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Bringing with him decades of experience in the real-estate business, Lawrence Ross is excited to be back in Pennsylvania with a downtown location specializing in real estate consulting.
Ross began working on the downtown location of Ross and Rockwell Real Estate Consulting in early July of this year. "It's good to be home," Ross said.
After being in Alaska for much of his career, Ross was homesick for Pennsylvania.
"On the real estate side, there are no old buildings in Alaska," he said. "That's really my passion. People really underestimate the value of the historic architecture here in Williamsport."
Ross's office is in one of those historic buildings, at 436 William St. #1.
Ross started his career in real estate in 1985 in brokering and property management. He has worked for several well-known real estate franchises until opening his own in 1998.
"You have more freedom with that," he said. "I had been through the franchise game and I was ready to be my own boss and to call my own shots."
As a broker, Ross manages real estate transactions between buyers and sellers. He uses his experience and connections in the industry to get people the real estate they want to accomplish their needs in life. His focus is about 75 percent commercial and 25 percent residential. "Commercial would include department stores, office spaces, warehouses, hotels ... that sort of thing," Ross said.
Ross has a passion for working with smaller investors and helping them navigate the often complicated side of buying property. "I often like helping investors who are doing this for the first time," Ross said.
Being downtown has always been a dream for Ross. "Before we left Alaska this is where we wanted to be," he said. "Being here gives us a unique opportunity to contribute to the downtown area and be a part of it all."
Ross has seen the real estate market change drastically over the years. There have been booms and lows, noting specifically the 2008 housing market crisis. But he said we might be heading for another unique time for real estate in the area.
"The fracking boom gave the market an artificial shock," Ross said. The markets were saturated with new opportunities that weren't necessarily here to stay.
"We're hitting a new time when there seems to be a new appreciation for brick-and-mortar establishments," Ross said. "It's looking very optimistic for that aspect of the industry."
Whether it's a normal trend or a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Generation Z seems more interested in owning property and experiencing the consumer market in-person than ever before, he said.
"Another really interesting trend is people from out of the area, mostly more expensive cities, buying Victorian properties in the city," Ross said.
Often used as student housing here, Ross said there is a large resurgence in restoring and appreciating these pieces of Williamsport's history. "We have so many Victorian properties here and they may be more affordable than where the buyers are currently living. They take pride in these houses and really keep them as they were intended to be."
Ross said he has been enjoying reconnecting with the major real estate members in the area again and has been expanding his offices. He has one assistant currently, but plans and office space for a few more.
Ross and Rockwell operates in Lycoming, Clinton, Union, Snyder, Columbia, and Montour counties, with particularly increased interest in Centre County. "Centre county is seeing a large interest in real estate," Ross said.
With decades of experience, Ross said he is always happy to share what he has learned over the years. "I will give 15 minutes free to any caller," Ross said. "A telephone consultation can give people a lot of direction and I can help with any type of real estate questions they may have."
Ross has seen it all in the real estate market and he said he's excited to be where he is in his career now. "I've always told people, I’ve never sold a piece of real estate," he said. "Real estate sells itself. I just help people buy and I help people sell and that's really rewarding."