Impact of COVID-19 on the U.S. Real Estate Agents
A new RealEstateBees.com survey of over 2,000 active real estate agents found that despite the negative impact on their business caused by the COVID-19, more than 80% are seeing new opportunities opened by the pandemic.
The following segmented report provides results of a large scale survey—Impact of the Coronavirus on the U.S. Real Estate Businesses—conducted by the Real Estate Bees research team, leading real estate platform for real estate professionals.
The following statistics reflect the situation among the US realtors. We reached out to over 2,000 active real estate agents from all the 50 U.S. states and Washington D.C. to collect their insight on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the industry in general and their businesses in particular.
The report is divided into the following two parts.
1. Multiple choice questions where the professionals had to choose one of the suggested answers to each question:
1.1 Is there a negative impact the pandemic is having on real estate agents?
1.2 Has the pandemic opened any unexpected opportunities for real estate agents?
1.3 How are you adjusting your marketing budget?
1.4 Are you transferring your business to a “work from home” basis?
1.5 Have you noticed any benefits of transferring your business processes to a “work from home” basis?
1.6 Have you noticed any drawbacks of transferring your business to a “work from home” basis?
1.7 Will you keep your business processes transferred to a “work from home” basis after the pandemic is over?
2. Open questions that allowed the experts to share their insights on various aspects of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the U.S. real estate agents:
2.1 What are the specific negative impacts the pandemic is having on real estate agents?
2.2 What unexpected opportunities have the pandemic opened for real estate agents?
2.3 If you knew the impact of this situation on your business in advance, how would you prepare your business to mitigate your losses or even profit from it?
2.4 What marketing channels do you prefer to use during the pandemic over the rest and why?
Is there a negative impact the pandemic is having on real estate agents?
Has the pandemic opened any unexpected opportunities for real estate agents?
How are you adjusting your marketing budget?
Are you transferring your business to a “work from home” basis?
Have you noticed any benefits of transferring your business processes to a “work from home” basis?
Have you noticed any drawbacks of transferring your business to a “work from home” basis?
Will you keep your business processes transferred to a “work from home” basis after the pandemic is over?
What are the specific negative impacts the pandemic is having on real estate agents?
Key takeaways from the real estate agents’ answers:
- Showings have become more difficult, as agents have to adhere to social distancing protocols to ensure safety at all times and in some states comply with the one-house showing policy. This has resulted in fewer showings or showings that would take longer than what was usually normal.
- While showings through video or virtual tours have become common, there are still some potential buyers who would rather wait it out until there is some return to normalcy to see properties in person.
- Real estate agents report low inventories, as there aren’t a lot of houses on the market due to sellers opting to list their homes when the situation is at least normal.
- Lending standards have been raised, which has made it harder for buyers to qualify: they are now required to provide more liquid assets or down payment.
- Some sellers refuse showings or are cautious about listing, fearing that their properties will be contaminated. This has resulted in fewer options for buyers, which makes them less satisfied with the properties being shown to them.
- Showing expenses are up: realtors are shelling out money to provide protective gear for themselves and their clients. They also spend money for video editing and other essentials to ensure a better virtual tour experience for buyers.
- Agents are slowly losing confidence due to the difficulty faced by the industry. Some are considering changing careers, while others are letting fear stand in the way of serving clients continuously and developing deeper relationships with their clientele.
- Both buyers and sellers are losing income due to the closure of many businesses and unemployment.
- Realtors in areas where travel and tourism have been mostly impacted are beginning to question when potential buyers are coming in again to check out real estate.
- Consumer confidence and mindset have also shifted to reflect priorities in times of crisis, which may either postpone or cancel real estate deals.
- While negative impacts abound, some realtors believe the industry, which started out strong this year, will bounce back quickly as soon as social distancing protocols have eased up and financial markets have stabilized. They are seeing an uptick in transactions for well-priced properties, which still aren’t readily available in the market.
