Sean Becker grew up in Northwest Portland and experienced the gentrification of the neighborhood first-hand. He watched biker bars become pizza shops, run-down commercial spaces become trendy boutiques, and abandoned houses transformed from shabby to chic in a decade. It left him with an impression that is lasting, and it hooked him on real estate at the local level. His career in real estate began in 2004. Sean's first role put me at the center of the condominium market working on many of the high-rise complexes located in the Pearl District and Portland’s South Waterfront. During this time he led a talented team of brokers and administrators managing sales and operations at on-site showrooms. This experience proved to be a valuable education in anticipating and responding to the challenges unique to the Portland real estate market. By focusing on the big picture and high volume nature of inner-city real estate development, he was able to expand the reach of my clientele. The culmination of my years of experience is now Sean Z Becker Real Estate. Now focusing on the majority of his work representing individual buyers and sellers of single-family homes and condominiums in addition to continuing his work with urban developers.
Now the Q & A...
Thanks for being a spotlight for Harlo Interactive. Sean, what is your profession and what do you enjoy most about what you do?
We are a residential real estate brokerage, specializing in selling residential homes here in Portland. I love meeting new people and seeing the different parts of the city. When you do real estate you really have your finger on the pulse of the city. What I enjoy most are the wonderful interactions we have with different types of people every day.
How have you made Sean Z Becker Real Estate stand out amongst the other Real Estate Brokerage in the City of Portland?
We work hard to provide a high-level custom experience for all of our clients. We’re not cookie cutter and we’re not a franchise. We specialized in the old-school, face-to-face approach in business.
What are some the latest trends in the Portland market you would offer to a potential client?
Obviously there is explosive growth happening in Portland right now. What we offer is experience and first-hand knowledge about the growth in these different neighborhoods and where we see them growing. That goes for housing as much as it does retail. We understand the trends of the city.
How is the Real Estate market in Portland Oregon today? Can you provide us some pros and cons?
It’s very competitive. The housing market in Portland continues to be highly desirable, and the city of Portland continues to be highly desirable. You have a big influx of people moving to Portland which is putting pressure on the housing market.
The definite con would be the traffic. When you have that many people moving here, it makes it harder for people to buy homes and makes for congestion. It pushes pricing up. So it goes both ways, it’s both good and bad.
Buying or selling a home is a big step for people, why is that and how do you gain the trust of your clients?
When someone buys or sells a piece of real estate, 99% of the time it’s triggered by a big life event. A baby being born, marriage, death, divorce, debt, job transfers, etc. Life events in and among themselves cause stress. So the majority of real estate transactions are driven by life events which tend to be a stressful endeavor in people’s lives. It’s sometimes less about the actual transaction and more about everything going on in everyone’s life. When someone is going through this life event and buying or selling a home, they are on a journey. Whatever their journey is, we’re with them during it. We’re sharing that journey and that experience from the day we start working together to the day we close and beyond.
How do you win the hearts of your clients?
We’re believable, and that’s because we’re down to earth and honest. One of the taglines we use is “real estate goodness.” It’s where interaction transcends transaction. We want people to feel great about what they’re doing. We try to practice it all day, every day, even on Sunday.
The deals come and go, but we’re trying to really connect with people on a meaningful level. And understand that people are going on a journey, a big life event. So we’re patient, we listen, and we try to be a good partner for them.
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