Showing Homes During the Coronavirus Age: Together We Will Make This Work and Sell Your Home!

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Selling your home looks a lot different than it did pre-coronavirus and it will probably stay that way for the foreseeable future. At 828 Real Estate, we’re adapting the way we’re helping buyers find homes and sellers market their properties in a new world of real estate. If you don’t feel comfortable letting people in and out of your house regularly, technology can replace traditional methods of home showing. 828 Real Estate is here to work with you, giving buyers a realistic walk-through of your home while drastically reducing the occurrence of physical showings.

What to do if you Must Show Your House In-Person:

828 Real Estate will pre-vet Buyers before they visit the home with methods such as:

  • Ensuring the house and neighborhood are a fit for the buyers before they enter your home. We provide potential buyers with 
    maps, surveys, and neighborhood photos to make sure the home is a solid match.
  • Using virtual tours to help a buyer determine layout and measurements of certain rooms (upon request) for the buyer to determine whether their furniture fits in the rooms.
  • If the buyer is extremely interested – in many cases not only pre-qualified but also pre-approved or with cash- 828 Real Estate will work with the client to ensure safety for everyone showing your house during coronavirus, by;
    • Preparing the home to show with limited touching. We will have doors open, lights on, etc.
    • Having everyone sign a Coronavirus Certification
    • Limiting the number of people who enter.  No kids and only the primary parties – 1-2 at 
      a time.
    • Requiring hygienic precautions with gloves, masks, booties and hand sanitizer before entering.
    • Cleaning and disinfecting before and after each showing.  Washing hands, using hand sanitizer and disinfecting any surface that gets touched before exiting.

How to Show Your Home Virtually During Coronavirus:

If you don’t want people in your home for showings, bring the showing to them virtually! To start, take high-quality video and photographs of your home. You can start by:

  • Deep clean and declutter:  Remove items from countertops, saving only a few decorative pieces.
  • Maximize floor space by removing extra furnishings like baskets of stuff, toy-boxes, blanket bins, etc.
  • Add colorful throw pillows, green plants, fresh flowers in vases, pretty bowls of real fruit.

Our professional home staging tips are a valuable resource for preparing your home for a successful showing or photography session.

You may take your own listing photos, if desired.  A few helpful tips:

  • Use a tripod, if you have on, or you can get one on Amazon for $12.
  • Avoid reflections from doors, windows, shower doors, mirrors.
  • Turn on all lights and open blinds, taking shots when the sun is shining in.
  • Use props to show the scale of areas.  For example, deck furniture shows how big the deck is.
  • Take several pictures of each room from different angles and let your Realtor® choose the best.

You may take your own video Walkthrough. Tips for Success:

  • Set your phone to Airplane mode before videoing to eliminate incoming calls or texts.
  • Watch Realtor® videos for inspiration. View online tutorials, if needed.
  • Move your whole body when you move the camera to avoid a dizzying effect.
  • Plan your route, starting with outdoor curb appeal then entering the front door to video the inside.
  • FaceTime, Live video walkthroughs may be done with Q&A’s for Buyers ready to make an offer.

Once your photos and videos are on file with 828 Real Estate, we will use an online editor to enhance their quality so buyers can get the most from your photos! If you’re ready to get your High Country home on the market, we’re ready to help. Fill out our contact form below and we’ll be in touch with you very soon!

Listing: Contact Form

About the Author
Corrinne-Loucks-828-real-estate

A Realtor® in Boone and the High Country since 2003, I am passionate about offering a superior level of service, innovative marketing and a highly personalized, boutique-style experience to my clientele. I started my real estate career as an Investor and was Broker-In-Charge of my own firm upon moving to Boone. Since that time, I have excelled with other real estate firms and built a strong network of client friends. Together with my network of professionals such as mortgage, insurance, inspection companies, etc. and my own Professional Home Staging business, (https://www.facebook.com/CenterStagedHomes/), we will polish your home buying/selling experience with your goals as a priority. I’ve lived all over the United States from the NE to the SE and California before landing in Boone, NC. You’ve seen the signs, “The mountains are calling and I must go?” Well, that was me 15 years ago! I love bluegrass music and, it seems, many of the great pickers were born in NC with a guitar in their hands! I sing, play a little mandolin and keyboards and you can be found at outdoor festivals and concerts when I’m not showing property! I also participate in many of our area’s outdoor activities, from hiking and biking to kayaking- the New river is my summer home! Caring for the needs of High Country residents is also very important to me and through Cornerstone Summit Church’s ‘Trenches’ team, I serve in many ways from preparing and serving meals at the Hospitality House to School Events to Habitat for Humanity Home Builds. In addition, I am honored to serve our community as a Certified Guardian ad Litem, advocating for children in the courtroom.

The High Country of North Carolina is unique, with large second home and student populations driving much of the market. It’s important that you work with a Realtor® like myself who is experienced and educated in the area, guaranteeing our success together. The acronyms behind my Broker title are not just letters - they stand for something;

GRI - Graduate of the Realtor Institute. Brokers holding this designation have completed 12, 3 day courses over a period of 2 years or more for in-depth training.

ABR - Accredited Buyer's Agent. An (ABR®) designation means your Realtor® has made extra efforts to raise the bar, with additional courses and proven experience in serving BUYERS.

SFR - Short Sales and Foreclosure Resource Certification. Short sales and foreclosures are not for the faint of heart and the courses I've taken arm me with the knowledge to assist clients in this area.

My business approach is founded on building lasting relationships based upon commitment and trust and the majority of my business comes in the way of referrals from past clients. Make me Your Realtor of Choice and work with a person you can trust to take your needs to heart and to find the perfect property for YOU in the HIGH COUNTRY!