I really want to buy and/or sell a home. How can I do that in the midst of a global pandemic?

These times are unprecedented. Plain and simple. First and foremost we hope you and your loved ones are staying healthy. We hope this all passes quickly and are hurting for those in our community who face economic, physical and emotional hardships even when life returns to “normal.” There are many opportunities right now for compassion, patience and generosity as we navigate a very difficult situation.

Every day, I am continuing to do my job: monitoring the Real Estate market carefully and fielding calls from Buyers and Sellers in the Kansas City metro. Yes, people are still interested in buying and selling homes right now but of course their (and our) top priority is safety. Here’s a breakdown of how my team and I are continuing to provide our every day services while following all rules implemented by our government and the CDC.

SELLING A HOME

The reality is that for a variety of reasons, some people just have to sell their homes right now. We are experiencing record low inventory in the Kansas City market and for many, the plan was always to sell during the spring market.

1. To begin with, all professional photography and videography is being shot without anyone else in the home, including us. We will open the door and wait in the car, and ask that homeowners not be home at all. Gloves are being worn to turn on light switches and to open doors. We are screening the company we are hiring and its employees thoroughly before allowing them in anyone’s home.
2. We are recording thorough 3D Matterport Tour of every home so a prospective buyer can get a really good feel for the floor plan and finishes. 
3. We are creating a dedicated website for each home so a prospective buyer has all of the information they need to move further.
4. We are requesting from buyers and their respective agents that if anyone is showing symptoms of Covid 19 or have been in contact with someone that has traveled from a CDC high-risk destination, to please not book a showing at this time.
5. We are not holding open houses at this time so to avoid multiple people coming in contact with each other.
6. We are only allowing one showing at a time versus multiple agents/showings at once.

If you want to get the process started but are not ready to go on market today, we are more than happy to offer the following to you:

1. A thorough CMA (comparative market analysis) and personalized home valuation. We will print it off and e-mail or drop off at your home.
2. Then we will conduct a Zoom video conference call where we can go through the CMA together and create a game plan for bringing your home to market as soon as “life as we knew it” is restored.
3. This will position you to be ahead of the game because we do expect a rush of listings when market stability returns.

BUYING A HOME

For many, now is the best time to buy a home. It could be because of falling interest rates. It could be because inventory is so low and they are having a hard time competing. The buyers calling us to see homes are highly motivated and really want to buy right now while doing so as safely as possible.

1. Right now, we are screening buyers who wish to view homes and are closely discussing with the listing agents about how to do this as safely and comfortably as possible for all involved.
2. Before we book a showing, we will thoroughly discuss your home criteria for floorplans, finishes, features, location, neighborhood, schools… you name it. Now is not the time to “shop around.” If you’re serious about a home, then we will discuss next steps for viewing it together.
3. We will ask that the homeowners/sellers turn on every light and open every door inside the home so we do not have to touch switches and door knobs. We prefer to see homes that are already vacant and feel that is safest for everyone.
4. While we tour the home, we will all wear gloves (ideally not touch anything) and stay the suggested 6 ft away from one another as we tour the home.
5. If a Buyer is not comfortable going to a showing but has a lot of interest in a specific home, I am happy to record an in-depth virtual tour of the home for you (or FaceTime so you can see it live). Over the years, many of my relocation clients have confidently purchased homes in this way.

I’m here to answer all of your questions as I’m sure you have many. Let’s talk or FaceTime!

Jeremy Applebaum 913-961-1234