What I Can Do To Help You During This Time
Overview Of Current Covid-19 Restrictions
Things are constantly as we all try to navigate through a situation that is unlike anything we have ever experienced. Our government officials have been doing their best to figure out the best way to keep parts of our economy and “essential business” functioning while still maintaining the health and safety of everyone. It has been a very tricky situation, but as of today, a small adjustment to the new rules has made it easier for us as real estate professionals to conduct business and help our customers out. The current rules allow for up to two people at a property at a time to conduct business such as photography, inspections, appraisals, and viewing of property. There are very strict guidelines to follow in all of these situations, but I feel that it can be done in a way to keep everyone safe. Thankfully, our technology is so amazing these days and allows us endless methods to do much of our business virtually.
Overview Of Current Real Estate Market
There is no doubt that the real estate market has slowed in the past few weeks because of restrictions put upon us. However, when you take a look at things in depth, it is not as bad as it may seem. Here are some of the details:
- Inventory of homes remains very low! There are still buyers out there who have been waiting for the right home to come on the market.
- Houses are still selling- especially now that the rules allow us to have access inside properties for viewing/inspections/appraisals/etc.
- Prices haven’t dropped much, if any. They likely could in the coming months, depending on how things go, but currently it is still a strong sellers market.
- Interest rates remain historically low, making it a great time to be a buyer and take advantage of the low rates!!
- Many people have extra time on their hands now that all social events are cancelled. It’s a great time to look for homes online, work on getting pre-approved, or get your house ready for sale.
What I Am Offering To Help Sellers
We are all having to find new ways to do business during this time. I am offering some new services to help both my buyer and seller clients so that we can all stay safe and healthy, and market . We are so fortunate to live in a time with so many resources for virtual business. The services I will now be offering to my sellers are:
- Professional photography, including aerial drone shots, done with social distancing and sanitizing done before and after
- Virtual tour added to listing
- Property website with virtual tour and marketing info
- Paid online advertisements- with website traffic for real estate up about 30% in the month of March, online advertisement is even more important now
- Property viewings are by appointment only (industry wide), and we would ask all buyers to be pre-approved before viewing to minimize traffic through. Click here for an example of one of my sold listings.
- Option for a Facebook live open house- I would be the only one in the home, doing a live walk-thru and answering questions for buyers.
What I Am Offering To Help Buyers
It may feel like an uncertain time to be buying a house. However, many people have the desire or need to still buy at this time. Like I mentioned already, the interest rates are so low right now which makes it a great time to buy if you are able. We all still have life changes that necessitate a move, or desire to relocate, upsize, downsize, etc. Whatever your situation is, it’s still a great time to buy, but you undoubtedly may have some concerns. Here is what I am now offering to my buyers to help them out:
- One year home warranty- I will purchase a home warranty for buyers at closing that will cover many home repairs that could come up. This could help offset many homeowner costs that sometimes come up when you’re least expecting it.
- Help with finding a lender to get you pre-approved virtually
- FaceTime previewing of homes by me, for you- to limit the risk of exposure for everyone. Only for pre-approved buyers.
I hope that you find these added measures helpful. My goal is to help my clients out to the best of my ability, while still working within the regulations set forth to maintain everyone’s health and safety. Please feel free to reach out if you have questions regarding the real estate market. I would love to help you!
Call/Text: 425-508-0149 or Email: northsoundbroker@gmail.com