Since being appointed the Vice President of Sales for Reynolds Lake Oconee Properties in 2022, Karen Saltzbart has been hard at work helping increase the Reynolds Lake Oconee Properties dominant market share by expanding on the service excellence both buying and selling clients have come to expect from the full-service brokerage. In our latest blog, we sat down with Karen to chat about her predictions for the year, home trends she's seeing, and what helps set her team apart from every other brokerage in the Lake Oconee area.
As the market leader in buying and selling real estate at Reynolds Lake Oconee, what’s your prediction on real estate trends in 2023 at Reynolds Lake Oconee?
I anticipate another strong year in the real estate market here at Reynolds Lake Oconee for 2023. As we transition this year to a more traditional real estate market than we have experienced in the past three years, we will continue to see growth and stability, however, property inventories remain tight, especially with new home sites. This continue dynamic of limited inventory, high demand, and continued investment in the community help to keep property prices high.
Looking ahead, I’m very bullish about the property releases in Richland Pointe Village, Richland Pointe, and The Homesteads.The Homesteads. As of today, everything that we’ve released in all three of those areas has been sold. These new releases will include lakefront, lake access, and wooded homesites in Richland Pointe; a collection of ready-to-build cottage lots in Richland Pointe Village; and a handful of the additional expansive lakefront estates that have come to define The Homesteads; a truly one-of-a-kind offering, with under a hundred homesites spread across nearly ten miles of lakefront. These releases are exclusively offered by the Reynolds Lake Oconee Properties team, so I’m excited to see my team work diligently on aligning customers’ needs and desires to the perfect new homesite, cottage site, or existing home.
With a singular focus on exclusively selling Reynolds Lake Oconee real estate, what sets Reynolds Lake Oconee Properties apart from every other brokerage and agent at Lake Oconee? How does this exclusivity benefit a potential buyer or seller considering Reynolds Lake Oconee?
Well, that singular focus that you make note of is the key. We work with a lot of talented agents all around the lake, but at Reynolds Lake Oconee PropertiesReynolds Lake Oconee Properties, we are specialists, with all that the name implies. Unapologetically, we don’t claim to know, or want to know, every piece of land or structure for sale in Putnam and Greene Counties. What we know is Reynolds real estate, like no other agent or brokerage – local or otherwise. We live the Member experience daily, understand the rhythm of clubs and events, and have daily access to subject matter experts in all phases of club operations. Our agents are not distracted by, or obligated to, properties spread all over the area outside the gates. Our focus is only Reynolds and this singular focus has allowed Reynolds Lake Oconee Properties to represent sellers and buyers alike in the sale of thousands of properties since 1987.
What are some trends you’ve seen in recent years in new home construction?
Pools. More pools have been built in the last few years than ever before, but the kitchen of course remains the heart of the home, and we’ve seen recently that the kitchen is expanding. We are seeing sculleries, butler’s pantries with appliances, and magnificent outdoor kitchens around pools or on decks. There are also coffee bars off the kitchen, in the owners’ suite, or located off guest bedroom areas. We’re seeing beverage centers around the home too, with wet bars on the main living floor plus an additional bar or wine room. Spa bathrooms also continue to be a focus, with larger walk-in showers and beautifully shaped soaking tubs being designed in new homes.
A lot of new construction homes are being designed to be multi-generational havens with additional bedrooms or sleeping spaces for when kids or grandkids come to visit, so bunk rooms have remained important for guests of all ages. And let’s not forget game day entertainment areas with room for all to root for the favorite team or player, inside the home and out.
What are a few changes you’ve implemented since becoming Vice President of Sales for Reynolds Lake Oconee Properties?
With years of real estate experience as both a Broker Manager and successful real estate agent, I am passionate about the real estate brokerage business. The simple fact is, that I thoroughly enjoy every day with the team I work with. But, I have a bias for action and for constantly challenging ourselves to be better. For sellers, we have added cutting-edge technology to the listing process and refined the tools to show their homes as quickly as possible, to the widest possible audience. Partnering with our marketing team, we can get a listing taken today in hands of a relevant customer tomorrow; a customer not from a mailing list, but rather broad national and regional marketing efforts, and from which that customer has raised their hand and given us permission to contact them. For our agents, we have developed tools for them in the field that gives them immediate access to everything they need from plats, to text map directions, to comparable properties for an appraisal or to show, all at their fingertips now. For buyers, we continue as the exclusive agent for new offerings from the development arm, and to provide them with new and exciting opportunities, the sale of which helps fuel additional growth and development within the community. I also believe that real estate knowledge is important to everyone in a community - whether involved in a real estate transaction today or tomorrow - so I have implemented quarterly real estate updates that talk about the health of the real estate market in Reynolds Lake Oconee, as well as adding Featured Listings to the Member ‘Daily Rhythm’ email so everyone can see on a day-to-day basis what properties are available.
To learn more about the Reynolds Lake Oconee Properties team, see all available listings at Reynolds Lake Oconee, or discover all upcoming releases, click here.click here.
