Tim Murad: People Are The Heart Of Realty
By Lisa Howard
REAL ESTATE INVOLVES A LOT MORE THAN SHOWING HOUSES, realtor Tim Murad points out – it’s a “relationships” business. On average, he works with clients for three to six months depending on how long it takes for them to find their dream home, do the closing, and move in.
“In almost four years of being a full-time Keller Williams realtor, I’ve made so many friends! Because that’s what my clients become,” he says. Whether their clients are buying or selling, realtors need to work closely with them to understand their wants and needs and how those factors fit in with the current market.
Last year was a particularly challenging time for anyone involved in real estate given that the traditional timeframe for selling homes was pushed back several months. “March and April are typically the hottest selling months because families want to move over the summer and be settled in before school starts, but that hot streak didn’t get started until midsummer of 2020.
Now we’re seeing more of the traditional market,” Tim explains. He anticipates the market to remain competitive, though, with sellers typically receiving multiple offers over their asking price if they price it right. “If you over-price a house, it’ll sit on the market forever even if the market is hot,” he warns. “Sometimes home-owners have a vision in their head of what they think their house is worth, but that doesn’t necessarily reflect the state of the market.”
Another factor in the upward trajectory of selling prices has been a shortage of new housing. Ever since the recession in the late 2000s led to fewer new homes being built, construction has not gone back to pre-recession levels. That puts more demand on existing houses. The trend was starting to reverse…and then the pandemic hit. Construction costs, in particular, have gone up in terms of both materials and labor. “And on top of that, the pandemic also changed where people want to live,” Tim says. “Because a lot of people can now work remotely, they no longer have to live so close to their place of employment.”
IT’S FAIR TO SAY THAT BEING A REALTOR THESE DAYS IS COMPLICATED! But that hasn’t dimmed Tim’s appreciation of real estate. As a kid, he loved drawing houses and buildings, an obsession that led him to become an architect. His work at an architecture firm eventually took him to the IT department, where he stayed for many years.
Ultimately, though, he wanted to get back to working with people, so he combined that with his architectural experience and became a realtor. “I can look at homes and help guide people to decide if they want to do renovations or additions,” he says, “and I can take what the inspector is trying to explain and put it in layperson terms for the buyer.”
Along with understanding the nuts and bolts of a home, over the years, he’s also acquired expertise in how cities interact with their residents; he has served on several City boards, including the Berkley Planning Commission, the Berkley Downtown Development Authority, and the Berkley Area Chamber of Commerce. As a longtime Berkley resident, he was also the chair of the committee that worked on the Berkley Public Library renovations back in 1998.
Despite having a strong Berkley base, Tim works with clients all over Metro Detroit. Still, he isn’t shy about his feelings regarding our city. “From a real estate standpoint, Berkley is one of the most desirable cities in this area right now,” he says. “I’ve always said to people that it feels like you’re in a small town in the middle of a big city. Everybody knows everybody and is welcoming, yet you’re minutes away from big art museums, sports teams, concert venues, you name it. It’s a great place to live and to raise a family.”
Tim Murad Realty | 423 S Washington Ave., Royal Oak, MI 48067 | (248) 288-3500
https://tjmurad.kw.com | Tim@TimMurad.com
