It didn’t take long for Fredericks to realize that people who are in isolation are often isolated from good information. “There’s a lot of stuff out there online,” he observed, “but most of it isn’t current, or isn’t locally focused, and people are worried about the economy, if their home is losing value, if it’s the right time to buy or sell.”
Fredericks’ focus on communication led to a call from a Florida couple relocating to Seattle - a cross country move for a job opportunity complicated not just by a competitive market but by travel and home-viewing restrictions.
Fredericks, like legions of innovative agents, turned to virtual options, guiding his clients from in-depth home tours through a heated bidding war to a timely remote online closing.
Technologies like FaceTime, Matterport, Zoom, and othe technologies have fine-tuned the virtual home tour, helping agents in the age of coronavirus meet the needs of anxious customers and keep their business goals on track.
“I’m busier than I’ve ever been,” said third generation Realtor Ben Calhoon, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Calhoon Real Estate, Columbus, Ohio. “Real estate is ever-changing, and agents have to change with it, but pandemic or not, if you know your job and have a passion to help clients, you can find ways to get it done.”
Like Fredericks, Calhoon was relieved and gratified the first time virtual clients moved into a home they had not seen first-hand until the day they moved into it.
“They needed the funds from the sale of the mother’s home to close on their new home,” Pierce said. “It was the same kind of routine transaction we handle all the time. We just took it up a notch by doing it all virtually, fielding multiple offers in a hot market and closing in under 30 days from start to finish.”
Commitment to besting the pandemic-era challenge is helping an anxious daughter move her elderly mother to live with her in Tenafly, N.J. in a complex transaction managed virtually by award-winning agent Jason Pierce, Prominent Properties Sotheby’s International Realty. “I had worked with the sellers to make needed repairs, to be sure the lawn was mowed and trimmed in time for the buyers’ move-in,” he said. “It was epic. Everyone was happy. It was proof we can help people make the moves they need to make in any market environment.”
The coronavirus shutdown was just beginning when an Arizona couple needed to move to Charlotte, N. C., inspiring long-time agent Caroline Grossman to be among the first to navigate the complexities of the virtual transaction.
“My clients were understandably nervous about buying a home without ever setting foot inside,” said Grossman, a veteran agent with Allen Tate Realtors in Charlotte. “But with Matterport technology, I could literally take them into the home they chose, and it was just as they expected on move-in day.”
Because the rush on paper goods was just then beginning to overtake the nation, Grossman chose a novel closing gift - a basket of toilet paper, sanitizer, masks, and paper towels much appreciated by happy clients.
Going the extra mile is standard for An Marshall. A career agent with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Network Realty in Jacksonville, Marshall’s focus is on senior citizens, a vulnerable demographic in the age of coronavirus.
“For me, it was imperative to stay connected,” said Marshall, who’s delivered balloons and birthday cakes and offered to shop for shut-ins. “But I also felt I need to show up as a leader and engage them in uncertain times.”
Marshall has scheduled Zoom Bingo games, with gift cards as prizes. She’s had a hairdresser give haircutting lessons via Zoom for elderly clients unable to visit salons and, a devoted quilter herself, supervised quilting projects via Zoom for enthusiastic participants.
It isn’t all fun and games.
“I wanted to be a resource to anxious shut-ins,” Marshall said, “to help them realize that the market hasn’t stopped, that people are still buying and selling, that prices are beginning to increase.”
As a result, pandemic or not, Marshall’s pipeline is full, fueled by loyal clients and their referrals. It isn’t the reason she’s made the effort to help people through a crisis. But it is confirmation that innovation and connection do yield enviable outcomes.
“COVID-19 has been a great big learning curve,” noted Fredericks in Seattle. “It’s forced agents to sharpen our skills, think out of the box. Those are traits we’ll be taking with us into the new normal.”
