Main image courtesy of The Business Journals. 

It’s safe to say that 2020 was one of the worst years ever. With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the nation, many people losing their jobs or home, college students graduating and struggling to get a job to pay off their debt, and many places going out of business, there’s no doubt that everyone has been affected by the events of 2020 in some sort of way. With all the disappointment that 2020 has brought, what we should do instead is look at all of the good things, even if it’s only a few, and reflect on what good we have received and the lessons that came out of a horrible year. 

For HER, REALTORS®, 2020 was an extraordinary year filled with lots of success with records being made with selling houses. On the housing market in Central Ohio, sales have reached an all-time high, selling lots and lots of houses for almost all of 2020, even with a pandemic in full swing. HER Realtors marks 2020 as a year that they won’t ever forget with success within their jobs, providing safe housing during a pandemic, and booming  sales in the Central Ohio area.

Who are HER, REALTORS®? 

Get to know a little bit more about HER, REALTORS® and their success!

Now, since central Ohio has done amazing with record housing sales in the devastating year that was 2020, we know for certain you want to know how exactly this happened. Well, thanks to HER, REALTORS®, they have been able to provide and sell homes for singles, young couples, and even families, to help create a milestone in their lives that they’ll never forget. 

HER, REALTORS® displays and sells houses in Ohio and northern Kentucky, and they are even known as one of the top realty companies in Ohio. In fact, they say their associates sell more homes than any other agent or brokerage in Ohio. Now, that’s huge! They sell homes all throughout Ohio in cities, and suburbs outside of popular parts of the state, such as Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland, Dayton, Toledo, and even areas in Northern Kentucky in many different small, and quaint suburbs. 

If you want a little more background on HER and how they started, then you have to continue reading! HER, REALTORS® was founded by a man Harley E. Rouda Sr. in 1956, and over the years it has turned into one of the biggest real estate firms within the United States. Harley E. Rouda Sr. was recognized for his talents and became nationally and even internationally known for being one of the original pioneers when it comes to real estate. 

HER originally started in the basement of his home in Upper Arlington, Ohio and his success and his ingenuity became widely known. This made him and HER, REALTORS® one of the most successful real estate firms by 1964, and even remains in the top almost sixty years later. As of today, HER has over 1,250 associates and 82 offices to provide you with the best experience when it comes to buying your first home, second home, or even your third home!

How Good is the Housing Report in Central Ohio?

It’s that good, trust us. You’re going to want to see how this has been one of the best things about 2020!

With the sad part of 2020, which was the COVID-19 pandemic (that is still ongoing), many people losing their jobs, and just the overall sadness that the country has seen, many people decided to take 2020 and make it a year to remember instead of one to try to forget. The way that they have done this is by buying homes to make new memories in. Now that’s something to be happy about!

According to Columbus REALTORS, central Ohio has seen homes selling at all-time highs, but are also being sold in record time, which many people would think would be unheard of, but they managed to pull it off. With this being said, inventory for houses is very low for central Ohio, which once again is something that wasn’t expected during a pandemic. This occurred all during the first eleven months of 2020.

During December of 2020 was where homes sales really increased, making up about 12.7% and overall sales for homes in central Ohio are up by 3.6%. What is extraordinary about this is that it takes up about the highest sales in Ohio history! 

What was also found very interesting when it comes to the amount of homes sold this year was when they were sold. Usually when children go back to school, or the holidays approach, the decrease in sales goes down drastically, but this wasn’t the case. Since many kids are going to school online and many people are now working from home, instead, people went out and bought houses. This combined with low-interest rates on homes changed the mind of many people, causing the sales of housing to go up. 

Homes that were under $350,000 were mainly responsible for the amount of homes that were sold in central Ohio, thus helping to make 2020 a year to remember for many people. Most homes that are listed under $350,000 are considered to be starter homes, or homes for first-time buyers. It can be difficult to go from renting for so many years, to buying a house for the very first time, especially for a young couple looking to make memories in their very own home. 

