John Murphy Presents Classification Talk on Real Estate

John confessed that he was not a native as he had lived in Portland until he was 10 years old. He attended Chevrus High School and graduated from UMO. Initially, he considered a management trainee position at B & M in Portland. However, Underwood, the parent company wanted to ship him to Missouri instead. Subsequently, John entered management for a local Lums franchisee with 5 locations. After a while, he grew tired of continually training assistant managers which often required relinquishing his week-ends. In 1972 he became a real estate broker.

John disclosed the pitfalls of the profession by calling our attention to the potential lethal hazard of a dog encounter while showing a property. In fact it is difficult to find insurance coverage for dogs. Next, he emphasized knowing who you are dealing with and admonished us to keep personal information separate from Facebook.

He described how technology had changed the practice. When he started his multiple listing book was a simple loose leaf finder. Today, smart phones are employed and most sales are obtained from the Internet. But, customers still want and expect traditional newspaper advertisements.

Today, there are approximately 3,500 brokers in the state as opposed to 9,000 years ago. Sales are up by 21%. The average price is up 4%. The average age for a first time home buyer is 27.  York & Cumberland counties account for most of the sales.

Bart Stevens, 2013 President of the Maine Association of Realtors, says, “We are now shifting from a strong buyer’s market to a more balanced market; this is territory in which many buyers and sellers have not been for a number of years. The Maine housing statistics continue to show incredible improvement each month. Now, more than ever, buyers and sellers need to make sure they consult with a Realtor knowledgeable in their market areas.”