Fore sale: PGA joins Realtors to market golf-course homes

The Southwest Section of the Professional Golfers’ Association has teamed up with Realtors to help golfers buy homes on or near golf courses in Southern Nevada.

The recently launched partnership between the Southwest Section of the PGA and Golf Realty Network already has kicked off in Arizona.

The Golf Realty Network, which was founded by Arizona Realtors Al and Jane Anderson, is seeking 10 real estate agents in Southern Nevada to become affiliated with the network.

The Golf Realty Network has a link on the Southwest Section’s website where golfers can book tee times on dozens of courses in Arizona and Southern Nevada and is undertaking marketing efforts to link sellers of golf course properties with buyers. PGA professionals at courses in the region will refer golfers inquiring about golf course homes to Realtors who are part of the network.

“Before, if someone was golfing on a course and asked the pro about a house, he couldn’t answer them or know what to tell them. But now he can send them to someone who has the answer,” Al Anderson said.

Golf and real estate go hand-in-hand, said Vito Berlingeri, head of marketing for the Southwest Section of the PGA, based in Phoenix. When he lived on the East Coast and was looking to purchase on a golf course in Arizona, he said, he didn’t know how to go about it.

Berlingeri said he sought out real estate agents, but it was frustrating because they didn’t have the expertise to deal with golf course properties.

There are plenty of visitors from Canada, the Midwest, East Coast and other parts of the country who come to Las Vegas to play golf. When they see the homes along the course or in the neighborhoods surrounding them, many become interested in buying a second home or even planning their retirement, he said.

“That’s why we thought this would be a great partnership, because real estate works in conjunction with the game of golf,” Berlingeri said. “We are here to grow the game of golf and with real estate, that’s a good match going forward.”

Although traditional real estate sales have slowed because of the housing bubble bursting and the slowdown in the economy, Berlingeri said, depressed prices make it a great time to buy real estate and that the market will correct over time.

It costs Realtors $1,500 for the annual membership in the Golf Realty Network, Jane Anderson said. Those interested in buying or selling properties can contact any of the agents; otherwise referrals are made on a rotation basis, she said.

Agents pay a 25 percent referral fee to the Golf Realty Network on transactions, she said.

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