From left, Sullivan Grosz of Pearson Realty, Jason Farris of FresYes Realty, Jeff Kim of Colliers and Corrine Demetreos of D.R. Horton discuss residential real estate and homebuilding trends at the Fresno County EDC’s annual Real Estate Forecast at the DoubleTree Inn in downtown Fresno on Thursday. Photo by Gabriel Dillard
Fresno Association of Realtors President Jason Farris says the Fresno and Central Valley housing market continues to outperform much of California, citing relative affordability, steady sales activity and growing interest from buyers relocating from the Bay Area and Southern California as reasons for optimism in the second half of the year.
Midway through his term, Farris said expanding professional development opportunities for members has been one of his biggest accomplishments as he works to “raise the standard” across the local real estate industry.
He gave credit to the organization’s staff, committee leaders and board members for helping their agents adapt to a market that is much different than the fast-paced conditions of past years.
“It was really important to me going into this year that we educate our members on throwing away the 2021 playbook and really step up and make this more about family and more about home ownership than transactional based,” Farris said.
He believes that the Central Valley is still one of California’s strongest values for potential homeowners. While the statewide median home price has topped $900,000 for three straight months, he noted Fresno’s median remains below half of that, which makes it an attractive destination for buyers relocating from Southern California and the Bay Area.
He also said buyers are being more patient before making offers, with homes spending longer on the market as families carefully evaluate rising costs for insurance, food and fuel.
“People are sitting down and asking, ‘If gas, food and insurance stay where they are, can I really afford this payment?’ That’s a responsible approach, and we love seeing that as agents,” Farris said.
Farris also sees artificial intelligence changing how agents work but cautions against relying on AI-generated information without verification. He said AI can help with marketing, property websites and client communication, but local market knowledge remains critical when pricing homes or estimating renovation costs.
Looking ahead, Farris plans to continue to highlight professional development while reconnecting the local real estate community through networking and fundraising events. He said strengthening relationships among agents and increasing community engagement remain priorities for the rest of his term.