Top-producer Melanie Bowen, of Howard Hanna Strongsville, lives and works in the community she sells in
By Laura Briedis
With 30-plus years experience in real estate, Melanie Bowen is honed in on the ever-changing local real estate market. From record-high 18% mortgage rates in the early 1980s, to the new home construction boom in Strongsville in the 1990s, to the robust market the past two years, she has been in the middle of it all.
As one of the top producers in the Howard Hanna Strongsville office—ranking in the top 5% nationwide for home sales—she knows this market well, as she lives and works in the city she has called home for decades.
“We still have a very low inventory of homes and lots of buyers looking,” Melanie says. “We are averaging just 15 to 20 listings in Strongsville, in a community of almost 50,000. It wasn’t that long ago when there would be more than 400 homes for sale in the city at the same time.”
This current market bodes well for those looking to sell their home, but also for those looking to buy a new home.
“We are still getting multiple offers on some homes, which are driving up sale prices. Homeowners are getting top dollar for their homes right now,” she says. “But on the flipside, it still is a good time for buyers as many are still waiting for interest rates to go down, so there is a little less competition. I always educate my buyers on how to make their offer competitive and help them find a house now, then just refinance when the interest rates drop again.”
Melanie is well versed working with both homeowners and buyers and helps people looking to build a new home. “Most people don’t realize when building a home, it costs the same whether working directly with a builder or having a real estate agent,” she says. “I can offer assistance during the home-building process and act as a consultant. And while Strongsville is completely built except for one more area, there is so much new construction in neighboring Columbia Township, which provides more of a countryside setting but with all the conveniences of the nearby stores and restaurants in Strongsville.”
“I’m really looking forward to establishing stronger professional relationships with my buyers, new and old alike,” she says. “I want them to know what I can do for them and how my representation for them makes a difference. It’s about the clarity and confidence I will provide, and always have.”
Melanie has built her business over the decades centered around a more individualized approach and personal touch.
“I like to follow the real estate transaction from beginning to end and not hand off my clients to an assistant,” says Melanie, who has a degree in psychology from Baldwin-Wallace University.
Though real estate and psychology may seem like unrelated career paths, they have more commonalities than one would think. Melanie has parlayed her skills of being a real estate agent and a psychologist to best help others.
“There is so much more to real estate than just showing homes,” she says. “I can relate to each client and each situation and navigate clients through the many emotions and challenges of buying and selling a home.”
Melanie Bowen works in the Howard Hanna office at 12333 Pearl Road in Strongsville. For more information, call 440-667-6589 or visit HowardHanna.com.