How has Covid Affected Real Estate?

Over the past year, things have changed--for everyone in this world. Think about that. The entire world. It's definitely a small world after all right? (Ok, if you know me, you know I like Disney.)

After March of 2020, I soon realized it was either adapt or be unsuccessful, so it was time to Pivot like Ross. It seemed like Real Estate held still for about 3-4 weeks. Would people still move? What about clients that were already pending? What about that new listing I just put on? Will Sellers even let Buyers in their homes? In New Hampshire, agents were soon deemed essential, so it was back to work but with precautions. 

It was very important to me that I work safely for myself, my family and my clients. I took a look at our every day practices and thought about making them better, safer. Our office also worked hard with the state adding "virtual showing" fields to the MLS among other options. Here's a list of marketing strategies and practices I implemented in 2020. 

• Virtual Open Houses: This is where I schedule a Virtual Open House, but only I walk through with a Live Feed from my phone. This worked great, especially in the beginning, as it allowed agents--and their buyers--to preview a home first before booking an in-person showing. It really allowed them to see the street, yard, layout of a home, even the condition. Then, if they thought it was a great fit, they would book a single broker, in person showing. I still like this technique, as it cuts down unnecessary showings and it's great for agents to forward to their out of town buyers. 
• Offering Masks/Booties/Sanitizer: No brainer right? We want to keep everyone safe. It's our policy to have lights on & doors ajar to minimize touching. 
• Managing In-Person Open Houses: Other agents my disagree, but gone are the days of just showing up to an Open House and letting 20 people in at once. My new strategy involves one or two parties at a time and signing up in advance.
• Minimizing Marketing at Properties: In the past I made these colorful, beautiful "glossys" for each property with photos, descriptions, etc. Today, I'm using QR codes on a sign. This allows for folks to either sign in, view the property website, and even download the complete marketing package. I absolutely love that agents and buyers have everything they need to make an offer at their fingertips. 

These are just a few of the new strategies our teams are using to better service our clients. It's important to keep up with change, or even create it when you see the need. Hopefully the storm will soon calm, and we will be once again back to a familiar way of life. But I do believe that innovation in real estate--and so many other industries--was created during this hectic and scary time. I will always be working to improve what we can offer our clients.

Jennifer Delisle