Britt Zijlstra on Salem's Real Estate Market: Stats, Myths, and What WVMLS Really Does"

Welcome to this week's episode of What's Happening Salem!

In this episode, Jacob sits down with Britt Zijlstra of the Willamette Valley Multiple Listing Service (WVMLS) to discuss:

• The current state of Salem's real estate market — cautious optimism, rising listings, and what the latest stats really mean for buyers and sellers.
• What WVMLS actually does behind the scenes, from powering the big real estate portals to supporting over 3,000 local agents.
• How WVMLS is expanding its resources for the general public, plus the community and charity work that keeps Salem's real estate world connected.

And much more!

Timestamps:

00:00 - Welcome back & introducing Britt Zijlstra of WVMLS

01:53 - Salem's real estate mood: cautious optimism and an 18% jump in new listings

04:43 - Median sales price trends and closed sales numbers

07:45 - Days on market: what it means and why it's dropping

09:06 - Using CMAs to help sellers price correctly

14:11 - Salem by the numbers: new listings and active inventory

16:06 - Agents entering the profession & common misconceptions about the job

20:37 - What WVMLS actually is (and what that acronym means)

22:21 - How listings get onto the big portals

24:15 - Busting misconceptions about WVMLS and Proptech

26:25 - Free tools for the public: Collab Center, broker search, and more

29:03 - WVMLS's push to educate the public with new stats and website resources

37:46 - Broker safety and protecting agents in the field

39:53 - Membership dues, perks, and Dues Free December

40:19 - Giving back: the annual food fund drive

42:08 - Town halls, chambers, and staying connected to the community

44:14 - Why networking is one of real estate's most powerful tools

50:15 - Closing thoughts and thanks to Britt