This is an incredible feat for central Ohio and especially HER, REALTORS®. Something as big as buying a house has helped many different people through a time where things are extremely difficult. Central Ohio hasn’t seen a boom like this in housing for years, and it’s important to note how incredible this is. 

How Does This Compare to Housing Sales in 2019?

2019 was a good year for housing sales in central Ohio as well, but 2020 beat it by a long haul!

Alright, so you thought that 2020 was good for central Ohio, which it most definitely was, don’t be mistaken. 2019 was a good year as well, but it didn’t come anywhere close to beating the results of 2020 even with the global COVID-19 pandemic. Let’s break down the difference between the success of 2019 versus the unthinkable, yet incredible success of 2020. 

The inventory for homes in central Ohio in 2019 was a lot higher, and about 5,000 homes could be found, giving first-time house buyers, and small families a chance to pick and choose from what they like versus what they didn’t like. This year however, with the boom in sales obviously means that there would be less to choose from. In 2020, the inventory had a little bit over 2,500 homes, about half of what 2019 had to offer and percentage-wise was -45.3%.

Now the cost of the homes sold between the two years didn’t differ as much, but there was still a noticeable difference. Homes actually sold at a higher price in 2020 compared to 2019, the difference being about $15,000, which doesn’t seem like a lot when it comes to housing, but it makes a significant difference. Overall, houses in 2019 held a median price of $242,000 and in 2020, the median was $265,000.

There were over 300 more sales in houses in 2020 compared to 2019, and what’s impressive about houses on the market in 2020 was that they didn’t stay on as long. To break it down, on average houses in 2020 stayed on the market for about twenty days, while in 2019, houses usually stayed on the market for about 33 days. This definitely makes a difference when it comes to the number of houses being sold. The less amount of time that houses are on the market, the more that you are able to sell, and to central Ohio’s surprise, this is what happened in 2020.

We could go on and on and keep talking about the different statistics comparing 2019 and 2020 in their housing reports in central Ohio, but that might be too boring. What really makes 2020 memorable was the things that the country faced during that time, with seeing an economic hardship, and many people still trying to find their way around it and make a better life for themselves and their families. 

Why You Should Choose HER, REALTORS® Compared to the Others

If you want to experience the best housing experience possible, then choose HER!

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It can be stressful to find the best realty company to go through when you’re buying your starter home, or if you’re moving and want to find the best people to work with, helping you to not only get to know the area, but help you find the home of your dreams. If you’re currently living in Ohio or even northern Kentucky and are wanting to move on from renting, or have recently moved and only want the best to help you find the perfect home, then go through HER, REALTORS®!

In 2019, HER, REALTORS® was named the #1 selling real estate company in Ohio and even ranked #80 nationwide. They are known as being an innovative company that sells unique homes to people of all ages to help them check off the box for the next huge milestone they’ll make. HER offers lots of different properties in trendy and hip neighborhoods, along with selling cost-effective houses in many different areas around the state of Ohio and the northern parts of Kentucky.

In 2019, HER, REALTORS® accumulated a sales volume of about $2.5 billion, which is amazing for the state of Ohio. Ohio in general is a cost-effective state to live in with cheaper gas prices, cost of rent, utilities, and the list goes on, but with that being said Ohio is a great place to live in. If you’re thinking about moving to Ohio, or other areas that HER Realtors covers, make sure to check them out and give them a chance to help you find a home where you can make memories for many years!

Well, there you have it! Even though it doesn’t seem like it would be possible for 2020 to be a good year when it comes to selling houses in central Ohio, it has been made possible. With selling a record high amount of properties, HER, REALTORS®, along with many other realty companies in Ohio have made it possible to make 2020 a year that they will never forget.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has been tragic for the United States of America with how it has affected many people in so many different ways, in other ways, it helped people to make big changes in their lives. With moving into a brand new home in Ohio, or even anywhere around the country and making it their own, 2020 is a year to remember in good ways and bad ways. We should remember the good things about it instead, and remember the record year of houses sold in central Ohio!