Five Questions With: Elizabeth Kirk

Elizabeth Kirk, who got her start in real estate 13 years ago, formed the Kirk | Schryver Team in the East Bay in 2020 together with her partner, Lisa Schryver, and team members Jan Malcolm and Lindsay Mitchell. Recently, the team joined Compass Inc., the New York-based national real estate company making its mark in Rhode Island since acquiring Randall Realtors and Lila Delman Real Estate in January 2021.

Previously, Kirk and her real estate team were part of Residential Properties Ltd. The team continues to boast its ranking as the top-selling real estate team in the East Bay area.

PBN: Last fall, the Kirk | Schryver Team became a part of Compass. How did that happen and what has that been like so far?

KIRK: Compass presented us an incredible opportunity to expand the No. 1 independent brokerage in the country to the Greater Barrington community. As a Fortune 500 company with cutting-edge technology and a seamless marketing platform, we jumped at the idea of offering elevated services to our clients.

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We also love the collaborative approach Compass promotes throughout the agent experience. I am blown away every day by the tools Compass provides us. The fact that Compass recognized the strength of the Barrington and East Bay markets and chose us to help continue their expansion was an honor. We are thrilled to represent such an incredible, forward-thinking company.

PBN: What’s the temperature of the market right now in the East Bay, if you could give us a sense of what activity you’re seeing this winter?

KIRK: The 2022 market was unprecedented. We saw such low inventory and such high demand – almost every listing went to a bidding war. This time of year is traditionally slower, but we can already feel activity starting.

With rates on the rise, the national real estate headlines have been cautionary, however the Rhode Island market is a different story. In November, only 660 homes sold across the entire state. In the same month last year, 1,012 homes were sold. With inventory so low, prices are remaining at a near record high. The median sales price rose 9.7% year over year to $411,450.

Looking ahead in 2023, we predict our local market will remain strong because of our Blue Ribbon award-winning schools and special location on Narragansett Bay.

PBN: Going forward, how do you think the demand for luxury real estate will be in 2023 for Barrington and the rest of the East Bay?

KIRK: Barrington and the East Bay have always been highly desirable places to live, offering a quality of life so many realized they were missing. The peak COVID era saw people from much larger and more expensive markets such as New York and Boston making the choice to live in a place they loved.

One of my favorite Barrington fun facts is that the town is 15.4 square miles and 7.2 of those are water! That combined with the proximity to Providence and Boston make it a natural choice for an incredible lifestyle. We have four properties, including two luxury properties, closing in the next few weeks. That alone bodes well for the market.

PBN: You’ve been involved with a lot of multimillion-dollar home sales. Is there a real estate transaction in the past year that you’ve been involved with that stands out to you that you could tell us a little bit about?

KIRK: We are so proud of our leadership in the luxury market, but we do want people to know we sell homes at all price points and give every listing the attention it deserves.

But to answer your question – 35 Fessenden was an extremely special sale, as it marked the highest sale in Barrington since 2008 at $4.75 million. We originally sold the land to our clients who then built a stunning custom home. Marketing such a unique waterfront property was a career highlight and we were thrilled to get them a price – after multiple parties were interested – that set a very high bar in Barrington.

PBN: Having spent much of your career before that as a publicist for DreamWorks Animation LLC and Universal Pictures, what have these last 12 years in real estate been like for you after relocating to Rhode Island?

KIRK: My film marketing job had me always thinking three steps ahead for the celebrities I was working with. I was constantly troubleshooting and thinking on my feet. I treat my real estate clients the same way I would celebrities. I always try to anticipate issues and cover every angle to make the buying or selling process as seamless as possible. No sale or client is ever the same. Each one deserves the same special attention to detail our team has become known for.

Marc Larocque is a PBN contributing writer.