THE WEEK IN REVIEW

Welcome to my weekly newsletter featuring a personal note on the ever-evolving world of real estate along with a few news-worthy updates. Enjoy!

happy new quarter

April 1 almost feels like a second new year. If I am honest, when January 1 rolls around, I am still reeling from the buzz of the holidays and am not quite grounded. Q1 hit and this year - even more than most - reality came at us fast and furious. The pace of the news cycle went into overdrive. So April 1 is a great time to do a mini re-stock taking:

1. How's the market performing in various submarkets and across various price points? 

2. What's selling quickly and what's sitting? 

3. What am I doing well for my clients and what do they need more of?

More on the first two questions as we analyze the Q1 data. In the meantime, one of the best things I've learned that I can do for our Buyers and Sellers is give them access to more inventory, and, for Sellers, give their property more market exposure without the risk of Days on Market or public price drops. Exclusive inventory (i.e., not in the MLS) isn’t just a trend—it’s a shift in the way real estate operates. 

At Arrowood Advisory, we leverage our extensive off-market network to connect buyers with homes before they hit the public market and help sellers navigate discreet, high-value transactions.

Imagine this: You want to sell your home, but haven't quite determined where life is taking you next. Before it goes live to the public market, we’ve already generated buzz through Compass’s Private Exclusive platform—offering early exposure to a curated audience without the pressure of a public listing. You have more control of the terms of your sale, allowing it to happen on your timeline.

With our 3-Phase marketing strategy, we’ll move from quiet pre-marketing to a powerful public launch, followed by ongoing, data-driven promotion that keeps your listing front and center.

That's a pretty great way to start a new quarter.

real estate & the news

• The scale of risk from surface water floods caused by rain falling faster than the surrounding ground can absorb it, and distinct from flooding from rivers or the sea is just coming into view. Properties at risk from surface water outnumber those in danger from rivers and sea by two to one. You may be busy worrying about the river that flows through your village when the real danger is your neighbor’s new tennis court or the patch of garden you have just paved over to extend your drive. (FT)

• Mentioning a remodel recently completed in the listing description can potentially get you 3.7% over the asking price. (House Beautiful)

• The core personal consumption expenditures price index, a key Fed inflation measure, showed a 0.4% increase in February, putting the 12-month inflation rate at 2.8%, both higher than expected. Consumer spending accelerated 0.4% for the month, below the 0.5% forecast. That came as personal income posted a 0.8% rise, against the estimate for 0.4%. (CNBC)

• In 2019, mattress brand Casper surveyed 1,000 Americans to put “the Top Sheet Debate to Bed”. Their conclusion: 58% of Americans agree or strongly agree that a top sheet is essential, with those aged 55 and older at 67%. The US bed sheets market is booming (forecast to grow from $8.06b in 2025 to $11.55b by 2032). Decorative pillows (US market was $3.83b in 2024.... is projected to increase to $6.47b by 2033). (FT)

around dc

STARMUS VI Film

AT THE KENNEDY CENTER

The film showcases the most exciting moments of 2022’s STARMUS Festival in Armenia, including inspiring talks and once-in-a-lifetime musical performances from notable figures such as Brian May, musician and astrophysicist; Tony Fadell, inventor of the iPod; Charlie Duke, Apollo 16 moonwalker; Kip Thorne, Nobel Laureate physicist; Emmanuelle Charpentier, co-inventor of CRISPR gene-editing technology, performer Rick Wakeman, legendary keyboardist; and more. Details and tickets available here.

Lee Arrowood

Principal, Arrowood Advisory at Compass

M: 202.251.3175

O: 202.448.9002

lee.arrowood@compass.com

+$173M Sold In 2023

#3 Team Lead 2022