There are a lot of things that the pandemic has changed. More than a year has passed and a lot of things have begun to look different. Jobs can be done from home, people found they can stay more frequently at home, and there are a lot of normal processes that have been changed from before.
In a world that’s still adjusting from COVID-19, a lot of processes have been re-adjusted to become completely new. Safety and social distancing are not just enforced; they should be second nature. Real estate agents have found new ways of doing things using technology, and real estate stood to benefit from it. Tried-and-tested yet traditional processes have given way to disruption through tech.
Open houses, site visits, and client meetings have all started to look a little different due to the advances forced by the pandemic situation. Take a look at what’s been going on in the industry.
People will buy homes, pandemic or not
When the pandemic started, many industries started to panic because of the thought that their businesses are in danger. That came true for many industries, unfortunately. However, there are some, like the real estate business, that managed to survive by adapting — something that had been slow in coming for the industry.
People will still buy homes, even in the face of such a pandemic like this one. The real estate industry surprised everyone by posting record sales in rural and suburban areas. The influx of buyers in these areas is driven by the pandemic itself, but if you own properties in such areas, then you’re in luck.
There’s no reason to think that this is just a temporary thing. With the pandemic showing the cons of living in congested areas, expect more and more people to go out of the cities and seek properties in de-congested rural settings or similar areas.
Buying properties abroad won’t sell
The danger that the pandemic brought came from overseas. If you have properties abroad, they’re not much use to you during the pandemic, aren’t they?
This observation is shared by a lot of people who are maintaining properties overseas. With the pandemic not choosing any country in particular, it’ll be a bad purchase to go and get real estate in other countries. The pandemic has shown that people should really consider a lot of things before buying foreign properties.
There is a possible trend that suggests buying properties overseas will weaken. It isn’t surprising, but as vaccines start to roll out, they may persist or not depending on how the so-called “herd immunity” holds up.
The sale can be closed from a distance
Many a realtor remembers how it was like when they closed their first sale. Something that most real estate agencies managed to do to follow government protocols is to close the sale from a distance, otherwise doing the transactions on the curbside and requiring no closer contact with each other.
The way this works is when the agent goes to the car to collect signatures on the paperwork. This is prepared by an attorney ahead of time, and instead of having to visit with the attorney, this was enacted in place. If there is the availability of a remote connection, that is also a very welcome option.
Most experts see this as an option that could become common moving forward. It’s the fear of the pandemic and the risk of infection that will drive the widespread adoption of this method.
No more out-of-focus photos and blurry videos
Any seller who knows their craft will try to deliver more high-definition photos at this time, especially since people cannot visit the site without undergoing strict protocols. It’s even better to just have them visit your website and browse for properties there.
It’s considered an improvement and there’s no better time than the pandemic to try becoming digitally literate. The real estate industry needs to keep up with the times, and many agents have started to explore social media as well as other places where they can upload their high-quality photos and images.
Virtual showings are forever
Virtual visits and showings are some of the many trends that managed to have been introduced during the pandemic. It’s also expected that it will stay on and become part of the industry’s improvements.
Virtual tours may also replace in-person visits before the potential buyer decides to live at that home. It’s one of the many improvements expected to uplift the real estate sector.
There are many things that the real estate industry got right during the pandemic. These are only some of them but expect more innovations to come especially after the pandemic.
