Does the thought of selling your home during a global pandemic fill you with dread? While such a circumstance does make the process harder, know that it’s still possible to sell your home. If you can’t wait until the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is over to sell, due to a new job, financial constraints, or another reason, you and your Las Vegas realtor will need to employ certain strategies to get the job done. With physical distancing mandates and limitations on group gatherings still in full swing, it’s time to get creative. Let’s explore five tips for how to sell your home during COVID-19.
1. Step up your staging game
The appearance of your home, both exterior and interior, can make or break whether a buyer is interested in making an offer. Although staging a home is a critical component of the traditional home selling process (i.e. in-person showings and open houses), it becomes even more important when you have to rely on virtual technology. If a buyer isn’t able to be physically present, due to social distancing from the impact of COVID-19, their experience touring your home digitally can make all the difference. Try rearranging furniture to flaunt the best aspects of your house, decluttering to make rooms appear larger, and letting natural light to flow in to create an airy feeling. As always, with every choice you make, try to approach it from the buyer perspective, as if you were seeing the house for the first time.
2. Leverage virtual technology
Fortunately, we live in a digital world filled with numerous possibilities. And these digital experiences are especially handy when you need to sell your house but have a global pandemic to contend with. Whether it’s through FaceTime, Facebook Live, Instagram Live, YouTube, or a 360-degree virtual tour service like Matterport, buyers near and far can tour the home from practically any electronic device. This way, you can sell your home virtually while everyone involved can stay safe.
3. Ensure your agent is willing to do virtual tours
Whether you’re already working with an agent or have yet to find one, make sure your agent is willing and comfortable to arrange and do virtual tours. This can involve walking buyers through the home using a smartphone or tablet and working with various technologies. For the time being at least, this is the new normal. So a savvy agent who knows the digital options available to both you and a potential buyer will be best.
4. Allow one buyer at a time to tour the home solo
If you’re able to move out of your home before selling it, consider using a smart lockbox, like SentriLock, that provides one-time codes so one buyer at a time can tour the home. Although this is still a unique experience compared to the traditional way to sell a home, it may be a good option for you. If you wish, you can have some furniture staged inside the home, but make sure these items are large enough so they can’t be easily stolen. You can also just reserve this option for serious buyers if you’re worried about your belongings. It’s also wise to have wipes, masks, and hand sanitizer readily available at the door. This way, you’re helping to ensure the safety of all buyers who enter the home.
5. Avoid overpricing the home
Work with your agent to determine a home selling price that’s fair given the circumstances of the COVID-19. Although you might be tempted to jack up the price because supply for new homes is low, no one can really predict how the pandemic will continue to impact the economy in the near and distant future. With over 36 million unemployment claims in the US, 350,000 unemployment claims in Nevada, and a 25 percent jobless rate in Las Vegas alone, understand that buyers may be stretched thin financially even if they’re serious about purchasing a new home.
By staging your home strategically, using virtual and other smart technology, working with a tech-savvy agent, considering a fair price for your home, and thinking of the buyer’s experience every step of the way, you can sell your property in a way that is responsible, effective, and safe during the coronavirus.