Selling a home can be stressful in any circumstance, let alone in the midst of a global pandemic. With ongoing uncertainty, and an evolving situation that’s changing by the minute, it can be hard to know what the next step is in the selling process. The world of real estate never stops, as people are always needing to be buying or selling for a host of time sensitive reasons, regardless of what else is going on.

We’ve reached out to our RE/MAX Influencers – a panel of RE/MAX sales associates throughout Canada – to get their expert insights and advice for sellers during this time, and share what RE/MAX agents are doing to ensure your safety during the home selling process. Here’s an overview of the measures that are being taken:

Stay Home

The biggest piece of advice that our RE/MAX Influencers have for sellers is to stay home, and to only be going out if absolutely necessary. That said, there is always going to be necessary preparations that you will need to implement before listing your home. Curtus Collins of RE/MAX Crown Real Estate (North), Regina, SK says, “be prepared for a long sale, it’s anticipated that the market will return when this is all over. Take this time at home to make sure the condition of your home is perfect for when the market does begin to normalize.”

Staying home may be the perfect opportunity to spruce up your home with a fresh coat of paint or a deep clean if you’re planning on selling in the future!

Virtual Tours

One of the most important things to do during this time is to stay listed! Just because potential buyers may not be viewing homes in person, doesn’t mean they won’t be viewing properties online. Many REALTORS® are asking sellers to take small videos of their homes to show to potential buyers, as realtors are also trying to keep their distance to keep everyone healthy and safe. Social media is also a big tool that agents are utilizing to help promote properties to buyers who may be unable to view a home in person.

Agents are encouraging sellers to hang in there and to keep their properties listed. Agents are doing their best to showcase and market seller’s properties in a safe and healthy way and are using a variety of technologies to do so!

Screening Buyers

Given the nature of the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for physical and social distancing, one very important thing that REALTORS® are doing to help maintain the health and safety of their clients is to screen potential buyers when it comes to showing listings. Many agents, as mentioned above, are opting to do virtual tours of properties rather than showing them in person. As open houses are not being allowed at this time, virtual tours are a great way to showcase properties to serious buyers.

Be Patient

As hard as being patient can be, it is the biggest piece of advice our RE/MAX Influencers have for sellers. Navigating real estate during this time is going to be a learning curve for everyone, as many people will be restricted to online house shopping; but, our agents are determined to do everything they can to facilitate that change while keeping everyone involved safe and healthy.

“Sellers will have to be a little bit more flexible than they would have been a month ago. We expect sellers to be cautious, but this will pass! People will always need a home,” says Dave Beattie, RE/MAX Sea to Sky Real Estate, Whistler, BC.

While many sellers are faced with uncertainty at this time, our RE/MAX Influencers want you to know that they are here for you, and will do whatever they can to make the home buying and selling process as stress-free as possible. “We have contacted all of our sellers to let them know what we are doing during this COVID-19 breakout. Communication and information are key,” says Glenn Dennis, RE/MAX Select Properties, Vancouver, BC. “We have also offered help by picking up medication or groceries and delivering them to any of our clients who cannot get out of their own homes.”

For more articles from our expert Influencers, click here!

We also asked our Influencer panel for their insights and tips for buyers, so click here to check out that article!