COVID-19, otherwise known as coronavirus, has made an unexpected and immediate impact on the world. Businesses large and small, no matter the industry, are transforming, many sending employees home to practice social distancing.
This is no different for real estate companies. Earlier this month, the National Association of REALTORS® issued guidelines to help agents respond to COVID-19’s impact on the real estate industry. In efforts to promote social distancing and other preventative measures, NAR has provided agents with tips for how to conduct business, such as canceling large gatherings and events, limiting open houses and showings, and establishing remote working policies to help close offices.
For real estate agents, open houses, home walk-throughs and meetings with clients have been impacted immensely. In times like these, with most people at home, social media will be a main platform for any type of communication. Staying connected to your clients, future homebuyers and the community on these platforms is vital for agents to keep their businesses running as smoothly as possible during these unpredictable times.
Here are some tips for agents to stay connected during this, or any, pandemic.
Share Useful and Informative Content
As NAR and others keep agents up to date, your clients are in need of pertinent information, especially if the pandemic is interfering in the home-buying process. Keep your clients and followers up to date on the impact of coronavirus on the real estate industry. Share tips for those working from home, such as how to set up a productive home office. For those who are still interacting with the public, share the best practices to stay healthy, limit contact and stock up on necessary items. If you choose to share news articles, double-check your resources to ensure you aren’t spreading misinformation.
Be a Timely and Responsive Resource
Keep lines of communication open and prepare yourself for any questions that may come your way. Share your contact information with your clients and let them know that you are available if they need to reach out. Take the time to carefully read emails, messages and comments on social media and respond in a timely manner. Consider recording a Facebook Live video to answer client questions in real-time. This will not only be helpful to those looking for a resource, but also help you stay relevant.
Provide Virtual Tours and Open Houses
With social distancing, many home tours and open houses are being canceled; however, that doesn’t mean you still can’t provide potential buyers with a similar experience digitally. For your available listings (of course, with permission from the seller), utilize your phone or camera to record walk-throughs. If capable, edit your videos and post alongside your listings and share across all of your social media accounts. Just like a FaceTime conversation with a friend or family member, real estate agents can connect with their prospective clients virtually and in real-time. Most people utilize the internet for their home search to begin with, so offering any additional information, especially in a visual and interactive way, is a great tactic.
Consider Automated Solutions
While you implement these new and useful strategies, don’t let your daily content flow suffer. By automating your posts on social media, you can save time and focus on the needs of your clients and the success of your business during a time when many are struggling. Programs like RISMedia’s ACESocial allow you to consistently post high-quality content across your social media accounts, automatically. By providing your social sphere with ongoing updates, in addition to your newfound efforts, you can dedicate the time you need to adapt to changes in your business strategy.
Though COVID-19 has created challenges for many industries and businesses, it hasn’t taken away the ability to adapt. Implementing these strategies can help your real estate business stay relevant, informative and successful. By making these pertinent changes now, you can ensure your success in the future.
Paige Brown is RISMedia’s content editor. Email her your real estate news ideas at pbrown@rismedia.com.
Good info! Thanks so much. I have a question, though. I sold a home over the weekend. My buyer only looked “live” at his top 2 choices, both of which were vacant, so we’ve been doing our best to limit exposure. We now have a pending sale contingent only on the inspections and mortgage. My buyer wants to attend his home inspections, which is understandable and which will be held this afternoon. I, of course, need to attend since he is. I’m concerned given both the COVID-19 status and the stay-home order here in Ohio.
How can we get the job done for and with our clients while protecting them and us as Realtors the beat we can? Help!
Greetings from Dallas, Texas:
This is wonderful and encouraging information. I just taught a GRI class via Zoom where I did break out rooms and during my “Think Tank” Session a lot of this information came out. I am so happy to read this and realize our conversations were spot on. We are shelter in place in Dallas County, Dallas, Texas. So important that we all participate in sheltering in place.
Some of our Boards are wanting real estate to be considered a necessity – I do not agree that Open Houses and Showings have to be in person. I think the inspector and the appraisal process is indeed a challenge. However, encouraging our Sellers to Disclose, Disclose and provide warranties will even help this process. Doing a digital Homebook and even interviewing the Seller(s) about what they loved about their home and the highlights of their subdivision as well as some of the businesses they enjoyed in their area would also be helpful. I think our processes will change and we will still be able to protect confidentiality.
Also, the procedure the inspector and appraiser should follow is one of gloves, masks, shoe covers, etc. I believe we should help the Buyer make a buying decision by looking at the numbers, the disclosure, videos and our wonderful neighborhood report through RPR. This may be the change where purchasing an asset over $400,000 becomes more than just an emotional decision. A beautiful home is wonderful, but a neighborhood that is seeing consistent appreciation is awesome. All homebuyers are investors, they just don’t realize they are.
We Realtors and CRS designees are more than just residential consultants, we are community leaders and a resource for our clients. They need us to lead by example more than ever.
Thank you again!
Excellent!
Thanks so much for this!
I recently worked with an awesome broker Eleanor Curry, she had a lot of experience and guided me expertly