At the time of this post, It has been approximately 70 days since our team has gathered together at the Vitalius office.
Since March we have conducted dozens of virtual check-ins and meetings, logged hundreds of hours on the phone, written thousands of emails, baked 54 loaves of bread, quietly YouTubed 5th grade math tutorials, and have let our cats and dogs in and out of our homes over 478 times a day.
… all while leading and completing dozens of successful, and safe real estate transactions during the strictest conditions our industry has ever seen.
In our April blog, our team shared how they were coping under stringent shelter-in-place guidelines. A month later, we are still working remotely and we still have plenty more insights to offer. Here are a few:
Personal space is part of our language. When we enter a space, occupied or not, we are keenly aware of each other's safety and the integrity of the home. The National Association of Realtors is a valuable industry resource on how to conduct real estate transactions safely. We continue to tailor those recommendations to comply with current Maine CDC guidelines to comfortably work with our clients.
“Now 6 weeks in, I am feeling this energy of a rebound that I feel is in part due to how we have been able to resume in a safe manner that keeps our clients safe, while working towards their housing goals.”
We got technical: Our “brand ethos” is definitely on the in-person-relationship side, however, social distancing has many of us turning up our digital platforms and tools to amplify our communications.
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Rachel Davey uses Instagram Stories to highlight personal and professional updates
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Elise Loschiavo and Katie Brooke send monthly newsletters reporting on the state of the market, latest selling/buying guidelines, and even helpful local business resources
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Chris Davis and John Mullen incorporate video tours with commentary to highlight listings providing potential buyers with an opportunity to “tour” homes ( including deep dives into basements)
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We work with professional photographers to provide super cool 3D tours and virtual walkthroughs with aerial views of some of our properties
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Kate Carey uses the WhatsApp and Zoom apps on her phone to expand ways clients can reach her
Social Distancing deepens our connections and builds trust. It sounds counterintuitive but it couldn't be truer. We’d much rather see everyone in person, but we’ve been able to adapt to the distance without losing our personal touch.
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Given we no longer can spend the day touring homes and exploring cute neighborhoods together, our clients rely on us to only show them properties that are the best fit for them, earning their utmost trust in our abilities to interpret their needs.
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We are sharpening our listening and communication skills as we discuss details remotely often hindered by spotty connections. Time and tools are limited so we need to articulate the right balance of creativity, clarity, and patience to move the process along.
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We are becoming more comfortable “just being us” - we’ve produced polished, scripted marketing videos in the past but these days we’re showing properties in real-time with our phones along with our own personal nuances!
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When we can’t collaborate and celebrate in person - we get innovative. We’re mailing handwritten notes, working with local artists to send supportive postcards, delivering flowers, displaying drive-by congratulatory banners, and expressing our joy over FaceTime.
“Buyers are really trusting me to "vouch" for a home before they decide to see it in person. It's a lot of responsibility and requires a great deal of trust in the relationship between agent and client.”
The market is optimistic. We cannot say with certainty how the market will react even as Maine establishes plans to reopen but the activity we are all seeing is hopeful. Recovery will take time but we can all agree, people need housing and our beautiful state will always be a desirable place to live. We are not going anywhere.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to us. Our Team is here for you.
Be well.
Brit and the Vitalius Real Estate Group
