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Sellers Team Up To Showcase Condominums

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By SHERRI ACKERMAN

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 21, 2008

TAMPA - "Hellloo," singsongs the woman answering the phone Friday at Ventana condominiums.

Excuse Tanya Traviesa for sounding so giddy, but the Smith & Associates broker can't help it.

She's one day away from greeting possibly 400 or more potential buyers during the third Urban Tour of Homes in downtown Tampa. Last October, the tour helped seal the deal for two sales and piqued interest for others.

"It's great PR," Traviesa said.

It couldn't come at a better time for Ventana and other developments struggling to find buyers.

The downtown condos normally are competitors for scarce buyers, but tough times call for new strategies. Smith & Associates spearheaded the tours, which first took place a year ago in July, inviting brokers to participate in what has traditionally worked well for single-family homes.

"I think anything to do with marketing will help," said Deborah Farmer, president of the Greater Tampa Association of Realtors, who pointed to the recent advent of foreclosure tours. "You're going to see a lot more of this."

Becky Slocum of Smith & Associates said the tours involve 13 real estate companies coming together.

"We realize there's a tough market out there," she said. Instead of competing, "we're coming together to do something not for the good of one company but for everyone."

Cooperation or not, it could take more than a year to get rid of the glut of condos in Tampa and nationwide, said Mike Larson, a real estate analyst with Weiss Research in Jupiter.

At the current sales pace nationally, it would take 14.2 months to sell the existing supply, Larson said. In June 2004, when the real estate market was at a high point, that figure was about 3.1 months, he said.

Today's event features 10 developments. Developers will be pitching spectacular views of the Garrison Channel to balconies the size of some South Tampa studios to a 250,000-gallon swimming pool with a waterfall.

The condos on this tour represent more than 1,300 available units from about $175,000 to $898,000.

"It's a buyer's market," said Paul Ayers, director of marketing and business development for the Tampa Downtown Partnership, a sponsor of the tours.

Organizers hope prospective home buyers come in, look around, eat the free hot dogs and cookies, take the free drink coupons for downtown's newest bar and talk to agents.

"We'll rent. We'll sell. We'll do anything!" promised Marilyn Downing of New Homes America, which represents Grand Central, with about 30 available units.

The free, self-guided tour is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For information, go to www.urbantourofhomes.com.

Researcher Melanie Coon and reporter Janis D. Froelich contributed to this report. Reporter Sherri Ackerman can be reached at (813) 259-7144 or sackerman@tampatrib.com.

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