Get Ready for Pickleball Real Estate!
Buyers seek properties for dozens of different reasons. Some of those reasons are to be close to certain areas or amenities such as shopping/retail, their place of employment, schools for their children, mass transportation, certain highways, certain public parks, bodies of water, etc.
Buyers seek properties for dozens of different reasons. Some of those reasons are to be close to certain areas or amenities such as shopping/retail, their place of employment, schools for their children, mass transportation, certain highways, certain public parks, bodies of water, etc.Some buyers want to be close to things that are a big part of their lifestyle such as theater or sports. When searching for homes, it's very common for buyers wanting to be close to golf courses, tennis courts, basketball, baseball, water sports, etc.
And then there's the newest draw: Pickleball
Pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports (if not THE fastest) in the country right now. Why? Because the ease of entry for the sport makes it playable by just about anyone. Almost any age can get onto a pickleball court and bat the ball around fairly easily. Pickleball doesn't really require any formal training or lessons just to start. If your goal is to improve and excel at the sport, then yes, you'll likely seek lessons. But for recreational play, it's not necessary.
Pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports (if not THE fastest) in the country right now. Why? Because the ease of entry for the sport makes it playable by just about anyone. Almost any age can get onto a pickleball court and bat the ball around fairly easily. Pickleball doesn't really require any formal training or lessons just to start. If your goal is to improve and excel at the sport, then yes, you'll likely seek lessons. But for recreational play, it's not necessary.Many home buyers are now seeking homes that are either close in proximity to public or private club courts, OR enough lot space to put their own backyard court in.
It's very common for buyers to seek to have a home on a golf course or that's part of a country club golf community. It's the exact same draw for Pickleball now. In fact, many vacationers and travelers that play the sport seek out areas that have access to pickleball courts and/or pickleball clubs.
The social nuance of the game is that Pickleball is about 1/4 the size of a tennis court, yet you play with the same amount of people. Four players total for doubles and 2 players for singles. With everyone in such a close, more intimate proximity to each other, it creates an environment for WAY too much fun.
Contributing to the surge of the sport was the period during and also coming out of the COVID pandemic. Those that were attempting to be mindful about the spread of the disease pretty much tried to exercise social distancing. Racquet sports were deemed safe. And as we came out of the pandemic, many were eager to get out there, so both of those factors led to an increase in outdoor activity.
In addition to being a real estate broker for over 20 years, I'm also a IPTPA Certified Level 2 Pickleball instructor. That means I am certified to teach all the way up through the highest level players in the game. I've also organized leagues for almost 300 registered players per season. So I've seen quite a bit of the dynamics with this game as it transpired to where it is today, in addition to where it's heading. We are now seeing the sport as an official intercollegiate level, and there is now talk about it becoming an Olympic sport.
If you haven't already, as a real estate professional, you will likely come across buyers looking for homes either close to pickleball courts or pickleball clubs, or that include them in their association. As a result, you might want to familiarize yourself with the sport so that you can relate to those homebuyers that play the sport and want to be within close proximity to courts.
You'll likely have discussions about facilities within a complex or association, whether or not HOA dues include pickleball courts, etc. and/or where the nearest courts are to homes that you might be showing them. You'll likely come across the issue of noise factor when dealing with residential properties within close proximity to pickleball courts. I won't delve too much into that issue on this blog post, but it's important that you're aware of it. The pickleball industry has started developing and manufacturing "quiet" paddles for this reason.
So do your homework, Realtor Peeps! Even if you don't play the sport, you may want to be aware of the logistics surrounding the sport as a professional tool.
Ralph Gorgoglione - Broker / Realtor
Metro Life Homes / BRE #02009317
(310) 497-9407 / (800) 591-6121
Web: metrolifehomes.net
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