It’s a good time to sell a house. Homebuying demand is high, prices are on the rise, and there’s not much inventory on the market — meaning sellers have the upper hand.
Unfortunately, it’s also a scary time to sell — at least healthwise. What if a potential buyer tracks in the virus? What if your real estate agent has it, too? The concerns are real.
Are you considering selling your house but are feeling hesitant due to the pandemic? Here are six steps you can take to keep your family safe:
1. Conduct meetings virtually.
There’s really no need for any in-person meetings during this time. With your agent, you can talk on the phone, use FaceTime, or chat via text, and most mortgage lenders are flexible, too. You might even be able to apply for your mortgage fully online.
2. Ask your agent to add a video tour and 3D walkthrough to your listing.
You want to discourage in-person tours whenever possible, so make sure your agent puts a video tour on the listing, as well as an interactive floor plan or walkthrough. If possible, they can even offer virtual tours, walking buyers through the home on Skype or another video tool.
It shouldn’t hurt your sale either. According to a report from Redfin, almost half of recent homebuyers bought their house sight-unseen. That’s the highest share ever recorded.
3. Skip the open house.
As far as marketing goes, open houses aren’t all that effective anyway — so why take the health risk? If your agent is really set on doing some sort of marketing event, ask about a virtual open house instead. These are growing in popularity thanks to live-streaming tools like Zoom.
4. Require preapprovals before any in-person showings.
If you are going to let anyone onto the property for an in-person showing, make sure they’re serious about potentially buying the home. Have your agent ask for their mortgage preapproval letter before scheduling their showing appointment.
5. Prep your home carefully before a showing.
Before you let any buyers into your home, stock up on soap and hand sanitizer, and station it throughout the property. You should also remove any linens (put out paper towels instead), and go ahead and open all the doors. The less buyers touch on the property, the better.
6. Ask about a remote closing.
There’s a chance you could do your entire closing appointment entirely from home. Your title company might send a notary to your house, or you might meet with a notary virtually, depending on what state you live in. Make sure to ask about your options early on in the process.
The bottom line
As you can see, selling your home doesn’t have to be scary — even in the midst of a pandemic. Are you thinking of putting your home on the market? Want to make sure you’re prepared to buy that move-up property? Get in touch today to get preapproved for your mortgage loan.
Premier Nationwide Lending is an Equal Housing Opportunity lender. Sponsored by NTFN, Inc. 6201 West Plano Parkway, Suite 100, Plano, TX 75093 | NTFN NMLS 75333.
