answer is an emphatic YES. A full time, top producing real estate agent is the best investment a seller can make, because we will get them the best price for their home, and we will make sure they don't spend money where they won't see a return. We also manage the showings, open houses, review offers, and make sure once you accept an offer that all of the dates in the contract are met and that everything stays on schedule. It's a lot of work and you want someone who is a professional and knows how to manage everything with skill and professionalism. And for buyers it's a no-brainer - without an agent you're far less likely to get an offer accepted, and typically buyers don't have to pay a thing! Plus a good agent will have all of the best professionals you will need during the transaction
Q. How have those questions changed in the last few years with the market changes we’ve seen?
A. I think folks are being more thoughtful about the whole process and asking more questions in general. This can be a challenging market, and they want to know they have the right people in their corner, whether it's getting a great price for their home, or winning a bidding war to get the home of their dreams.
Dawn Gagliardi - Corrado Group at Coldwell Banker Realty
481 Buckland Road, South Windsor
860-810-3237 (c)
860-604-3809 (o)
Dawngagliardirealtor.com
On Facebook: @dawn.mikulastik
On Instagram: @dawndoesrealestate
A good agent will have all of the best professionals you will need during the transaction in their back pocket, like lenders, home inspectors, insurance agents, contractors, and more.
Taking the time to stage your home and do all of the small improvements that will add value, as well as having amazing pictures, will get more buyers interested and will ultimately drive up the price they're willing to pay for it.