Submitted
Bret Williamson
By Karen Lorentz
Killington Valley Real Estate Realtor Bret Williamson began working in seasonal rentals in 2004 and soon after got his license to sell real estate. He also works at the Basin Ski Shop, where he had gained retail experience (during college in 1993) and now is the sales manager and buyer of hard goods at the shop.
One might think that those two jobs would be enough to keep a skier and family-man busy, but Williamson also recently took a 40-hour course and passed the exam required to get his Broker’s license. And he did this while having his busiest real estate sales season ever.
Since the first of January 2015, he has done $3.3 million in sales volume and has a record number of sales pending as well.
As one of the top-three producers in Killington, The Mountain Times asked Williamson about the current market.
It is a “very active market that is still a buyer’s market,” he said, adding that, “prices are stable.
“The increased activity is hopefully a good sign of things to come. The idea of a four-season resort and all the new activities at Snowshed are helping. There is something for everyone there,” he said, further explaining that the new activities and events are making the town more attractive for second-home buyers.
“Plus last year’s terrific ski season helps also,” Williamson said.
While he has sold houses and condos, the majority of his sales have been single-family homes. Sellers who have owned for a long time and gotten use and enjoyment out of their vacation property tend to put their properties on the market at the end of the ski season so June, July and August are busy times for listings, he said. It’s also a time when renters turn into buyers and come up to find a place for the upcoming ski season.
Williamson said interest rates are low and prices are good so coupled with the many improvements to the resort area, it’s an attractive time for second-home buyers, many of whom he meets through the Pico Ski Club and his job at the ski shop.
But Williamson is also “starting to see some primary home buyers, especially where prices are low enough to attract first-time home buyers. The Sherburne Elementary School is a draw for them,” he noted, explaining it is one of the state’s top grade schools. “There’s even been some interest among families who already own but want to relocate to the town,” he added.
Born in Weymouth, Mass., Williamson grew up at Whitehorse Beach and later Lenox, Mass. He graduated from Castleton State College (now University) where he skied for their Division One Nordic team. He stayed in Vermont after college to ski and to race his bike and continued to work at the Basin Ski Shop.
With a family background in real estate — his grandmother, mother, and siblings were in real estate — and his own strong retail background, he found real estate sales a natural fit and enjoys showing properties.
“He is exceptionally conscientious and hardworking, creative, thinks out of the box, and is a tremendous asset to Killington Valley Real Estate,” commented Judy Storch, KVRE founder and owner. “As managing broker, I depend on him because I know he will do a great job for our clients and customers,” she said.
Williamson and his wife Kim have two children Aidan, 8, and Wren, 5, and the family is active in the Pico Ski Club where Williamson serves on the board of directors.
