Real Estate is Changing

    2020 has been a year so far that most of us would like to start over or at least do a lot of things differently. The world as we know it is forever changed with the events of the Covid-19 virus. No one alive has ever had to deal with a worldwide pandemic. We know how to fight a known enemy or an enemy that we can see but to fight one that is invisible or hides for up to 14 days for showing any signs is beyond difficult. With this situation we are facing, the real estate world has had to come up with new ways of doing things. Some of them may be temporary for safety reasons during this pandemic and others may become the new normal for how we do our day to day business.

    Social distancing is the new catchphrase that we all hear on the news or in social media. It really should be called physical distancing since socially we can all stay connected through new technology like Zoom meetings, Facetime calls, and other social media avenues. These online meetings and face to face calls are allowing a lot of people to work for home and conduct meetings safely from their own homes. We are connected and yet distant.

    Real estate agents are no different. We are now able to use these methods to conduct meetings/consultations with our clients instead of coming into an office and sitting down face to face. For those of the younger generation, this way of doing meetings may become the expected way of holding a consultation. It definitely would be easier to get everyone involved together and accommodate busy schedules. For those technologically challenged, virtual meetings may never replace a true sit down face to face meeting, but it is a great alternative and can be used not only for situations as we find ourselves in now but also when distance and or timing is an obstacle (out of state buyers).

    We are holding virtual tours of homes where we video stream as we walk through the home for clients and they are able to see and interact with us first hand as we show the property safely without fear of contaminating each other. I have done this for clients in the past that were not local to the Raleigh real estate market and could not afford to fly into the area every time a home hit the market they were interested in. I have also used this method for clients who are just not available during the week due to their work schedules yet needed to see homes immediately based on their timeline need or the area we were looking in did not allow for us to wait till the weekend to shop. Technology has definitely helped in the past and will continue to assist in the future for buyers that are not in a "typical" situation. I don't believe anything will ever totally replace a person physically walking through a home for themselves but it is nice to have some sort of an alternative when push comes to shove.

    We at the Kima Real Estate Group are taking these precautions very seriously. We want to provide the best real estate service that we possibly can without compromising our client's safety and still giving them the best advice and guidance we possibly can. We have developed several virtual tools that allow us to do just that. Please feel free to check out my Safety Website tolearn about the precautions we are using to help you. Stay safe out there and know that our team is here for you and your family, regardless of what your needs are.

Chad Wingler
Lead Buyer Specialist
chad.welcometocarolina.com