Local Realtors Moving In Before BRAC Face Daunting Task

With thousands of jobs heading to Fort Meade over the next five years, real estate companies are taking notice.

Most recently, Yerman Witman Gaines and Conklin Realty, a real estate brokerage of the Strata Group, announced its emergence in the Anne Arundel County marketplace, opening a location in the Severn Square Shopping Center.

According to a release by the group, about 50 realtors will staff the Baltimore-Washington Corridor region location just across the street from Fort Meade.

“This location provides our current and future realtors with a strategic and visible presence to service the many home buying and home selling opportunities that we envision developing, beginning immediately,” said William Yerman, CEO of the Strata Group, in the release.

Over the next five years, more than 20,000 jobs will flow to the area due to BRAC’s expansive growth, highlighting an that could lead to a decrease in quality of life, according to Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD).

The influx in population has already prompted the county to execute new projects, like , but as DISA and other security agency workers move to the area, a possible complication arises for new realtors in town, according to and local real estate agent, Claudia Chang.

“To get in front of BRAC buyers moving here, they’ll have to be online, at housing fairs or have a connect to receive referrals from a base housing liaison,” Chang said. “This group of [movers] aren’t driving around Severn to see this new office. They are moving from Virginia most likely or another state. They are looking online, which is what 80 percent of buyers do.”

With so many buyers and sellers operating exclusively online, new groups like Yerman Witman Gaines and Conklin Realty seek to attract movers with progressive tactics.

“We have invested heavily in attracting seasoned and experienced professionals to our team, and equipping them with innovative marketing techniques and the latest technology,” Yerman said. “This approach has produced a nearly 40 percent increase in market share in Central Maryland and we anticipate similar success in the Anne Arundel County region.”

Severn, Hanover, Odenton and other local towns are yet to experience the full effect of BRAC’s influx, but as the months pass, the real estate market will soon learn if local offices or an online presence is the key to success.

“I do desk duty in my office and while we do get some walk-ins, 85 percent of our business comes from the Internet. I’m not sure [the Strata Group] need a local office but it will be convenient for their agents,” Chang said.