HUD Articles

How do we face the challenges of hosting an open house during Covid-19, Omicron or whatever the next viruse awaiting to mutate?

Despite what many might consider the worst time to buy a house, COVID-19 poses some advantages to individuals looking to purchase right now. Some may want to relocate to lesser crowded areas, move away from hotspots of the pandemic or even move closer to family.

Some property owners are, however, somewhat reluctant in listing their houses due to fear of a smaller pool of potential customers. With most people limiting the number of visitors to homes due to fear of infection, live in-house viewing may be almost impossible to come by.

Thanks to the comprehensive visualization of houses, virtual home tours have increased the rate at which brokers sell a property. Several forms of virtual tours can be implemented in digital house marketing strategies. These are:

Virtual reality experiences

3D floor plans

3D walkthroughs or 360 virtual tours

The real estate market peaks typically during spring. Still, the industry has taken a hit through nonessential designations in some regions and effects of self-isolation and social distance regulations across the board.

Sectors of the market have been forced to take a direction toward coping with COVID-19 by adopting digital systems and the incorporation of health safety procedures. Common practices such as shaking hands and open house showings have been replaced by social distancing and online correspondence. Such practices could be here to stay in the long term as well.