The three things you need to sell or rent your home during COVID-19 (and two that may help)

COVID-19 has changed a lot about how we buy, sell and rent homes. But with plenty of people still in the market, it can be a great time to sell or rent out your property - you just may need to do things a little differently. Here are three things you need to help sell or rent your home while social distancing measures are in place, plus two more that may help give you the edge:

Private inspections and video walk-throughs

With open inspections no longer allowed, agents are now restricted to private inspections to show through prospective buyers or tenants, and some may also offer inspections via video chat. Some are even doing Facebook Live inspections, to make it as easy as possible for people to look through. Chat to your agent about what they’re doing and make sure they’re offering at least one of these services. When you list your property on Zango, prospective buyers or renters can click straight through to make a private appointment right from the listing, which helps make the process easier.

Online auctions

You may already be working from home, and these days you can even buy a house from home. While the pandemic measures are in place, in-person auctions have been swapped for virtual auctions, and if you choose to sell via auction, you’ll need to make sure you work with an agent who has this technology in place. Some agencies do auctions via a video stream of the auctioneer and registered bidders call in their bids over the phone, while others use dedicated auction programs where you can bid online. Ask your agent about what they are able to offer. Listings on Zango can also include direct links through to virtual auctions, and even a countdown to ensure nobody misses out on the big day.

A great agent

Engaging a great real estate agent has always been important when it comes to selling or renting a property, but with all the uncertainty at the moment, it’s never been more important. As you always would, do your homework before deciding on an agent, but also ask how they’ve adapted to suit the new measures and what they’re offering to ensure you can still get the best outcome for your property.

If you really want to make your property listing stand out, you could also add one of the following:

Virtual staging

There’s no doubt about it, professionally styling can be the difference between someone clicking on your listing or just keep scrolling past. There are plenty of talented professional styling and home staging experts out there, but if you’re looking for a no-contact option where nobody even has to set foot in the property, try virtual styling. By using your property photography, companies like Living Media, Box Brownie and others can digitally add furniture and decorations in a style that suits the space, or even just remove clutter so everything looks neat and tidy. It not only shows off your home in its very best light and can get many more people clicking on your listing, but also means zero interruptions to the occupants, whether that’s yourself or a tenant.

A video or 3D walkthrough

Before deciding on a property to live in, people usually want to have more than one look. And while scrolling through photography is helpful, a video or 3D walkthrough can add another dimension to this, and help the prospective renter or buyer get a real feel for the place without physically having to visit.