The Neighborhood Experts at Platinum Real Estate offers a unique rebate program to incentivize local heroes to buy or sell a home
By Patricia Nugent
On Memorial Day we honor and remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice and fallen in service to this country.
For Denise and Mark Zervos, who own The Neighborhood Experts at Platinum Real Estate, this is a special day of commemoration. Their patriotism is personal, and their gratitude also extends to living service people. In showing their thanks, this caring couple and company are in the go-big-or-go-home category.
To honor our local heroes, and thank them for their service, Mark and Denise founded the Heroes Program several years ago. Special cash rebates are offered to police officers, fire fighters, EMTs, active and retired military personnel, educators, doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers when buying or selling their home through Platinum Real Estate.
“Two years ago, we expanded the program to include teachers and healthcare workers, because, in the wake of the pandemic, these folks are truly unsung heroes on the frontlines,” she adds.
The Attitude of Gratitude
“This is our way of saying a big thank you to these inspiring and courageous folks,” says Denise. “Our community owes them a debt of gratitude. These are the people we want to keep as neighbors. Even family members of these heroes are eligible for the rebates.”
Each applicant can receive up to a $1,000 rebate. The last several years, the company has given more than $40,000 locally, reports Ben Bindokas, the Platinum agent who oversees the program. He has been a local firefighter and paramedic for the past 17 years and says it is a point of pride to be able to offer it to his fellow civil servants.
Strategies to Win in a Hot Market
Denise points out that the spring market is heating up.
“We are still in a sellers’ market, with fairly low inventory of homes on the market in Lake County,” she explains. “A hot spot of demand the past month or two seems to be in Mentor. And condos are coming on and off the market quickly, too. We continue to see multiple offers come in and new buyers looking for a new home. Something we’ve been doing lately is putting together properties that have not come on the market yet and matching them with potential buyers, so the seller doesn’t have to worry about open houses or showings, and the buyer doesn’t have to worry about getting into a bidding war. We use our expertise to help negotiate the best offer for both parties.”
“Even though interest rates have increased, and are predicted to jump more this year, home values are staying higher than normal and activity is still quite strong,” she says. “The number of homes we sold in April—251—was robust. Even more impressive is the number of homes we have under contract, 539. The average number of days on the market was lower in the higher price ranges, which is interesting. For instance, homes $400,000-$500,000 only stayed on the market for 18 days.”
Denise says that the rising interest rates are not a hurdle to the current market.
“I believe homeowners are looking at the indicators and asking themselves if now is not an excellent time to sell…to strike while the iron is still hot,” she says. “Because we don’t know for sure what lies in the future, I suggest those who are on the fence give us a call and we can offer advice on what they can realistically expect if they sell now.”
Platinum Real Estate has 16 offices in Northeast Ohio and Columbus and nine in Florida. To get more information, call 216-990-2100 or 440-974-SALE or visit YourNeighborhoodExperts.com. And to find out more about and apply for the Heroes Program, go to PlatinumHeroes.com.