HYANNIS – Realtors on Cape Cod and the Islands are turning to digital and remote tools to assist in buying and selling amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The technology related to how you interact with your buyers and sellers from a Realtor’s perspective has jumped about 10 years in the last two months, and I don’t see it going back,” said Ryan Castle, Chief Executive Officer of the Cape Cod and Islands Association of Realtors.
“I think you have a lot of Realtors who are experimenting with virtual open houses right now. They’re doing a lot of virtual listing presentation, things of that nature. That’s not going to change. What we’ve seen before is that the consumer is changing, whether it’s buyer or seller, and they want different kinds of styles of interacting with their agent and you’re seeing the agent providing and adapting,” said Castle.
Remote tours and more photography have been a focus of Realtors where social distancing restrictions and non-essential status as a business made real estate difficult.
According to Castle, much of the technological adaptations to overcome the restrictions imposed by the virus were already on their way before the pandemic, such as 3D tours and virtual walk-throughs.
Castle also said that buyers are on average looking at fewer homes before making offers, which he said is a sign modern technology is helping consumers find their future homes easier.
“I think [Realtors] have really shown the professionals that they are by adjusting and adapting their practice to meet the client’s demand,” said Castle.
“It’s tough to change your business model and pivot on a dime but they’ve really done that. One, to get the current deals across the closing table, to help that buyer who needs housing, but two is also to pivot to be safe and do real estate in a safe manner.”
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