Page 40 - Westchester Relocation Guide 2021

REAL ESTATE
TIPS FOR BUYERS AND SELLERS How to make virtual home buying and selling a home run.
Across the Hudson Valley — and across the globe — real estate was turned on its head when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. After being completely locked down, the process of homebuying and selling gradually returned to a new type of normal in our region. While in-person real estate transactions will always be preferred, area realtors learned a whole new way of doing business during the height of the pandemic, and some of it seems likely to stick around. Virtual home tours, showings, and negotiations are poised to remain popular with buyers
and sellers regardless of the state of the virus. Here are some tips for how to make the most of these time-saving and/or pandemic-necessary virtual practices:
Proper Staging Elevates Home Tours
“As an agent who primarily represents the seller, staging is an important part of my business and never more important than when COVID-19 restricted in- person showings. Photos and visual tours were the only way buyers could ‘visit’ a property. Staging for professional
photos is the key to attracting full- market exposure which leads to achieving the best possible sales price. My current top three staging must- do’s include: 1. Paint old cabinets bright white. This is an inexpensive option, but it is a game changer.
Buyers simply love white kitchen cabinets. 2. Remove or pull back all curtains; exposed windows are best. 3. Bedrooms are best showcased with a crisp, clean look — you can’t go wrong with a white comforter.” —Deborah Valentino, Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker, Houlihan Lawrence
“If a buyer prefers to see a property remotely, staging a home virtually must be well planned and executed. Virtually staged tours are cheaper than on-site staging — just a few hundred dollars could make a big difference when attempting to sell a home. The buyer should be able, virtually, to look into closets, open cabinets, examine basements, and check exteriors. A walk- through video is essential when staging a home. It is best to remove family photos as well as personal mementos.” —Bonnie Koff, Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker, Corcoran Legends Realty
Let Technology Do the Work
“Sellers can meet with agents to show their property via Zoom or FaceTime, enabling agents to give sellers home- preparation suggestions without having to go inside the house. 3-D photography and virtual video tours enable prospective buyers the opportunity to take a 360- tour through the entire home, just as if they were inside. Google Street View enables a buyer the opportunity to get a quick overview of the street where ahouseresides,asdoestheuseof dronephotography.And,ifabuyerisn’t able to use these tools, a homeowner or agent can FaceTime a buyer to showtheproperty.Allthesetoolsare great resources for sellers to work with their agents and buyers to show their property while limiting exposure.” —Elizabeth “Beth” Hargraves, Maria Carlino, and Bernadette Haley, The HCH Team, Julia B Fee Sotheby’s International Realty
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