— We take our content seriously. This article was written by a real person at BREL.
Our resident Hamiltonian, Kellye, has helped over 40 clients make the move from the GTA to Hamilton. She’s picked up a few tricks along the way to help make this transition as smooth and stress free as possible.
One of the most frequent issues she encounters is the buyer’s inability to get to Hamilton to see properties as they hit the market. The spring market has hit Hamilton in full force. We are seeing this most clearly reflected in the average days on market which has dropped 27% as compared to January 2023 (27.6 days in March vs 37.8 in January according to RAHB).
We might be consumed with all things real estate but we appreciate that our clients have other obligations on their time. It’s not always possible to drop everything, pile everyone into the car, and get to Hamilton at the drop of a hat (or a new listing).
So what can you do to make sure you see the “good stuff” as quickly as possible while avoiding the “not-so-good stuff” at the same time? Hello, virtual showings! Virtual showings via WhatsApp, FaceTime, Zoom etc were a necessary solution that emerged from COVID as both Buyers and Sellers wanted to transact while maintaining minimal contact with each other. Virtual showings are no longer the dominant method of viewing homes in most markets but they continue to add significant value for Kellye’s out of town buyers.
Here is how it works:
Kellye or her Buyers identify a property of interest. If the Buyers are unable to get to Hamilton quickly, or if they are on the fence about the property, then Kellye will book a showing on her own as quickly as possible with her schedule. Keep in mind, she is local and it is much easier for her to get around town. The Buyers can “join” her via their platform of choice so she can walk them through the home. She makes sure that they get a solid overview of the entire property and always makes sure to point out anything that may not be obvious through the camera. For example, some houses smell…less than fresh.
Sometimes they are not able to coordinate a time for a virtual showing so she will then go to the property on her own and report her observations to the buyers.
If the buyers love it then they will prioritize getting to Hamilton quickly. If they are no longer interested then everyone is relieved because the buyers did not waste an hour (or many hours?) in traffic only to visit a home that reeks of mold or cat pee.
Want to see this in action? Check out our TikTok account (@thebrelteam) to see Kellye share some real life examples from previous clients.
