CHRISTOPHER WHITTEN, broker and owner of Premeer Real Estate in Smithfield, was recently named the 2021 Rhode Island Realtor of the Year. The award recognizes one of more than 6,000 Realtors throughout Rhode Island for their dedication to the Realtor organization and their local communities. Whitten, a former radio broadcaster, is a past recipient of the Rookie of the Year award from the Realtor Association of Central Massachusetts.
What led you to go from radio broadcasting to the real estate industry? The year was 2008. I was coming off an eight-year run as co-host of a top-rated morning show in Providence at Cat Country 98.1 FM. Radio broadcasting and DJing were my only areas of expertise. I had found myself at a crossroads in almost all aspects of my life and knew it was time for a fresh start. I wanted my next career to have the same flexibility radio had, to be there for my three young boys, meanwhile leverage the hundreds of relationships I had built with our loyal listeners and the community. I had discovered that 96% of being a great Realtor is relationships and trust. So, I made the plunge and jumped in headfirst.
How was handling the high-paced real estate market this year? I was thankful I swapped out my old-school alkaline batteries for the longer-lasting lithium-ion ones a couple years ago, as 2021 was filled with long, productive workdays and weeks that blended together. As with any high-paced job, you need to be organized, have trusted systems in place and a great team around you. When all is working in unison, there’s no limit to what you can accomplish. But the most important task of them all is knowing when to recharge those batteries.
Was it surprising that the market was booming given the pandemic is ongoing? At the onset of the pandemic, we all braced for a very slow and dreary housing market. Yet, after the first few weeks, we quickly realized how vital the housing market was to not only the economy but our overall physical and mental health. Our home was also now our gym, workplace, vacation spot, pub and movie theater. With rates and inventory at record-breaking lows, it was clear where the market was heading, and we needed to adapt to this sudden surge.
Do you anticipate the market will continue at its fast pace next year? I’m an analogy guy. Months before the pandemic hit, we were cruising down the highway on cruise control at a steady 65-70 mph. When the pandemic hit, we tapped the brakes for a few weeks in the slow lane, then quickly threw on our left “blinkah” and floored it. At times early last year, we were maxed out around 95 mph. It was a wild and crazy ride. However, data shows the market is becoming more stable. We’re still going over the speed limit due to continued lack of inventory and low rates, but it won’t be the fast and the furious action we saw earlier this year. My predictions for 2022 are in line with most of the housing economists I follow: smoother sailing around 75 mph, with no major detours in sight.
