The fast-spreading Coronavirus has created an enormous impact on all of us. Draconian measures to help slow the spread of COVID-19 have placed massive restrictions on the daily lives of hundreds of millions of people throughout the world. The practice of social distancing has become a very difficult but necessary new “norm” at a time when we feel the need for human connection the most. In essence, all of us are at various levels of quarantine. So how do all of us in the Real Estate industry transition during these difficult times?
Our industry has evolved in so many ways in recent years, and fortunately, we are already used to adapting. The impact of “social distancing” on our company has been considerably eased as we can leverage the vast technology currently available to us today. We can still carry on with business and complete real estate transactions while adhering to current CDC guidelines during the COVID-19 outbreak to safeguard the health of our clients, associates, and customers.
At Roche Realty Group, we have been embracing technology advances for many years, which enables our consumers to navigate the Real Estate search and closing process with ease. Here are a few examples that make Real Estate search and acquisition much easier, and remotely accessible when necessary:
· Internet and Website Marketing:
In addition to Rocherealty.com, Zillow, Realtor.com, Trulia, and LuxuryRealEstate.com, our listings have worldwide exposure on over 80 Real Estate websites. Our listings automatically syndicate to many sites that provide easy access to search databases and relevant information for consumers.
· Matterport 3D Tours
Roche Realty Group was the first Real Estate firm in the Lakes Region to invest in in-house Matterport technology with a 3D showcase and offer it free of charge for every one of our listings. This immersive online 3D interactive experience gives buyers a real sense of the feeling of a property before they see it in person. Qualified buyers can explore our listings with ease, and with stunning clarity, right from their smartphone, tablet, or desktop computer. Matterport 3D technology far surpasses the usual ‘virtual tours’ you see on websites because potential buyers can actually walk through individual rooms of a home and zoom in or out as if they were in a video game. Alternately, they can view multiple levels at a time using “dollhouse view,” or see all the rooms at a glance with the “floorplan view.” Matterport technology can generate a schematic floorplan of the property upon request, and even gathers the measurements of the rooms of the house. Though we could never have anticipated this, Matterport technology is especially helpful for us all to employ and utilize during the COVID-19 outbreak, as it offers access to a 24/7 virtual open house.
· Drone Technology
According to Realtor.com, only 44% of Realtors are currently using drones to market properties. Roche Realty Group owns a company drone, and the firm uses it regularly to showcase a property from a different angle and to show the broader surroundings. We are fortunately still able to create incredible videos and photos to engage buyers during these difficult times of “Social Distancing.”
· HDR Photography
Homes with good DSLR photographs are more likely to sell within six months than homes with unprofessional ‘point and shoot’ photos. The post-processing and editing work we do enhances the experience of the consumer when it is difficult to view a property in person physically.
· Versatility in listing search capability
On www.rocherealty.com, you can search for available homes in various ways, such as by with our map-based search or by selecting property features, lake names, keywords, towns, or community names. You can sign up to receive free email alerts for new listings that match your search criteria and schedule showings, all from your home computer or smartphone. With the enhanced search features on our website, our customers have instant, comprehensive, and up-to-date access to the entire MLS database of active NH listings.
· Facebook live, facetime and skype technology
As mentioned before, the Matterport technology we use in our office is the gold standard of experience and representation in 3D format. However, Facebook Live also provides agents with the ability to have a virtual open house. Skype and Facetime technology allows our staff, our agents, and their clients, to interact with excellent visibility and audio clarity while still practicing social distancing during this time.
· Dotloop
The number of Real Estate software tools is ever-expanding. Dotloop has been a game-changer in our industry that enables our agents, buyers, and sellers to digitally complete, sign, and share documents. Dotloop is an online workspace that connects everyone and everything needed to complete a Real Estate transaction in one place.
· CRM Software
CRM Software helps our agents stay organized and keep up with the many details of our transactions, clients, and potential buyers. We all know that time is of the essence in the Real Estate industry! CRM technology allows our agents to stay on track with essential tasks, appointments, and pending contract deadlines. It also sends them immediate notifications about online leads and inquiries about a property so that they can follow up with customers promptly. The CRM software we use at Roche Realty Group is all internet-based, so our agents can access it from anywhere.
· Cloud-Based File Storage
Roche Realty Group has our entire marketing platform as well as all association documents and important listing files backed up on a cloud-based storage service, which allows our company to access these files within seconds from any device. Cloud-based storage is invaluable to us during this time and will enable us to work very efficiently as a team and access everything remotely as needed.
We hope you all maintain your health and positivity, and we are confident that together as a strong community, we will get through this.
Frank Roche is the President of Roche Realty Group with two offices in Meredith (603) 279-7046, and Laconia (603) 528-0088. You can learn more about the company and research a wealth of real estate information at: www.rocherealty.com
