“The May housing market was not just hot, it was frenzy hot,” said Lennox Scott, Chairman and CEO of John L. Scott Real Estate. “Real estate brokers are working like bees in a hive as the housing market creates a buzz of sales activity in the Seattle-Central Puget Sound area.

We are still seeing 80 percent of the homes coming on the market in King County sell within the first 30 days; many within the first week. A healthy/normal market would have 30 percent selling in the first 30 days.”

The big news for Bothell is that in homes coming on the market sold within 20 days last month. Last year at this time the average was 41 days.

Pending sales in rose 13.7 percent last month when compared to April, but were up 20.2 percent from May of 2015. The market continues to be extremely competitive due to lack of inventory and a backlog of buyers who are snapping up homes as soon as they hit the market. The current median sale price is $540,000.

Kelly Nutt, Branch Manager of John L. Scott Bothell, says the slight increase in inventory is great news for anxious buyers.

“Even with the increase in inventory, we are still seeing more homes selling compared to new homes hitting the market,” he said. “As we continue to deal with a shortage of inventory many sellers are now realizing how much their homes have appreciated and how truly remarkable it is to sell right now.”

Relationships are paramount, especially in this market. If you’re looking for a home, make sure your broker knows your story and can convey it to the listing agent in a compelling way. Everything being equal, the relationship your real estate buyers agent has with the listing agent can be the difference between winning the home and losing it.

Kellee Bradley is with John L. Scott Real Estate.