While many things have been cancelled because of the COVID-19 crisis, it turns out that the real estate market for buying and selling a home has not. We reached out to one of our favorite agents – Allison Blank of COMPASS – for tips on how to buy or sell a home during the pandemic.
IF YOU’RE A SELLER
- Make sure your home is photo ready. Online images have always been important, but now more so than ever. We are using creative tools like virtual staging of vacant properties in order to help buyers visualize themselves in empty properties.
- Be prepared to vacate your home for longer periods of time to accommodate safe showings. With most open houses on pause for now, we are scheduling safe showings individually and need time in between to wipe down doors, knobs, etc.
- The market is still strong but the timeline has been extended in some markets. Where listings may have been averaging low days on market we are seeing a slight increase. The good news is that prices are holding strong.
IF YOU’RE A BUYER
- Be prepared! Now more than ever brokers are putting safety first for their clients and themselves. We need our buyers to have done their homework before we schedule an in person showing.
- Make sure you have watched the online tour, done a “drive-by”, and are familiar with the floor plan before scheduling an appointment.
- Have your pre-approval ready ahead of time as many brokers are requiring this before booking in person showings.
If you need help prepping your home to sell or finding an agent that’s a good fit for you, reach out and ask about our Home Management services.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published May 2020 and has been updated in April 2021 for accuracy and comprehensiveness.