Melissa Richter, REP Maine, Real Estate Performance Group with Keller Williams Realty
So much extra work keeping everyone safe. A 30-minute showing now takes over an hour. Previewing properties, as well as video editing and video expenses, are way up. We also have to shoulder personal safety gear expenses for myself and my clients. Some investors are backing out of transactions due to uncertainty.
First-time home buyers out in force wanting their own space and frustrated with not being able to get it immediately (as we have a one-house showing policy in our state right now because of COVID-19, they can no longer tour five to six houses at a time and we are talking about the instant gratification demographic). So, tensions and client satisfaction rates are lower among those buyers.
Sellers are also uncertain and cautious about listing.
Kelly Vaughan, Realtor at Keller Williams N. Collin County
The negative impact of the pandemic is being felt by agents through not being able to interface in person with clients and prospects. We had to adjust our business practices to accommodate social distancing protocols and shelter-in-place orders.
Texas real estate agents, however, have been fortunate in that our business has been deemed essential and we are allowed to continue to work (albeit virtually in many instances), while other states have included real estate in the industries that have been shut down.
The other negative impact is that this pandemic came at a time when it’s traditionally the busiest season of the year for real estate transactions — the spring.
Jason Kapit, The Jason Kapit Group at Keller Williams
The pandemic has specifically impacted lending because when there is uncertainty, credit tightens as lenders get nervous. As a result, mortgage companies unilaterally pull funding from already approved transactions, effectively killing deals.
Unemployment has also become rampant, so the inability to forecast job stability affects decision-making since not knowing if you will have a job to return to, if your job is safe, if your salary will be impacted, etc., has a direct effect on home-buying decisions. This, in turn, causes lenders to reevaluate the credit-worthiness of borrowers).
The pandemic has also affected the mindset and confidence of consumers. During a crisis, buyers and sellers prioritize differently, as they should, which then delays and derails deals.
Helena Noonan, Keller Williams Luxury Homes – The Noonan team
I believe that this pandemic is having an immediate impact on listing inventory and consumer confidence over the near term, but I do not believe we are in for a period of prolonged decline.
In my opinion, what we have today is a virus-driven problem and not a housing problem. The housing market in early 2020 started out strong and all leading indicators projected robust growth and appreciation through the end of the year.
We have seen good activity across all of our listings recently in spite of this pandemic. We expect the market to rebound quickly after states lift some of the social distancing guidelines and we see some stability in the financial markets again.
Lynn Wilson, Lynn Wilson and Keller Williams DFW/Southlake
We continue to be low on inventory, meaning fewer houses on the market. Sellers are often choosing to wait to list their homes on the market until there is some return to normalcy. Out-of-town buyers are waiting to come into town to see property, although we are providing exceptional service through extensive 3D and video tours.
Buyers on the cusp may no longer qualify as lending standards have been raised, requiring higher minimum FICO scores and more liquid assets or down payment than pre-Corona. Many are now unemployed, which makes it harder for buyers since lenders confirm their qualification with new standards and employment right before closing.
Brooke Gagnon, Keller Williams Mountain Properties
Current market conditions may have sidelined some buyers, but there is opportunity in every market. Now that we are allowed to show property again with strict safety protocol in place, another challenge will be buyers’ ability to qualify for loans if they are furloughed or have curtailment to their economy.
Our local market is strongly impacted by travel/tourism, so knowing when guests might be able to return is a big question we are all asking. People still need somewhere to live at the end of the day, so we are still seeing activity on well-priced properties which are still scarce in our market.
Valerie Crowell, Keller Williams Realty
Buyers are very wary right now. Some have lost their jobs; others are scared due to the drop in the stock market. On the other hand, some are very motivated right now. We cannot show occupied homes currently, so we are utilizing virtual tours.
Some buyers are very comfortable with tha; some are very uncomfortable with that and will either wait or skip occupied homes. Vacant homes are easier to show. Stagers are non-essential, so buyers also need some vision that they don’t normally need to have.
