Not many industries were unaffected by the pandemic and the global shutdown that resulted from the rapid spread of COVID-19.
Like so many others, the real estate world had to quickly adapt with new measures to keep things operating. When the pandemic began, many people were already in the process of selling their home, had already sold their home and did not have a permanent home, or were searching for their first home.
As Realtors, we had to adapt our methods to make sure our clients were able to do what they had been planning to do for so long and for many, it took us out of our comfort zone.
Here is how I personally had to adjust to selling condos in Toronto during the recent pandemic:
Cleaning and safety:
When dealing with condo buildings and so many shared spaces, it was important for me to make sure everyone was safe and not at risk. It is tougher to sterilize an entire condo building than a single home and I had to be cognizant of building door handles, elevator buttons, common areas and more.
More precautions needed to be made for myself and the few people I was meeting to show condos to. I stocked up on sanitary wipes and face masks and gave clients more space when viewing a condo.
Virtual tours:
Like many Realtors around the world, I’m using virtual tours and online showings.
I adapted to using a 360-degree virtual camera that allowed me to show 3D tours and 360-degree pictures to clients. I also planned virtual scheduled viewings of properties, virtual open houses and private virtual showings.
These services helped the buyer see more of what they needed to see, and also benefit clients by selling their condo faster, even during the pandemic.
Digital paperwork:
By adapting services for buying and selling without in-person consultations, I have helped move the process along for everyone. I now offer digital contracts that can be signed with digital signatures in an official manner.
Online live meetings have been used to work out specific details and come to agreements on particular topics related to the purchase and selling of properties.
In this digital world, these methods are commonplace for many, but they have been enhanced to an entirely new level because of the pandemic.
As this crisis comes to an end and life slowly gets back to normal, I find it hard to believe that business will return to what it was before. Some of these recent adaptations we have made have been helpful for the work I do for my clients and are worth considering for the future.
Being efficient and making the process as easy as possible for clients is one of our main objectives as Realtors, and the digital world helps us do that. By taking advantage of the technology available to us, we can provide a new service for the people we work with.
I will be adapting this new technology as a permanent tool to help me do my job even better than before. It is obvious that we will all put more of a focus on our safety and the need to disinfect the areas we are in. I will continue to use more sterilizing products before and after the showing of condos.
Juvan Mariathasan is a Re/Max real estate agent working on the selling of condos in the Greater Toronto Area. He offers the highest level of expertise, service, and integrity at all times to his clients. https://www.torontocondounits.com/
