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FaceTime tours, Instagram Live Q&As, and 3-D virtual tours are the new norm to draw in buyers who are social distancing and stuck at home

With three out of four Americans now under some level of government-mandated lockdown as part of efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus, in-person open houses and viewings—normally essential steps in the sales process—have largely slammed to a halt. Interest from buyers and sellers, however, has not.

“There are sellers who have to sell, and are very anxious about it,” said Sally Forster Jones, a Compass broker based in Southern California.

And though new inventory is shrinking as other prospective sellers hit pause until the crisis passes, for the time being, would-be buyers are still looking. In addition, the Department of Homeland Services has listed real estate as an essential service.

“Very few new properties are going on the market at this point,” Ms. Forster Jones said. “My sense is that a lot of buyers are just looking, but they’re totally engaged. And they’re hungry for when things will change and there’s more inventory and they can go out [to see properties] again.”

Bridging the Age Gap

As buyer and seller interactions become exclusively digital, part of the work of brokers is finding ways to make things work with clients who are less inclined to spend time on these platforms.

“On our Instagram, about 66% of the audience is under the age of 44,” Ms.Forster Jones said. “So our more senior audience may be less engaged. And we’re reaching out to them through [our email newsletter], telephone calls, additional things other than social media.”

Source Mansion Global

Written by Virginia K. Smith