Ana Raznatovic, Coldwell Banker
There are very few industries that haven’t been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The real estate business in Florida is not recognized as essential, therefore open houses, short-term rentals, and moving in in some buildings are prohibited.
Most of the agents adapted to the new situation and we did virtual tours of our listings and virtual preview of homes that buyers were interested in. However, the biggest negative impact is the travel restriction.
Denny Grimes, Denny Grimes & Team at Keller Williams Naples
Sales are trending down in most areas. I believe all areas will feel a slowdown in business, which will affect the lower-producing agent the most.
The pandemic is also having a negative effect on the mindset of agents that are not surrounding themselves with positive input. Many agents are living in fear instead of looking for ways to serve others and grow deeper relationships with their database.
Lynda Dimond, Keller Williams Realty
Occupied properties are not able to be shown in our county – only virtually. The number of showings happening on occupied homes is almost at a standstill. Vacant homes do not seem to be impacted, however, but 99% of homes are going pending.
Sellers wanting to sell are reluctant to go on the MLS if they are occupied due to the showing restrictions. A few buyers are nervous to look at this time but generally speaking they are anxious to buy.
Rhonda Hoeft, Ar/Haus Group Keller Williams
The impact has predominantly been on the luxury market. Here in Indianapolis that means any home priced above $500,000 has experienced a lot of slow down. Beyond that, we already had a lack of inventory problem in all price points. The pandemic has caused some would-be sellers to wait and see.
Maha Dahdouh, Keller Williams Santa Clara Valley
Lots of realtors are looking to change careers due to the sudden stop of the business and the much more restricted protocols in conducting the business. If realtors are not able to change their way of doing business with the new norm, they will not be able to survive this market shift.
What unexpected opportunities has the pandemic opened for real estate agents?
Key takeaways from the real estate agents’ answers:
- More houses are expected to be sold, as more people who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic are looking to move and live with less in the months to come. Buildings that rent out to college students could be for sale as well, should colleges decide not to hold classes in September.
- Despite fewer listings from sellers, buyers are getting better deals on properties being sold. They have increased purchasing power due to historically low interest rates.
- The pandemic opens doors for real estate agents to think out of the box by leveraging technology to reach out to more clients via better and creative video content for virtual showings and improve their business and knowledge base through participating in educational webinars.
- Real estate processes are now more efficient and streamlined due to technology, as the industry adopts new ways to complete transactions such as Remote Online Notarizations (RON) and Remote Ink-Signed Notarizations (RIN).
- As more people are staying home, they have an opportunity to assess their lifestyle and the functionality of their homes. This results in homeowners looking to move homes or renovate their existing space to accommodate a new lifestyle brought about by the pandemic.
- With the stay-at-home order in place, realtors have found a way to operate the business without having to keep an office space. Technology has also allowed them to improve their marketing efforts online to attract more customers.
Helena Noonan, Keller Williams Luxury Homes – The Noonan Team
Change always brings opportunity! Difficult times like these usually drive innovation and create opportunity for innovators. We are being forced to find new ways to sell homes, communicate with clients, and close transactions.
We feel that agents who embrace technology, develop systems, and implement models will have the upper hand as the market shifts. This epidemic has forced all us to look in the mirror and look for ways to improve our service and get better at what we do.
Those who embrace the change are going to thrive and those who resist these changes or do not take the opportunity to grow and improve will be left behind.
Sabrina McKnight, Keller Williams Realty Metropolitan and Agent Leadership Council Chair of Luxury Committee
The pandemic has forced the real estate industry to adopt current technology to conduct some parts of the business, such as virtual training, showings, and client meetings, as well as streamlining processes for closings with title companies.
Remote online notarizations (RON) and remote ink-signed notarizations (RIN) are just now receiving much more attention in the industry, although the technology and systems have been in place for some time. The use of these technologies will hopefully allow a more efficient and streamlined process, as well as more opportunities for buyers and sellers.
Jordan Ayan, The Lifestyle Collection at Keller Williams Luxury
Prior to the virus, there was a high degree of interest in our market from California, the Pacific Northwest, and the Midwest. As we have been going through this crisis, there has been increased interest from those markets.
