Santa Barbara Real Estate

Virtual Real Estate, the New Normal

Real Estate transactions can and are still happening; they’re just being handled differently. As the global impact of the coronavirus expands, real estate agents are finding creative ways to continue connecting buyers and sellers. Virtual Real Estate has become the New Normal.

Guidelines for social distancing and mandatory closures have changed daily since the start of the coronavirus outbreak, with real estate agents adapting continuously to attempt to keep transactions moving. Virtual reality and virtual tours provide a way for buyers to continue their property search from their homes.

In addition to virtual reality and virtual tours that are already available on many listings realtors are using Google Meetings, Google Hangouts, FaceTime, Zoom, Skype, YouTube Live, and Facebook Live to orchestrate virtual open houses and property showings.

Conventional open houses, typically held for several hours on a weekend for anyone who wants to see a property, usually don’t meet the social distancing guidelines of keeping six feet from other people. Many jurisdictions have banned gatherings of more than 10 people at a time, which many open houses would violate. In addition, many people are voluntarily staying away from other people in general to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Contact us if you have any questions, and be safe!

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Mark Danforth Lomas

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