Catherine Thomas, certified international property specialist. (Courtesy photo)
In November 2015, Catherine Thomas of Long and Foster Real Estate will be formally recognized by the National Association of Realtors as a Certified International Property Specialist. This designation places Thomas, a resident of Prince George’s County, Md., among 2,500 elite real estate professionals across the globe who are trained to serve the needs of international buyers.
“I’ve always considered myself to be a citizen of the world,” Thomas told the AFRO. Within the past 30 years, she has traveled to several countries in Africa, including Ghana, Gambia, Nigeria, Cameroon, Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa, Egypt, and Morocco.
The D.C. metropolitan area is prime for attracting global clients. “We attract many people from outside of the county – some of whom become permanent residents, but many of whom are still foreign nationals and different rules apply to them when purchasing property,” says Thomas. “There may be tax consequences and other restrictions that persons, who are interested in purchasing property here in the U.S., need to know. This works in the opposite direction too – if you’re a U.S. citizen who is interested in buying property abroad, I can assist in that endeavor as well.”
After 12 years as a realtor, Thomas generates business through networking, word of mouth and referrals. According to Thomas, a good realtor listens to clients, understands what they’re trying to achieve and assists them in a timely fashion. Thomas said she has settled millions of dollars in both buyer and seller transactions during her tenure.
In a business where transactions are complicated, anticipating difficulties is also a must. “I love problem solving and I love negotiating toward reaching a solution that is acceptable for all and in my clients’ best interest,” says Thomas.
As she builds her global portfolio, she remains interested in serving those close to home. “I’m a cheerleader for Prince George’s County in terms of our real estate – we have beautiful properties,” she says. “When people start comparing the prices and policies of our homes with other suburban areas, Prince George’s is the perfect place. For African Americans, we have some measure of political power here in Prince George’s and we might as well make the best of it and use it to our advantage.”
The county is booming so much so that there’s a dramatic shortage of homes for sale, she continues.
A Long & Foster data sheet on the Prince George’s County Housing Market released in May, shows an annual rise of 3 percent in units sold, however, compared to April, the market dropped in units sold from 772 to 735. According to the data sheet, available homes for purchase decreased by 29 percent from 3,040 homes in May 2014 to 2,151 homes.
“I’m calling on all those who are thinking about putting their homes on the market to please get in touch with me for a free comparative market analysis. Homes that are priced appropriately and are in good condition are selling very quickly in Prince George’s because of the law of supply and demand,” she says. “I’m an expert in properly preparing homes for the market.”
At the end of the day, she said seeing joy on the face of a client, is her number one goal. “ the satisfaction that my clients enjoy once they get the keys to that new house,” she says. “Or once they get that check when they sell their house, which is in many cases more than what they expected.”
Catherine Thomas can be contacted at the Long and Foster office in Mitchellville, Md. or by calling 202 423-6701.