I think we have a real opportunity for a strong market comeback as Arizona is a business-friendly state, with lots of space and low population density. Also now that people have learned that they can work from anywhere, we will be an attractive market to people who want to escape where they are located.
Kelly Vaughan, Keller Williams N. Collin County
Realtors are being forced to adjust their business practices to make accommodations for social distancing protocols and shelter-in-place orders. Virtual showings, open houses, and client consultations have now become the norm, and I expect will stay that way for a while.
The other advantage is that we have been able to contact and connect with our clients (past and present) with greater success since everyone is home and anxious to interact with someone other than their family members.
Marina Borja, Keller Williams Realty Memorial
The historically low interest rates are here to stay for a while. The increased purchasing power of buyers, together with the low interest rates, will push buyers to buy sooner than later.
Another unexpected opportunity is that the lockdown makes people realize how functional their homes are. Several of them saw their shortcomings. People would like to improve the lifestyle they have in their own homes and will look to purchase a new property or renovate their existing home.
Deidre Quinn, Deidre Quinn & Associates, Keller Williams Philadelphia
It’s opened opportunities to reach more people through technology. We have been reinventing the way we do business by changing listing presentations, buyer presentations, and open houses to online platforms.
It’s also allowed us to dive into different online training programs, connect on different levels with many people such as state representatives, economists, and leaders of various organizations. In addition, it has opened up so many avenues for us to give back to the community.
Karen S. Paris, Karen Paris & Associates Powered by Keller Williams Capital Properties Fairfax
The opportunity to trim the fat. Working from home as a base for the last couple of months has given me the opportunity to determine whether or not maintaining an additional office space is really necessary.
Having evolved into a virtual and digital business with streamlined systems in place overtime anyway, I realized that maintaining an outside office is functionally obsolete. The time that I spend out in the field is either staging or home or showing property, and no office is necessary for that.
Linda Burtch, ABODEslc with Keller Williams Salt Lake City
The COVID-19 epidemic has opened some unexpected opportunities for agents to streamline their processes and connect with people in a whole new way. From digital video consultations to virtual showings and no-contact closings, the real estate industry is evolving to better serve and streamline the whole buying and selling experience.
With the technology evolving around no-contact sales, 3D listing tours, and putting client’s safety in the forefront, we are seeing an increase in activity and happy clients all around!
Jason Kapit, The Jason Kapit Group at Keller Williams
There are always silver linings and the pandemic has allowed agents who recognize this to reorganize efforts and become relational with their network and prospects as opposed to simply transactional.
Efficiencies will be borne from this chaos and if you are willing to make the necessary changes and adapt, you can be in a much better place when the dust settles. Do not take this time to relax. Double-down on your efforts, hone your skills, and build your pipeline.
Maha Dahdouh, Keller Williams Santa Clara Valley
Realtors have to be more adaptable to new technology and use it to keep and grow their business. You have to be an out-of-the-box thinker to reach and earn client business virtually and not in person anymore.
Thinking in a positive way, door knock business will fade away, however, you can reach more clientele over social media with effective conversation and showing how knowledgeable you are in the business.
Katie Rocco, The Rocco Team at Keller Williams North Fulton
During the pandemic, we as realtors have had the opportunity to do extra marketing online to attract buyers for our listings. There are more buyers online than ever before, so it gives us the opportunity to up our game on marketing.
We have been able to sell more of our clients’ homes to buyers who have never stepped foot in the home through walkthrough video tours and personal Facetime tours.
Caralee Gurney, The Mariposa Group, A Coldwell Banker Apex Company
Days on market have improved. Buyers have an opportunity to get a fair deal even in a supposed seller’s market with low inventory. We’ve also learned new ways to improve our businesses and be creative via more virtual opportunities. A good agent who had already built solid relationships, developed creative video content, and saved reserves will survive this crisis.
