Finding references to “the way it used to be” as irrelevant; this is normal now.

A few notes taken when showing houses during COVID-19 time

• As the buyer agent, I need to be explicit to the client about not touching things without gloves.
• I need to come prepared with gloves
• Felt more like a tour guide
• More pre-showing prep, for all parties
• Go potty first
• Keeping distance can be hard

(also on Instagram)

Expanding a Bit

• Breaking the muscle memory of opening doors and such is hard. I have to be much more explicit and blunt, “don’t touch anything. I am wearing gloves and I’ll open things.”
• Felt more like a tour guide
  • Recently, I showed Charlottesville to buyers coming in somewhat cold. They rode in their car, and followed me around in mine. I spoke to them most of the time on the phone and described things that normally, we would cover together.
• More pre-showing prep, for all parties.
  • More area videos, more me previewing houses and taking video for clients (I won’t link one of these publicly, as they are me looking in closets, out windows, walking around – not fluffy scripted videos, but actual showings for clients), more planning which houses we need to see together, and which neighborhoods clients can preview on their own. Ok, maybe not “more” work necessarily, but different.
• Go potty first.
  • There was a time when clients used the bathroom of houses (90% of the time vacant houses). No more.
• Keeping distance can be hard.
  • It just is.
• Reading body language is harder
  • I depend on this aspect of client representation. Reading body language is hard when the clients aren’t in the car. Not being able to see smiles, grimaces, conflicts and agreements make advising clients more challenging.

It’s going to be ok.

Closings are Distanced

Just that. In the before time, the lender, agent, attorney, buyers (or in the case of a seller, no lender attended), would all meet for the client to sign the documents. No more. All is done from a distance, with no meeting. Everything gets done, albeit a bit less efficiently, but the closure of that relationship is different. I’m working on a way to make closure better. We’ll get there.