A market hall on a Saturday is a good place to start a conversation about moving.
Referring a Cincinnati client to Columbus? Resideline's six-month medians were $270,000 in Cincinnati and $258,500 in Columbus, about 108 miles apart. The bigger gaps show up in the suburbs.
Picture the call. An agent I have never met is on the line from Cincinnati, and a client of hers just told her they are taking a job in Columbus. She does not want to hand them to a stranger from an online list. She wants to know that the person on the other end understands what her client is used to, knows this market cold and will treat them well.
If you are that agent, this post is for you. I am Chrisi Hagan, a REALTOR with Collins Lassiter Group at Red 1 Realty, licensed in Ohio and working across Columbus and Central Ohio. Here is what I would want to know in your seat.
What Should a Cincinnati Client Ask First About Columbus?
Your clients already know Ohio, so the questions are less "where is it?" and more "what will it feel like, and what will my money buy?" They are used to walkable blocks in Over-the-Rhine and Saturday mornings at Findlay Market, which Cincinnati Magazine calls the oldest continuously operated public market in Ohio. They will want to know whether Columbus has something that scratches the same itch.
It does. North Market, at 59 Spruce Street downtown, is the only one of Columbus's original public markets still operating, and a second North Market location sits in Dublin's Bridge Park. Cincinnati and Columbus are about 108 miles apart by road, roughly a two-hour drive on I-71, so a client can tour on a Saturday and be home for dinner.
How Do Home Prices in Columbus Compare With Cincinnati?
Here is the side-by-side from Resideline, which covers the last six months for each city. Cincinnati's median sold price was $270,000 across 2,021 closings, and the median of MLS-listed sales alone was $295,000. Columbus's median was $258,500 across 4,563 closings, with an MLS-only median of $265,650. Resideline's median price per square foot was $175 in Cincinnati and $187 in Columbus.
Those are city-wide figures, and they blend many neighborhoods and property types. Roughly 20 percent of Cincinnati's tracked closings and 29 percent of Columbus's never appeared on a listing service, which is why I show the MLS-only number too.
Where your client lands depends on the part of town. Resideline's six-month medians were $450,000 in Westerville, $440,000 in Hilliard and $630,000 in Dublin. At the regional level, Columbus REALTORS reported a Central Ohio median of $350,000 in its latest report, and The Columbus Team reported $345,500. Please compare suburb to suburb and city to city, not a Cincinnati city number to a Columbus suburb number.
Which Central Ohio Towns Feel Most Like Home for Someone Leaving Cincinnati?
I match by lifestyle only. I ask what your client loved about a typical Saturday in Cincinnati, then show them where that rhythm lives here.
Walkable dinners and galleries: the Short North and German Village.
A small-downtown main street with restaurants and shops: Uptown Westerville, where State Street anchors the town and a path from Astronaut Grove on West Main Street leads to Alum Creek Park.
A riverside district for evening walks and a market hall: Dublin's Bridge Park, home to the second North Market.
None of these is a promise of a match, only a place to begin. Westerville's Resideline median was 10 days from listing to contract, and Dublin's was 10 days as well, so a client who tours seriously should expect to move quickly.
What Is the Timeline and Process When a Client Relocates From Cincinnati?
The good news is that Cincinnati and Columbus are both in Ohio, so your client is not learning a new state. Distance is manageable too: a client can pair a video tour with a day trip down I-71. Plan on driving, because the Columbus Navigator list of nonstop destinations from John Glenn Columbus International does not include Cincinnati.
Timing is where I would coach a client. Resideline shows a median of 30 days from contract to closing in Cincinnati, compared with 23 in Columbus, 23 in Westerville, 25 in Dublin and 32 in Hilliard. A client selling in Cincinnati while buying in Columbus is juggling two calendars, so I suggest they talk with a lender and a title company early. Closings in Ohio generally go through title companies, and I am happy to walk through the steps with you and your client.
How Do I Work With Referring Agents?
I keep you in the loop at every milestone, from the first call through closing. Referral compensation, when applicable, is paid broker-to-broker under a written referral agreement. I am not going to put terms in a blog post, because those belong in a conversation between brokers.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I refer a client to a Columbus-area agent?
Send me your client's wish list, budget range and timeline, and we will set up a conversation. Referral compensation, when applicable, is paid broker-to-broker under a written referral agreement in accordance with Ohio license law. I keep you in the loop at every milestone, from the first call through closing.
Can my client buy in Columbus before visiting?
Many clients start with video tours and neighborhood research, and I would encourage at least one in-person visit when it is possible, since lifestyle fit is hard to judge on a screen. Cincinnati is about 108 miles away, roughly a two-hour drive, so a day trip is realistic. Inspections protect buyers either way.
How far is Cincinnati from Columbus?
The two cities are about 108 miles apart by road, roughly a two-hour drive, mostly on I-71. The Columbus Navigator list of nonstop destinations from John Glenn Columbus International does not include Cincinnati, so plan on driving. A client can tour on a Saturday and be home for dinner.
How do Columbus and Cincinnati home prices compare?
Resideline's six-month city medians were $270,000 in Cincinnati and $258,500 in Columbus. Suburbs run higher, with $450,000 in Westerville, $440,000 in Hilliard and $630,000 in Dublin. City figures blend many neighborhoods, so compare like with like and ask me for recent sales near the areas your client prefers.
Send me your client's wish list. I would love to help, and I will take good care of them and of you.
This content is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or financial advice. All real estate services are provided in compliance with Fair Housing laws, RESPA, TCPA, the REALTOR® Code of Ethics, and Ohio Real Estate Commission advertising regulations. Equal Housing Opportunity. Chrisi Hagan, Collins Lassiter Group, Red 1 Realty.
Referral compensation, when applicable, is paid broker-to-broker under a written referral agreement in accordance with Ohio license law.