Jeffrey Collins, Collins Home Team at Keller Williams
The informed agent will be able to discuss the window of opportunity the seller has at this moment before we may see depreciating values. They will also be able to proactively discuss opportunities that single-owner, non-occupied properties (income properties) may be positioned to take advantage of now vs. “waiting to see what happens.”
Ellen Dudley, Keller Williams
Since a lot of people have lost their jobs, they could be thinking of moving and living with less in the coming months. There could be more houses to sell for this reason. There is also an opportunity to sell some buildings that specifically rent out to college students if the colleges decide not to hold classes in September.
Matt Harnick, The Matt Harnick Real Estate Team, powered by Keller Williams
I think that keeping in touch with clients and spheres is really critical to make sure we’re still in business once it’s over. I think it’s enabled me to really care about my clients in a whole new way. Aside from that, there’s also the ability to get more involved in our local areas and to be more of a local expert.
If you knew the impact of this situation on your business in advance, how would you prepare your business to mitigate your losses or even profit from it?
Key takeaways from the real estate agents’ answers:
- Staying in touch with clients is important to keep the business moving and afloat during the pandemic. Keeping up with client relationships allows agents to strengthen the trust built with their clientele.
- Constant communication with customers through consultations allows agents to provide clients proper guidance on the ways they can take advantage of the current situation. This also allows realtors to generate income opportunities, such as teaching them how to benefit from low interest rates, working with them to boost their credit scores, and conducting seminars to encourage them to invest more in real estate.
- Taking advantage of technology to conduct more virtual tours could have been leveraged in advance, as well as reducing office space and cutting more expenses.
- To mitigate losses, it is important to keep debts low and strive to keep reserves high to help the business get through the drought. Keeping an eye on budget and ensuring resources are placed where the business will benefit is a must.
- This is an opportune time to revisit contracts and investments to see which ones aren’t serving the business’s interest. This is the perfect occasion to take advantage of new investment opportunities that remain solid during the pandemic, while cutting back on long-term contracts.
- While no one could have predicted the impact of the pandemic, evaluating systems in place pre-Corona can help make these tools more streamlined to easily make the shift to digital/virtual technology to serve clients better.
- It is important not to cut advertising budget as a way to mitigate losses, as marketing your brand is needed now more than ever. When the dust settles, the brand that continued to keep in touch with its market will more likely remain top of mind among consumers.
- Being able to quickly adapt to the “new normal” and adopt a positive and persistent approach will help agents weather the negative impacts of the pandemic effortlessly.
Danielle Connolly, Star Properties Real Estate
If I had known six months ago what I know now, I would have spent more time reaching out to and building relationships with individuals who could currently benefit from low interests rates.
I would have also sent more marketing materials to people living in large-scale apartment complexes, worked with individuals on boosting their credit scores, held first-time buying seminars, as well as “What to Know About Investing in Real Estate” seminars.
I think there are a lot of great buying opportunities right now for individuals who are motivated to explore these options.
Marina Borja, Keller Williams Realty Memorial
No one could have predicted the extent of the impact from this pandemic. Not even now. As a listing agent, I cannot push a seller to list if he/she is uncomfortable. Vacant homes are much easier to list for sellers and agents at this time and yes, I advise my sellers to list immediately.
This pandemic may affect me in the short term but I am sure real estate business will rebounce exponentially as soon as this is under control. People always need to move/sell/purchase. I will be there to help them through the process.
Karen S. Paris, Karen Paris & Associates powered by Keller Williams Capital Properties Fairfax
Before working from home, I was able to evaluate what systems I had in place in my office that I was not using out of necessity. I have revamped these systems to make them even more streamlined, so that I can operate fully in a digital and virtual capacity and travel to my clients when necessary.
This has allowed me to provide a better concierge service and by the same token, cutting my expenses dramatically.
Caralee Gurney, The Mariposa Group, A Coldwell Banker Apex Company
Keep up with your relationships. If people trust you; they will come to you first with their circumstances, good or bad. Keep your debt low and your reserves high so you can sustain time with no sales, if needed. You’ll never know what’s going to come up. It could be a pandemic or an emergency crisis with your family, friends or even yourself.
