Page 117 - South Mississippi Living - March, 2021

story by Lynn Lofton
photos courtesy of Gulf Coast Association of REALTORS®
REAL ESTATE
The State Of
Residential sales are great in South Mississippi, according to President Jayne Robinson and CEO Joe Rogers of the Gulf Coast Association of REALTORS® (GCAR).
“Business is good,” Robinson said.
“We have one of the lowest number of listed properties we’ve ever had. The low interest rates are a big part of that.”
Rogers points out that a year ago the average home selling price was $183,000 with 2,200 active listings. As of the rst of February there was an inventory of 1,300 active listings and the average selling price was $214,000. “That’s a huge increase,” he said. “The last time we had numbers like that was after Hurricane Katrina.”
In addition to low interest rates, he says other factors are that more people are working from home and want more space, some are relocating from large cities
to smaller communities, and the local economy can still depend on the impact of federal government installations here
that didn’t close.
Robinson stresses that members are
following all safety protocols during this time. “We don’t want to put anyone in danger,” she said. “A lot of showings have moved online with live video chats.”
GCAR stands in the vanguard for its 1,650 members. With roots going back to 1925, the association stretches from state line to state line and is the second largest REALTORS®’ association in Mississippi.
“In addition to the three Coast counties, we have members in George, Greene, Stone and Pearl River counties and
some from out of state,” Rogers said. “Our members are part of the 1.5 million REALTORS® in the country,
and we are pledged to follow the Code of Ethics of the National Association of REALTORS®.
Robinson says the main bene t the association o ers members is the Multiple Listing Service, which provides the sharing of listings and cooperation among
real estate professionals.
The GCAR assists members with
professional development and continuing education. “Also, we advocate for private property ownership rights and give our members access to NAR’s bene ts,” Rogers said.
Robinson, who’s with the Real Estate Marketplace, misses the social networking and charity events the association hosted before the pandemic. “We’ll get back to
it when we can,” she said. “Now we’re having lunch and learn events on Zoom.”
141 DeBuys Rd., Gulfport 228.896.3122 www.gcarealtors.com
SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living | www.smliving.net
March 2021 | 117
Jayne Robinson
Joe Rogers