Perhaps you were about to put up the ‘For Sale’ sign on your front lawn at the start of 2020. Or, perhaps you’d just uprooted and were excited to purchase a new home and put down some roots. As a seasoned real estate agent in the Deep Creek Lake area, I can easily help you navigate the real estate waters even amidst a national pandemic. Luckily, the area is still seeing plenty of supply and demand, so you should have no problem staying on track — and possibly getting ahead — in this new world of real estate.
Selling tips during coronavirus
While the economy grinds to a halt due to COVID-19, it’s still entirely possible to continue marketing your home. Since real estate agents are trying to cut down on in-person tours, that means it’s now more important than ever to market your listing to the best of your ability. Get professional photos taken, or ask your real estate agent for tips on how to take high-quality listing photos from your iPhone.
In addition to your listing photos, virtual video tours are now becoming the new norm in the real estate world. In fact, 55% of real estate agents are doubling down on virtual tours. It’s easy to take videos right from your phone as well. But remember — just because the prospective buyers won’t be viewing your property in person, doesn’t mean you should forgo proper preparation. Clean, declutter, and stage as you would for a normal showing.
How to tour a house during coronavirus
Just as sellers can adapt with virtual listings, buyers are primed to take advantage. While you might be hesitant to seriously consider a home before seeing it in person, the quality of these virtual tours has risen due to COVID-19, so you’ll be able to get a great feel of the home from these tours.
There are three main types of virtual tours: pre-recorded virtual tours, 3D interactive tours, and virtual open houses. A pre-recorded tour should be a normal video recording of the home. The 3D interactive tour allows buyers more autonomy; you’ll be able to choose the order of your walk-through and stay in specific areas longer than others. If you want to interact with the homeowner or agent during the tour, a virtual open house might work best for you. These allow buyers to ask questions and make requests while touring the home.
Stay safe and take precautions
Sometimes, in-person meetings and showings can’t be avoided, but it’s entirely possible to do so safely. Both buyers and sellers should take proper precautions. Sellers, disinfect the property before and after each tour and ask participants to wear masks inside. Buyers, drive separately from your agent to the tour and refrain from touching anything inside the property.
If you keep these tips in mind, you should have no problem navigating the bustling real estate market in Deep Creek Lake. If you still have questions, talk to me and I’ll help you along the way!
