The fact is people are always going to need to buy and sell real estate. You currently have clients on your books who are trying to sell and, until told otherwise – either by the sellers or the government, you still need to try and get the job done.
How can you do this with the constantly changing restrictions? You adapt, you look at what you can do and you do it.
We have been told we can no longer conduct home opens. It seems like we may still be able to show homes by appointment only. If you are doing this you can take steps to suit the current environment. For example:
- Have hand sanitizer at the appointment
- Hand out disposable gloves and masks (if you have them)
- Instruct people not to touch things in the home and have them ask you to show them how things work
- Don’t hand out brochures, but collect email addresses (an opportunity here) and emailing them out afterwards
As I’ve mentioned in a previous blog, Want More People at Home Opens, you still need to get people to want to see the home and there are many ways you can do this, and some of my previous tips are still applicable. You need to show people you are still doing business but doing it differently. You also need to deal with people’s fear and that means informing them of the steps you are taking to protect them at appointments. So use your various communication tools to tell people what you are doing. Put a post on Facebook, if you are inviting people on your database to book an appointment mention what you are doing, email all your contacts to let them know what actions you are taking, put it in your newsletter if you have one, and let your sellers know too that you are acting to protect their health.
And then, consider other ways you can “show” a home to potential buyers. There may come a time where you cannot any sort of viewing, or that people are too scared to come to one. One of the keys to dealing with any crisis is to prepare for as many eventualities as possible. So what are your options:
- Ensure your internet marketing is top notch. Include lots of photos of the home and include a floor plan. Put a lot of effort into your descriptions of the property and list all the features – or at least say more information is available. I’ve seen property write-ups that are a couple of sentences long, it won’t do! Give potential buyers enough information to make decision to take the next step and make an appointment to see the home. Don’t leave them guessing and try to peak their interest, it won’t work in this environment, they just won’t bother.
- Add more options, 3-D and virtual walkthroughs, interactive floor plans. Why not video yourself walking through the home and commenting on features etc. If people can’t come to you, show them what the home is like.
- Have detailed brochures with great photos and information that you can email out to interested buyers. You might not be able to hand out hard copies at appointment, so have digital versions ready to go. Simple Pdf documents will do.
- Offer to take people on a ‘video’ walk through of the home if they can’t attend. It is as easy as using your phone to show them the room and then talk them through the home.
- Work your database and social media. Promote your listings as much as possible.
- Educate your sellers. This is the time they need to spend money on marketing, not cut back. If they want to find a buyer, they need more photos, they need floorplans, they need to advertise in print and online.
- Those businesses and agents that survive in what are going to be very testing times are those that can prepare and adapt. The show must go on!
To ensure you have the right tools to continue doing business and come out the other end, make sure you register for my upcoming FREE half-day Real Estate Brilliance webinar.