Keep an eye on your budget. Is what you are doing effective? Do you get a return on your marketing investment?
Deidre Quinn, Deidre Quinn & Associates, Keller Williams Philadelphia
If I knew the impact in advance, I would have had videos and virtual tours done for all listings, cut more expenses sooner to save more, including reducing my office space. Over the past couple of years, we have been preparing for a market shift. I was entering into fewer long-term contracts during that time which made it easier to cancel any unnecessary expenses quickly.
Dania Diaz, RE/MAX Advance Realty
I think I had all the tools ready to go and actually was prepared. If I had to state a way I would have prepared, I would have told every buyer who was holding out to make the move during that stay-at-home order month. That is when you could have gotten the best deal!
As of now, although many speculate of a market correction, the market is showing quite the opposite. The market is strong right now!
Kim Erwin, Keller Williams Coastal Bend
We are fortunate that our market has remained fairly steady so far. I think the biggest takeaway has been that new expectations are starting to be set regarding in-person showings. Had we known in advance that this was going to happen, I would have emphasized to sellers the importance of preparing their home for virtual showings, as that is becoming more prevalent.
Kelly Vaughan, Keller Williams N. Collin County
I think we were able to shift and pivot our practices fairly quickly. Our business has traditionally been very relationship based and we were able to leverage the shelter-in-place orders to deepen and strengthen the relationships we have with our clients through calls, video chats, and handwritten notes.
Ana Raznatovic, Coldwell Banker
I am not a big fan of “if” questions. None could have ever predicted the total world shutdown. Maybe in some movies but in reality, the situation is different. I believe that being able to adapt very fast to a new normal is one of the great advantages. To keep moving forward, to stay positive and persistent.
Melissa Richter, REP Maine, Real Estate Performance Group at Keller Williams Realty
I was lucky enough to have moved my business home in November and have my team working out of their homes so we were very well positioned and had already cut office rent and photocopy expenses. Thank God. Profit will wait and see as expenses and time invested are way up.
Terese Brittingham, Keller Williams Realty Group
We are adjusting other areas of the business but plan to ramp up on the marketing budget. There will be a land of opportunity and we want our unfair share. We have planned for a rainy day and have a large reserve so we can weather this storm and come out strong.
Brenda Kielbratowski, Brenda K’s Halifax Home Selling Group, Keller Williams Select Realty
The mistake most companies make is cutting their advertising budget first. It is key to keep up and even increase your marketing during the pandemic, so when it is over, your brand is more likely to be top of mind among consumers.
What marketing channels do you prefer to use during the pandemic over the rest and why?
Key takeaways from the real estate agents’ answers:
- Social media channels like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn are good marketing tools to use during the pandemic, as people now spend more time accessing these platforms.
- Utilizing video platforms like Zoom is a great way to keep in touch with clients and conduct interviews with prospective buyers.
- Traditional marketing methods such as newsletters, phone calls, texting, and direct mail remain effective in staying in close contact with your target market.
- Sending out emails still stands out as a marketing tool to use in the time of pandemic, as more people are opening their emails at a higher rate than ever before.
- Investing in good photography, particularly for aerial photos, is a must to gain more customers who are now spending more time browsing at homes online.
- Virtual showings with the aid of 3D visual tour tools like Matterport and apps like Facetime and Whatsapp for real-time tours are being utilized more than ever to give buyers a creative yet safe way to view homes.
Danielle Connolly, Star Properties Real Estate
Social media seems to be the best way to reach people during these interesting times. People are working and teaching their children from home, shopping online, basically quarantined with their computers and mobile phones attached to them like glue. They are “bored” and scrolling through social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat.
Now is the perfect time to capture this audience. Also, emailing monthly newsletters, recipes, fun facts, cool website links, etc., is a great way to stay in touch as people are opening their emails at higher rates than we’ve previously seen.
