For longtime Palm Springs realtor Brady Sandahl, real estate is more than selling a house.
Sandahl, CEO of the Brady Sandahl Real Estate Group, says that it's also about providing a great customer experience and helping clients navigate the market to find the perfect property for their lifestyle. His team, he said, strives to provide Ritz-Carlton-esque service to every single client.
"I'm extremely passionate about real estate, so helping people understand that the properties they choose to own and enjoy—or rent—can create the lifestyle that they're looking for," Sandahl said. "There's a direct correlation—whether it be a personal enjoy home, a secondary home or an investment property—with funding how you want to live."
After working in the corporate world in the Pacific Northwest, Sandahl sought out sunny skies in Palm Springs. He's been working in local real estate since 2004. With 12 years of corporate experience, Sandahl says his group's approach to real estate is to determine the number of clients that it can take on by the level of service it can offer to each individual customer.
"We built our growth based on our ability to deliver exceptional customer service, so we've taken a concept where each person does one thing really well, paired with the gold standard taken from the Ritz-Carlton, to deliver a customer experience which truly accomplishes their real estate goal," Sandahl said. "And that surprises and delights them along the way."
When Sandahl relocated to Palm Springs 17 years ago, he did so because the real estate market in the area was projected to be one of the strongest around as the boomer generation retires and relocates. The market remains solid, he said as a strong current of money moves from large markets such as Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco into the desert.
"That's primarily because of the fact that people no longer have to work in those cities," Sandahl explained. "They can now work in the desert virtually. They want to move out of those highly-congested cities into Coachella Valley."
Palm Springs offers more bang for a buck, too, with both real estate and life in general less expensive than giant metros.
"The lifestyle is much better here than what they would have found in their primary or previous city," the realtor said.
Coupled with exceptionally low interest rates, buyers are able to find bigger, nicer houses with a lower price tag as the inventory stabilizes. They're able to get into luxury real estate or purchase an additional property for passive income.
The U.S. real estate macro-market still leans in favor of sellers and, while some local neighborhoods still reflect those trends, Sandahl said that many Coachella Valley areas are beginning to see price reductions.
The market is still slightly competitive with buyers still paying on average 2% more than the asking price, but Sandahl encourages those looking to move in Coachella Valley to make sure they come into the market knowing what they're looking for and to stay hopeful.
"We're starting to see properties expire, which means that the buyers who are looking don't agree with the prices or the value that the seller is trying to have them pay," Sandahl said. "For that reason, I would say that we're already in correction mode, meaning that prices will come down, naturally and rightfully, which will help keep the economy moving forward."
