I am a licensed Realtor here in central Florida, Lakeland being my full-time market, my home, and my happy place! I am a listing agent, buyers agent, property manager, Real Estate instructor, and Broker-In-Charge of two La Rosa Realty branches in South Carolina — as well as a full-time mommy, ongoing student, and volunteer. My days are busy and filled with hard work and love for what I do!
As a South Carolina native, I went to college at USC, and I have been in Real Estate since 2014. It is my passion to help others achieve their dreams, let it be as a first home buyer, investor, new agent, or someone in search of their next dream home.
The Lakeland real estate market
The past year has been intense for everyone, and the last few months have been no different, especially for the Lakeland Real Estate Market! For Lakeland (along with many other areas) March was a seller’s market! This means that there were more people looking to buy than there were homes available, many listings were receiving multiple offer situations, and being sold over their listing price! Mortgage rates have been the lowest they have been in years, which is contributing to the sudden overflow of buyers!
Lakeland has 48 neighborhoods so it may seem like there is a lot to choose from but it is also one of the fastest-growing cities in population. In March of 2021, Lakeland home prices were up 21.1% compared to last year, selling for a median price of $251K. On average, homes in Lakeland sell after 10 days on the market compared to 27 days last year. There were 435 homes sold in March this year, up from 375 last year. So my advice for Buyers and Sellers in this super-competitive market would be:
for buyers
I recommend hiring an experienced agent who knows the local market and how to negotiate multiple offer situations! I also recommend getting pre-approved prior to house shopping or making an offer. This will make it much easier to move quickly on making an offer when you find the perfect home.
for sellers
I recommend contacting an agent to do a detailed price analysis of their home as home values have increased dramatically. That agent needs to be someone who has a plan to handle multiple offer situations to get you the most money possible! Sellers in this market want to be as prepared as they can be for a quick sale if their home is priced well and this comes from working with the right professional.
Marlana Alvarez, REALTOR®, specializes in bringing together buyers and sellers of residential property and facilitating great transactions that move people forward. For more information on what Marlana can do for you, please check out her Facebook @realtor.marlana.
