Did The Pandemic Make Selling Homes Easier?

For home sellers, gone are the days that you would have expected to have numerous viewings in person, perhaps even an open day or two, and a number of possible estate agents who you will have to meet with, sign mandates, and plan things to do when prospective buyers came round.

Changes have not only been driven by the global pandemic of the last 18 months, which has meant that face-to-face meetings were difficult and house selling became driven by virtual engagements. In addition, technological innovations have allowed for realistic, almost real-life experiences in house buying and selling.

It’s currently a sellers’ market, and for many analysts, it is the perfect time to be looking to sell and upgrade. However, the manner in which you do this has changed in the prevailing situation, and it is unlikely it will change. 

Tech will now allow for only the serious buyers, who have done the 360 degrees, all room tour to be the only ones who eventually come round. The following changes have all come together in the current context to create a home selling process that is stress-free and incredibly simple.

• Virtual 360 Viewings are getting more personal than ever before, and agents can now join the buyer on the virtual tour. There are some great examples, and ihometrade are professional virtual estate agents that would be a fantastic starting point to understand this process. The advances of technology mean that buyers are now expecting more content about potential homes that are available both online and on their mobile devices. 

• A flat fee, the commission is generally a thing of the past, and if your agent doesn’t have a flat fee rate for the work they do or even a pay as they work policy, then you should do some further research and determine if they are right for your needs. Whatever fee your estate agent does offer, remember there is always room to negotiate. If you feel uncomfortable using your negotiation skills, then consider bringing in a friend or family member to do it for you, but it is worth the effort and even some discomfort on your part. 

• No sole agency or mandates. Don’t sign a sole agency mandate unless you have really done your homework and determined that the agent you have selected is most likely to sell your home. While you may think you are getting a better deal with a sole agency because the fees will be lower than a multiple mandate, there are pros and cons that demand doing a bit of reading and asking around. 

There is no harm in using your social media networks or groups to get advice on what has worked for them. There may be geographical trends that you are not familiar with and are worth considering when thinking about signing a sole agency with your estate agent.

• Various offers now include a pay-as-you-go option, which means that if you decide to take the property off the market or it sells, then you would only have paid for the time it had been listed. With many online sellers, you can also expect a ‘no sale, no fee’ model, which is appealing to many home sellers who do not relish the prospect of paying fees for a home that has not sold. 

• Harnessing the power of technology to follow and control the selling process online. One of the great advantages of using online and mobile technology is that the technology stores collates, and analyses data from the selling process. As the home seller, you can then follow and analyze the information yourself. This allows you to see the number of potential buyers viewing your information, the kind of buyer, and trends in the viewing of the information. 

• This is not only interesting but also allows you to better control and improve the way your home is being viewed and advertised. Even better, the app, website, or online estate agent should be using this data and relaying it back to you with suggestions and recommendations to improve viewers and grow interest.

If you’re looking to sell, now may be the right time. It will, however, be worth ensuring that whoever you use to assist you in this process is using these new techniques and processes to get your home sold. No one wants to wait for what seems like endless amounts of time for interest to be created in the property and an offer to be made. It is this imperative that you use the latest techniques, and following the advice herein will be the perfect first step.