Blue Summit Realty Group celebrates its fourth year

Sep. 14—LA GRANDE — Blue Summit Realty Group celebrated an anniversary Wednesday, Sept. 7 — four years of helping Union County residents sell their property and guiding buyers as they achieve their home ownership dreams.

The company's principal broker and owner Haley Hines believes it's the company's unique and tenacious team members who have made the last four years a success.

"I think that we're all pretty enthusiastic about real estate," she said. "We're passionate about it and we all work really hard."

The company's name — a nod to the surrounding Blue Mountains — also reflects its spot at the peak of the region's real estate market. The company has stayed above 30% market share in Union County since it opened, Hines said. In the last year, the company's total volume of real estate sales reached over $54 million — almost double that of the second highest-ranking office.

"I'm really proud of that," she said. "It's not like we have double the amount of agents. We are just good, full-time, experienced, busy agents."

Setting up shop

Broker Lana Anderson said that the idea for Blue Summit Realty Group stemmed from a desire to build a progressive, adaptive team of agents who could navigate the uniqueness of a small-town market.

"We were some of the top producers in the county at the time, so we just figured we'd team together and start a new business," she said.

The group formed in 2018, and by October of that year the business held a grand opening at its La Grande office. Over the last four years, the six-person team expanded to a nine-strong group of real estate agents. Many of the brokers grew up in Union County and attended Eastern Oregon University.

"It's a special place to us," Hines said.

The company's office — a nearly century-old, rich blue-painted bungalow on the corner of Greenwood Street and Washington Avenue — was on the market around the time the team got started.

"It just feels homey, which is cool because that's the industry we're in," Hines noted.

Anderson said the house's layout — with private bedrooms turned into offices — also helps the business run more smoothly.

"A lot of offices don't have this kind of setting, which I think is huge for client confidentiality and maintaining that good office relationship," she added.

A changing industry

The real estate industry has had a turbulent few years, with the COVID-19 pandemic and recent market inflation and spiking investment rates. Still, Hines said she isn't concerned about the La Grande housing market.

The Department of Homeland Security labeled real estate agents as "essential employees" early in the coronavirus pandemic. Blue Summit Realty Group stayed open while adjusting to COVID-19 regulations.

"There were a few months when everybody was quarantining that business came to somewhat of a screeching halt," Hines admitted.

Although inventory remained low and sale prices increased, Hines said the last year and a half was busier than the team had expected.

Between July 2021 and July 2022, the average sale price in Union County increased by more than 10% from $265,000 to $291,700. In the first seven months of this year, new listings in the county increased by more than 11% from the same period in 2021.

According to Hines, several factors contribute to La Grande's housing market demand, including Eastern Oregon University and the growth of Grande Ronde Hospital's facilities. She has also noticed more people are wanting to move out of traffic-ridden, congested metropolitan areas and into beautiful rural communities, such as those in Union County.

Supporting Union County homebuyers

Anderson said that amid increasingly expensive housing costs and burgeoning interest rates, honesty is the best policy. She asserted that being clear with clients "about how the market is changing and not being afraid of having hard conversations" is how agents at Blue Summit Realty Group are informing buyers about shifting affordability.

Looking forward, Hines said the company will strive to hold its market share and adapt to the complex world of real estate buying and selling — from its social media presence to its online resources for clients. She emphasized that the team will continue to give back to Union County residents whenever possible.

"I think keeping up with the industry and the technology is really important to be able to serve people well," Hines said, "and I feel like our group does a really good job at that."