How to buy/sell a Nantucket home in the age of Social Distancing
In today’s age of social distancing, the process of buying or selling a home has not necessarily changed but has certainly been transformed. With Real Estate services being designated essential in Massachusetts, we are finding new and intriguing ways to carry out our day to day business. Find below a few of the new practices in place to turn our constraints into your advantage.
Time on your hands? Use it wisely - While we may feel limited in a lot of things nowadays, what we are not lacking is time. Since a person’s first step in buying a home now is their own online research, our abundance of downtime is affording the opportunity to conduct an even more detailed search. Local MLS websites, Zillow, Realtor.com are great places to view what is currently on the market and begin your search from anywhere in the world. A word of caution though, these sites are not always 100% updated every moment. You wouldn’t want to get your hopes up about the perfect property, only to find out that it is already under contract or recently taken off the market. We encourage our clients to use your online resources as a tool to get an overview of what types of homes are available or where the prices are trending at the moment. Then you can efficiently work with your professional broker to harness their market knowledge and your new educated view to start your search off right!
Staying connected, six feet apart of course - Not being able to have face to face conversations about such a large decision may feel absurd but with a focus on health and safety it may be our new normal for a little while. We are finding the next best thing can be utilizing video conferencing technology such as Zoom or GoToMeeting. Our agents are utilizing these technologies not just to talk, but to collaborate with clients on marketing ideas with seller clients, guide buyers through new listings that meet their criteria, and present dynamic, video presentations to potential clients. On the bright side, using your own large screen monitors or TV’s at home can be far easier than trying to huddle around a laptop at a coffee shop or restaurant.
Getting the feel of a house, without physically being in the house - Understandably, folks are now less inclined to welcome people they don’t know into their houses nor do they want to enter others’ personal spaces. If you are selling or buying a home, that can make things difficult to see or show properties for sale. The good news is that, again, technology is bringing us closer together, while staying apart. Utilizing specialized cameras and software, such as Matterport 3D Tours, allows agents to create 3D walkthrough tours of homes with a crispness and detail never seen before. The buyer can choose the flow and speed they wish to go through the property, all from the comfort of their own space. Many buyers agents are also utilizing FaceTime to walk their clients through unoccupied homes while giving the same expert advice and tips they would at an in-person showing. This helps to limit the number of people in and out of a property while giving the potential buyer a true walkthrough experience with their knowledgable agent. Keeping you and the homeowners safe is always our top priority.
While keeping everyone safe is of the utmost importance right now, overcoming obstacles can really bring about some ingenious and creative solutions. Embrace the new and look forward to what can be. This too shall pass, be out in front of the pack when that time comes!