Brokerage takes stand against coronavirus
The coronavirus has continued spreading across the country, impacting travel, local economies and, of course, real estate markets. But if worries of COVID-19 have you shying away from buying that dream house (or selling your current property), then one brokerage has you covered.
Forget in-person tours, use this brokerage’s virtual tours instead
Tech-enabled brokerage Redfin has announced a new strategy to keep homebuyers, sellers, and even its agents out of harm’s way as the coronavirus sweeps the country.
According to a recent announcement, the company will now offer on-demand, virtual tours for all Redfin listings.
“We’ve long had a push-button tool for requesting a private, in-person tour of homes for sale,” said Glenn Kelman, Redfin’s CEO. “Starting today, we’re letting homebuyers use that tool to ask the agent to conduct the tour virtually via video chat.”
The company is also enabling fully virtual closings where possible to stave off potential infection even more.
“Our customers can also complete every part of a contract virtually,” Kelman said. “In the states where the law allows it, customers who use our mortgage and title service can close electronically. If you’d rather not meet others except where necessary, we can let you see a home, bid on it, and close on it, all virtually.”
Making an offer on a home without seeing it first
Keeping things clean
Redfin is also taking steps to keep its agents safe — as well as keep them from passing on any viruses to their clients.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we’re taking other measures to protect buyers and sellers,” Kelman said. “We’ve advised our agents not to shake hands with customers who would rather not have to worry about contact with new people. Please don’t take it personally.”
Here’s how many Americans plan to buy a home next year
The brokerage is also asking sellers to have cleaning sprays and wipes on hand, so potential buyers and their agents can sanitize after concluding a tour. It is also providing agents with their own stores of wipes and cleaning materials.
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Are you planning to use virtual tours to find your dream home amidst the coronavirus scare? Then use our tools to shop digitally for your mortgage, too.
