Real Estate and The New Normal

COVID has been with us now for a year, and while there is some light at the end of the tunnel the effects of the pandemic are as real now as they were when the whole thing started. Every facet of what we knew as normal has changed as well as the perceptions of what effectively  can and can’t be done. As 2020 slowly ticked by, the idea of normal began to change. Almost  as if by necessity people began to accept the ramifications of the current state of things as the “New Normal“, and in turn began to find ways to thrive.

My name is Jayson Carpenter, and I am a real estate agent with the Carpenter Real Estate Group. In 2020 when the pandemic first started there was a tremendous amount of confusion and uncertainty surrounding the implications of COVID on the residential real estate industry. Real estate is a business that, up until COVID, was a face-to-face occupation. We as realtors, spent time meeting with clients, showing homes, hosting open houses, and attending social functions in the community. Due to the pandemic business practices that had been in place for longer than most could remember were for all intents and purposes a thing of the past.

One of the most remarkable things about the challenges that realtors were forced to face was how quickly we as a whole adapted. In person meetings and caravans became zoom calls, open houses became virtual, stringent regulations and requirements were put into place for in person viewing of properties, and clients in many cases we forced to provide documentation of pre-approval to sellers agents before even viewing a property. Things in a strange way almost became more streamlined. No more inquisitive neighbors, just real qualified buyers looking at homes and ready to offer. Insanely low interest rates, combined with a low inventory of properties, created many transactions with multiple over-asking offers. It seems like a perfect time to sell, yet, many still won’t.

The pandemic has resulted in many potential sellers to re-think listing their properties. A great number of people are still uncomfortable with the idea of strangers parading around their home during COVID, regardless of the measures that have been implemented. Sellers still want to sell, but, due to the nature of the times, are unsure of how.

Here at the Carpenter Real Estate Group, we have access through EXP our brokerage, to a platform of all cash investors. This platform has the potential to help sellers get potentially multiple cash offers for their property, without the intrusive nature of conventional showings, stagings, and what some may call, inconvenience. This pool of cash  investors offer flexible closings from 9 – 90 days. How does it work? Well, each one of these investors each have certain criteria they want in a property and if the property fits into the parameters that they desire there is a potential that they may make an offer. While there is no guarantee that a property will receive an offer, and, if it does, the is the seller is under no obligation to accept  it. The real benefit to this option is how convenient the process is, and we are truly excited to offer it.

The ‘new normal’ is here to stay since the Covid 19 crisis began, and strangely, in many ways it is beneficial. The new procedures allow us to provide a streamlined experience for buyers and sellers, paired with the many different programs that we offer allows us to cater a wider variety of clients. While we are excited about what they year hold, we are ever evolving and striving doing our utmost make every experience as seamless as possible. If you are thinking about selling your home, or are interested in getting an instant cash offer for your home, then please reach out shane.carpenter@compass.com.