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Doug Rieder, president and principle with Sterling Risk Advisors, is today’s All About Real Estate guest on Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio. Sterling Risk Advisors is a diverse commercial insurance agency that works in a cross-section of industries, from professional services and technology companies to medical companies and commercial construction owners and managers.
Rieder primarily works in the construction insurance and surety bonding sector, and he provides performance guarantees in commercial construction. Currently, Sterling Risk Advisors work with around 400 commercial contractors throughout the Southeast.
Because of its diverse client base in the commercial construction industry, Sterling Risk Advisors recently conducted the Sterling Risk Sentiment Index. The survey confirmed much of the anecdotal evidence seen in the market as it’s grown over the past two years.
One of the major risk factors highlighted in the survey is the labor shortage. Availability of skilled workers has become a challenge for many in the industry, as a great deal of workers left the market entirely during the housing bust. Due to this shortage, the survey indicates that many builders should expect to see a wage inflation in the industry.
A second problem identified in the survey was the economic slowdown. Not everyone has fully recovered from the recent financial crisis, and many people’s resources have been completely depleted. This has caused credit to be affected, meaning many individuals can’t borrow as much as they could have 10 years ago.
The recent survey is the first of what Sterling Risk Advisors expects to be a regular event. The group is planning to repeat the survey every six months, and it is excited to see how the answers change over time. Currently, the overall risk index was considered a five on a scale of one to 10. Rieder states that will this indicates no strong feelings in either direction, many of the financial questions were answered in a positive tone, meaning most people seem to be cautiously optimistic. Making a prediction for the future, Rieder says he expects to see the market favor sellers as demand continues to grow and risk sentiment improves.
To learn more about Sterling Risk Advisors and the Sterling Risk Sentiment Index, listen to the full podcast above and then visit www.SterlingRA.com.
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Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio’s “All About Real Estate” segment airs on Fridays and highlights the movers and shakers in the Atlanta real estate industry – the home builders, developers, Realtors and suppliers working to provide the American dream for Atlantans. For more information on how you can be featured as a guest, contact 770-383-3360 or via the contact form on this site.
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