We hope this finds you safe and healthy while we all go through these very challenging times together, apart.

As this pandemic continues, we wanted to give you an update on how these times are affecting the Real Estate Industry and our role of being your Realtors®.

The Real Estate market overall is definitely quiet. Most people are not interested in buying or selling right now, unless they absolutely must (and they are out there). Because of this, we have been identified as an essential service mandated by the Federal Government, so we are open for business, but have to do things in a very different way for now.

We have been advised by our governing body, the Real Estate Council of BC (RECBC), to stay home whenever possible, to suspend any open houses during this time and to use virtual tours instead, as a way of showing homes to clients who really need to find a home. If a buyer finds a home interesting enough for them to make an offer, we are advised to include a Subject to Viewing clause giving the buyer full protection before the purchase officially goes firm. We are also advised to use Docusign whenever possible, which is a legal electronic signing system that works via email and the Internet. We are pleased to say that we already use 360* Interactive Video Tours of our listings and we already use Docusign, so we are well-prepared and can assist you through the process, whether you are in a position of must-buy or must-sell.

We want you to know that we are adhering to practicing all safe protocols shared to us by both Health and Real Estate authorities. Although we are staying home as we’ve been told to do, we wanted to let you know we are here to help you with any Real Estate questions you might have, so please do not hesitate to call, text or email and we will get back to you in a timely manner!

With all the extra time that many people have at home now, we are finding that many have questions about Real Estate. When life returns to some semblance of “normal” will people be buying and selling again? What will happen with Real Estate values? Will they go up, or will they drop?

We are confident the market will rebound in a big way. There will be pent-up demand on behalf of buyers. There will be sellers really ready to sell. And interest rates are at a mind-boggling low!

If you are a future Seller, we encourage you to use this extra time to spruce up your home, inside and out, declutter and get a head start on packing up what you want to take with you when you move. If you have questions about which improvements you should focus on and which aren’t as important when selling, just ask us! You’ll want your home to be ready to list to attract those prepared, qualified buyers first!

If you are not thinking of selling any time soon, use this extra time to do the same and finish those projects that have been awaiting your attention. You will love it and the feeling of accomplishment that results. Trust us on this, as that’s what we’ve been working on! 

If you are a future Buyer, be ready! Ensure you have all your ducks in a row, pre-approvals in place and up-to-date because when this whole Covid-19 thing starts to release its grip on us there will likely be lots of new listings to choose from and the best mortgage rate options we may ever see! You will have a great advantage over other buyers just by being ready to go. In a multiple offer situation, price is not the only thing that matters. It's the terms of the contract also. So we encourage you to do your research and due diligence now during these times. We can help you with that. Just ask us!

Whether you are a buyer, seller or neither right now but would like more information, please, please know that we are here to help you with any Real Estate questions or concerns you might have, or if you need assistance in any other ways, we are here to help. These are very challenging times indeed, but we will get through this together!

Lastly we definitely wanted to give a big SHOUT OUT to all our first liners out there who are serving us in our time of need; doctors, nurses, care-aids, housekeeping staff, grocery store, pharmacy and hardware store staff and all those transport companies and drivers out there. Thanks to all of you! We couldn’t get through this without you!

Stay Safe, healthy and have a nourishing Easter weekend,

Kind Regards,
 
Al and Shannon