Helena Noonan, Keller Williams Luxury Homes – The Noonan Team
The pandemic has forced us to do everything virtually as face-to-face interactions have been significantly limited. We have been utilizing streaming technology to hold virtual open houses and 3D Matterport Tours to allow potential buyers to have a more immersive “real life” experience across all of our listings.
Professional photography and video have never been more important to present our listings and engage buyers more effectively. We have been much more active across many of the social media channels and are seeing significantly higher engagement.
Dania Diaz, RE/MAX Advance Realty
I use Homesnap, Adwerx, Facebook boosted ads, Google ads, Waze ads, and Instagram. I have always believed in digital marketing. Now more than ever people are browsing the web.
I am thankful to have been able to build my footprint before any of this happened. It gave me a leg up on the rest of the agents. I also had a lot of practice in advance and knew exactly what to do to seize opportunity in these otherwise tough times.
Kim Erwin, Keller Williams Coastal Bend
My team has started heavily utilizing Facebook to promote virtual showings and 3D tours of our listings, so that buyers can safely view our listings from their homes.
This also provides peace of mind to our sellers so they don’t have to worry about an inordinate amount of traffic through their home during the pandemic and strictly comply with the stay-at-home order our city had in place for a month.
Caralee Gurney, The Mariposa Group, A Coldwell Banker Apex Company
I prefer social media. That’s where everyone is. If you aren’t on social media sites, you are likely suffering in your real estate business.
Most print mail ends up in the trash. There are times when it is effective, but over 90% of buyers are online. You should be too. At the very least, both Facebook and Instagram should be used consistently.
Lynn Wilson, Lynn Wilson; Keller Williams DFW/Southlake
I prefer to stay in close contact on the phone with my clients and sphere of influence. At a time like this, it helps to be a source of information, a calm voice in perhaps a storm, an advisor in my field, and a true friend.
Referrals from past clients are the best marketing. However, I’ve also utilized video (text or YouTube), Facebook posts, Zoom, and direct mail.
Ellen Dudley, Keller Williams
I continue to use all the social media channels I have used in the past, including Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. I am starting to do Zoom interviews with people who have information to share that my followers may be interested in and posting these on my social channels. I continue to blog and send out newsletters.
Deidre Quinn, Deidre Quinn & Associates, Keller Williams Philadelphia
I prefer using Zoom, video, and old-fashioned phone calls. I prefer to see my friends and clients – Zoom has taken the place of our in-person seminars, one-on-one meetings, and open houses. I have been making more time to call my past clients to see how they are doing. I enjoy checking in on them and hearing their voices.
Marina Borja, Keller Williams Realty Memorial
Great photography is a must, including aerial photos. Video tours and especially Matterport, which is a 3D visual tour, are great tools to help a prospective buyer visualize the layout of the property. Social media postings are essential as well, as more people are glued to their smartphones.
Lynn Westbrook, Home Pros Real Estate Group
Email, texting (because they are trusted and common methods), Zoom meetings (because they can be recorded), FaceTime or WhatsApp for real-time tours.
Photographs, video and floorplans, while always useful became critical to put a home’s best face forward.
Terese Brittingham, Keller Williams Realty Group
Loving Zoom and Facetime. We also do lots of phone calls and Facebook. We have also been using YouTube and Instagram. We also use LinkedIn which is great for new construction. We have resorted to mailing as well to our farm since walking is out of the question.
Lee Potts, Keller Williams Realty Maui – Aloha Group Maui Team
Our marketing hasn’t changed significantly. We’ve always used video and Facetime for showings since so many of our clients live off-island on the mainland. Now we’ve added more Zoom to our meetings.
Susan Feil, Feil Real Estate at Keller Williams
The telephone. I am calling my database. Also, for sellers we are doing video tours and Matterport presentations to provide the maximum amount of information possible prior to a showing.
Sabrina McKnight, Keller Williams Realty Metropolitan
I prefer to use Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube because I am able to reach the most number of engaged users. I am also taking a look at TikTok.