PENT UP DEMAND FOR VAIL AND BEAVER CREEK RESORT PROPERTY
In the wake of COVID-19, the enhanced use of technology is changing the way we buy and sell homes. In Eagle County, the “safer at home” policy only allowed Vail Valley residents to have “in person” showings of properties. Out of county residents often opted to use technology to narrow down their choices so they would be ready when they could get here to view in person. Now that we are entering phase II of our opening, other buyers are arriving to enjoy the mountains and explore the real estate options in person. Demand has been”pent up” and technology solutions, such as the Virtual Open Houses and zoom type meetings to review marketing materials in more depth are becoming common place for me. For example, I recently reviewed a Matterport (click here for an example of what a Matterport is like), video, photos and video clips of details of the home with a Buyer and the Buyer’s real estate agent. After 2.5 hours on a Zoom session, and a very detailed virtual showing experience, the Buyers made an offer on the home and is now under contract to purchase it without ever having seen the property in person. This property is a 4.5 million dollar listing so it is incredible what we can do to make people feel confident in the home through these virtual tools. Believe it or not, the buyers are living in London, England and are likely to never see the residence prior to closing on the sale. I have sold several properties in this manner and I have always had the buyers convert. Often the home still appears better in person, so long as you take enough video footage of the surrounding property and show everything prior to accepting a site unseen offer.
A PARADIGM SHIFT IN HOW WE MARKET REAL ESTATE
This is another paradigm shift in the market where technology not only exists, but the general public is willing to utilize the tools in ways they would not prior to the pandemic. Now that they are familiar, they will always use this new skillset. Even if the buyers don’t know a tremendous amount of technology. Now, homebuyers from across town and across the country have the opportunity to tour homes from the comfort of their own house. They also seek as much information and media more than ever so having an agent that is savvy enough to leverage the latest in technology to present homes in their best light digitally is critical.
Just think of how convenient it would be to reduce your showings in person from 8 or 12 to just 2 or 3 in the Vail Valley if you live elsewhere. Why waste precious days of your vacation dragging all over town when you can look at them ahead of time from home and be more efficient with your time when you are here for leisure? Now more than ever, your showings really happen online prior to anyone ever stepping foot inside. It is not as though these methods didn’t exist before, but now so much of the population is embracing use of new technologies and are receiving crash courses now through this pandemic.
I must admit that this is truly a time for me to shine as use of the technologies is second nature to me and I am so excited to have so many consumers embracing them. Given that buyers eliminate so many properties through online viewings, it has never been more important to have a tech savvy agent that does the work needed at launch to make home shine (from premarket staging to look your best, to gathering all the best media to prepare for launch). I have a videographer that i use based out of Hawaii that I fly her periodically to video my listings so that I can have truly the best representation of my listings on video possible. Here is one example of a recent video and my videographer is coming at the end of May and beginning of June to video five new listings coming to market.
Feel free to call me if you would like a demonstration of the latest technologies via a Zoom session and I can give a short demonstrate how I was able to sell my latest 4.5 million dollar listing to a buyer that has never seen the home in person. Just call me, email me or you can make an appointment by clicking here. If you are considering selling your home, please set up a zoom meeting with me so I can give you an idea of the market specific to your residence and provide a Zoom listing consultation to show you what you can expect.
