During the coronavirus pandemic, many industries are changing fast, including real estate. Real estate has been deemed essential in many cities, and for those markets, this has allowed homebuying and selling to move forward for those in need of the service.
As things continue to evolve, be sure to stay up to date with the latest local regulations and restrictions in your area. While the process of purchasing a property has traditionally involved in-person transactions from start to finish, today we’re using technology in new ways to make deals and keep business moving.
While agents and clients are staying home, there are some actions you can take to close a deal all while keeping parties involved safe and healthy and abiding the local restrictions. Here are some tips to get deals done during this time of social distancing.
Improve your digital presence
Now more than ever, it’s important to maximize your listing’s presence with a digital strategy. While people are searching for real estate from home, take advantage of all the innovative technology and tools available to get your new listing in front of potential buyers. Utilize innovative apps and social media to help enhance the way you might traditionally launch a property and maximize online viewership.
While open houses serve as an efficient tool to show property to many people at once, given social restrictions in place right now, try hosting a virtual open house through apps such as HomeSpotter and on Instagram and Facebook.
Keep business moving forward by utilizing industry apps, such as Spacio, that allow you to accurately collect visitor information and automatically send follow-up emails after your open house ends, even if it is virtual.
At a time when lead generation efforts might feel hampered, utilize technology to generate leads and get your property out there. Don’t forget to make sure your digital assets offer the best representation of the property. It’s worth considering a 3D tour by Matterport or a professionally produced property video with aerial shots. These assets make virtual showings easier and help bring the property to life.
Additionally, take a look at your current processes and existing platforms. The Agency has been managing all listings and transactions online through our proprietary CRM system since our inception. Now is a great time to streamline internal systems by integrating the latest tools and improving your digital structure.
Find alternative ways to do business
I have always advised my team and agents to pick up the phone when negotiations get tough as opposed to texting or emailing because there is so much nuance that you can pick up from someone’s voice in a conversation.
COVID-19 hasn’t changed this, but we certainly have been making a lot more use of digital conferencing to connect when we need to speak face to face.
There are a host of digital tools to help keep your team, buyers and vendors in the loop and on track no matter what stage of the sales process you are in. Zoom, Webex and other video conferencing services allow the conversation among all parties to keep moving forward, and I recommend you continue to do this even after business returns to normal.
Take advantage of the many webinars, talks and podcasts currently available to interact and learn how industry professionals are conducting business during this time. Many are open to the public on Instagram Live, TuneIn and Zoom. One I highly recommend is Jon Grauman’s weekly series, We are Live, which offers valuable information and timely insight for agents across the nation.
Be virtually present every step of the way
During this unprecedented time it’s important to be there every step of the way — from showing to closing — as you would in normal times. I recommend reaching out to your clients and offering to be virtually present for all steps of the homebuying process.
In cases where sellers do not want any physical showings, offer a virtual walk-through via a video call or app of choice.
Be prepared to have a number of calling options pre-loaded on your phone to avoid unnecessary technical difficulties. By being fully prepared to support virtually, your client can get their questions answered and be comfortably guided through each step of the process before signing on the dotted line.
Mauricio Umansky is the founder and CEO of The Agency in Los Angeles. Connect with him on Instagram.
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