How Seattle’s Growing Tech Community Has Driven a Need for Luxury Homes

Is Seattle one of the best-kept luxury real estate secrets in the United States? In our opinion, there’s no doubt whatsoever.

We believe it’s because the tech sector has seen the possibilities of remote work. After the COVID-19 pandemic arrived, it only highlighted how some fully-remote companies can get by without a direct connection to California. The result? Expansion to other states—with cities like Seattle reaping the benefit.

In our opinion, Seattle has become one of the top-growing names in luxury real estate. But why has that change happened, and how can people capitalize on those trends? We have some thoughts on what’s going on in our city—and where the trends will take us from here:

Why Seattle’s Unique Luxury Real Estate Market Appeals to New Buyers

In 1994, a man working at a New York Hedge fund quit his job and moved to Seattle. It was the classic tech startup story. He rented out a house and ran a business from the garage. And even though he was miles from Silicon Valley, his company would come to define Seattle—and even the American economy—for years to come.

The man was Jeff Bezos, and the company was Amazon.

Even in 1994, Seattle was a popular tech “alternative” to Silicon Valley. That status hasn’t changed. If anything, it’s become more pronounced.

What we’ve observed is that Seattle isn’t like every other market. There’s quirky architecture here. Some of the best luxury homes include fun additions like hidden rooms and passageways. Landscapes utilize natural features in unique ways, making each home plot entirely unique. And Seattle’s neighborhoods are hip and cutting edge.

These days, more and more citizens who have done well in California are moving on to other states. That applies to Silicon Valley, as well. We’ve observed many creative types from tech companies and the Silicon Valley area looking for prime real estate in Seattle—and there’s no reason to expect the demand is going anywhere anytime soon.

When Dropbox opened its first West Coast office outside of the San Francisco area, it signalled a sea change in how people view Seattle real estate. Young tech talent is coming to Seattle in droves.  

How much attention is Seattle getting? We at the Weaver Byrne Group have seen it first-hand. 

In under a year, we’ve already surpassed brokers with twenty or more years of experience. Part of that is us. But part of that is a luxury real estate market that may have the potential for years to come.

Taking Advantage of an Uptick in Demand

Even we think that Seattle won’t do all the work. Luxury real estate might sell well, but that doesn’t mean it always sells itself. It still takes focus and effort. How should people consider taking advantage of an in-demand market like Seattle?

• Growing a network. Some of our most important work has been in growing our network. We’ve found good clients to rely on. Good friends. Mutual mentors. The connections have been invaluable, and we consider it an essential part of learning any real estate market—even a potentially hot one.
• Being proactive. We didn’t get to where we are just because Seattle is a nice place to live. We were proactive about forging connections. We work hard on behalf of our clients. We take time to match clients with real estate, and vice versa. And we also focus on the nitty-gritty details that get positive results in the final real estate deals.
• Creativity. Just as Seattle is a great place for tech experts and creatives to live, it’s important that real estate professionals be creative as well. We look for creative solutions to challenges. What are the creative finance options available? Creative ways to market? What are the nonstandard services we can offer clients, to go above and beyond?

Jacob Weaver and Brandon Byrne of EXP Realty, are founders of the Weaver Byrne Group, are dominating the Seattle Luxury housing market with their high-quality service. Check the website to learn more https://weaverbyrnegroup.com/ or call today (206) 981-3888