CHRIS WHITTEN, broker/owner of Premeer Real Estate in Smithfield and Uxbridge, Mass., was recently elected the 2025 president of the Rhode Island Association of Realtors. Whitten, who succeeds Sally Hersey, has held leadership positions in local, state and national Realtor associations, including the Northern Rhode Island Board of Realtors and the Realtor Association of Central Massachusetts. He is also president of the Premeer Gives Back Foundation, which has raised and donated more than $95,000 to local charities since its inception in 2019.
What are your goals for this year as president of the Realtors association?Communication and teamwork. Amidst a housing crisis here in Rhode Island, we plan to continue working together with our elected officials, business partners and community to create more housing units here in the Ocean State.
The creation of sensible accessory dwelling units, reduction of red tape for builders in clear buildable situations, repurposing of former mills, schools and office buildings into condo units, and thriving 55-plus communities are just a few ways we can pave the way to healing our housing crisis.
Along with a lack of inventory, what is one other notable challenge that the local real estate market is currently facing? Homeowner’s insurance. We are keeping an eye on the growing challenges of our buyers’ ability to secure homeowner’s insurance prior to closing day. With so many insurance companies on unstable ground and the ever-increasing national disasters across our nation, we’re seeing buyers struggle to secure homeowner’s insurance for the average, well-maintained home. Some insurance companies are starting to deny insurance if a 30-year architectural roof is 16 years old, even if it’s in perfect working condition. This is concerning and something we’re keeping an eye on.
HousingWorks RI’s recent annual Housing Fact Book states that not a single community in Rhode Island is affordable for any household earning the median income of $107,452 a year. How concerning is that and what can the association do to help address it? This statistic always crushes us. However, we do know that it’s also the case in neighboring states and in many other thickly settled cities and towns across the U.S. Inflation over the last few years has really hurt affordability in the housing market. But rest assured that we are doing what we can to make strides for affordable homeownership here in Rhode Island. It’s one of our top priorities, not only this year but for many years to come.
Do you foresee the housing market becoming more affordable in the coming year? Why or why not? As much as we would love to say otherwise, all trends lead to a continued rise in median sales prices here in Rhode Island. The lack of inventory and new construction, combined with being a much more affordable option for those being priced out in the Massachusetts market, has projections of our median price continuing to increase throughout 2025. It’s simple supply and demand.
