The pandemic is resulting in a change in Sotogrande’s agents work practice, and globally.
For many luxury property vendors in Sotogrande, it seems a good idea to keep their listings online, as many applicant buyers are making enquiries at the high-end. Although they may not be able to act immediately, they’re still showing interest.
We have been encouraged by the number of buyers that making enquiries and say they would travel and look at houses in Sotogrande, if they could. It seems therefore that buyers are spending their quarantine time online, researching Sotogrande properties and preparing to act once they can get to destinations of choice.
Whenever there is a major crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic, mankind seems to adjust in an attempt to lessen and control impact of the crisis. COVID is definitely changing the way real estate transactions are managed. In an attempt to engage with interested applicants unable to travel, agents are offering virtual home tours in Sotogrande. These are on the increase with most agents making walk through viewings with a smartphone.
Another interesting way of showing a house virtually Ref. SASOVI586:
We at Noll Sotogrande, have done virtual tours for buyers from New York, Singapore, Panama and London.
All sitting in the comfort of their own living rooms many kilometres away. The experience has been very positive, with real focus on detail. For some reason applicants are more prepared to ask detailed questions, possibly even having prepared a list which would normally be questions for a second visit. Sotogrande’s agents should be very prepared.
Clearly agents work patterns will change, and possibly for ever. The increased use of technology to communicate, and buyers house-hunting during the COVID-19 pandemic has shown how much can be achieved from a distance. Possibly, even once the crisis passes, there may be no going “back to normal,”. Already, due to the efficiency technology is delivering our role as agents is changing. Where previously an exchange of emails with and applicant, providing links to “possible properties” that meet an applicant’s brief was sufficient to establish a tour route to visit, we now may have to have virtual tours in order to weed out less desirable properties, and only shortlist a few preferable homes to view in person upon visiting Sotogrande. The process will go faster without doubt.
Sellers must stay flexible in marketing their properties during Covid times.
Adjusting marketing and negotiating tactics is always a good thing, but particularly under today’s circumstances. We are experiencing a “health crisis” and the economic impact so far hasn’t begun to affect applicants’ positions in the luxury market, though that may come. Agents may need to adjust the language of their listings to reflect sensitivity to the situation.
A homemade imperfect video is probably better than the perfectly edited show piece!
Charles Gubbins.
✉ charles.gubbins@noll-sotogrande.com
☎ +34 607 911 661
