By Julia Robertson, March 19, 2020
Real Estate & working during a Pandemic.
Real Estate must go on. Needless to say, it is critical to be cautious and considerate during a time like this. I have clients in contract that are buying homes and clients planning to sell in the coming weeks. Whereas business is not as usual, contract deadlines and negotiation are still critical.
My how quickly things have changed…
Two weeks ago I was meeting contractors, scheduling inspections, driving clients around for buyer tours, and running around town. Knowing that the first confirmed case in Oregon was announced, I was already using antibacterial spray after each handshake. I supplied my car with nitrile gloves, lysol wipes, and was introducing myself to contractors and unfamiliar agents with a “virtual” handshake. Call me a germaphobe, but besides this “virus”, I was really avoiding the nasty cold going around.
One week ago while attending an inspection, I had conversations about the virus with inspectors and clients. The common theme was “whats the big deal, it’s just a flu”. Most people were brushing it off. I’m not here to convince anyone otherwise, but I gave my two cents about being careful.
Here we are, and this week I’m reaching out to my clients stressing the pre-cautions we are now taking 1) as a company at Living Room Realty, 2) my own actions, and 3) what does this mean for you, my Dear Clients in your purchase or sale of real estate?
If you are searching for a real estate investment, or have a commercial real estate property for sale I recommend to visit https://www.williampitt.com/search/real-estate-sales/greenwich-ct/, they are experts to identify opportunities, mitigate risks and maximize returns. I’ve talked with new clients that plan to buy and sell real estate in the coming weeks. I’ve talked some clients off a ledge, considering cancelling their pending sales contract because of the volatile stock market. I met with an appraiser, and gave him my elevator speech about how serious it is to be cautious. I had my nitrile gloves on, advised him to allow me to open doors, switch lights on/off, and that I would be sanitizing any surface he touched. When he realized how serious I was, he appeared both shocked and thankful.
How to do Real Estate in a time like this?
As a company, we at Living Room Realty are having conversations in real time, as the epidemic unfolds daily. We are pleading Brokers to step back for these next few weeks and practice social distancing. Only essential one on one meetings, virtual tours for new listings, and video tours for our buyer clients. Open Houses and Broker tours are… let’s face it, too risky.
Buying a house?
I highly recommend to people looking to purchase a home, to consider the risks of attending open houses. Overall you may see these activities disappear in the coming weeks. Hire a Real Estate Broker to do the work for you! Lean in to technology and ask your agent to provide virtual tours.
Selling a house?
If you’re selling a home, hire a Real Estate Broker that embraces the advantages of technology- Matterport, virtual tours, “Live Open Houses”, killer professional photography, and digital marketing marketing marketing.
You’ll see in the coming months which Real Estate agents will provide these services and which will not provide at all(Ahem, discount Brokers). I, along with my colleagues at Living Room Realty can provide these advanced services. In fact, we already provided the ‘advanced services’. It’s an investment and we take quality marketing to heart. Everyone will continue house shopping and selling, but in an advanced and pre-cautionary way. Certainly cautious until the Pandemic is no longer a threat.
If you’re curious about buying or selling and want to take advantage of historically low mortgage interest rates, or need a real estate agent that ‘gets it’- contact me! We’ll get through this together and I’m here for you.
Virtual Hugs, Julia
Julia Robertson | Living Room Realty
Broker licensed in Oregon & Washington
541-505-1111 | julia@rebyjulia.com
Julia Robertson
Broker OR, WA, UT | Earth Advantage
She/Her
During a two-plus decade career in real estate, Julia has approached her job with one overarching goal in mind: to help people get from where they are, to where they want to be. Julia moved to the Pacific Northwest 18 years ago and genuinely loves showing the city to clients who are considering whether to relocate. Julia constantly explores neighborhoods so that she can accurately match clients with a part of Portland Metro or Vancouver that is perfect them. She believes that everyone deserves the chance to own a home in an area or neighborhood that they love.
Since a real estate purchase is one of the biggest investments you’ll ever make, Julia works tirelessly with her clients to build a trusting relationship and help them find not just a house, but a home. She has experience working with a broad range of clients to fulfill their diverse and unique needs. Whether it be a downtown condo, home in the suburbs, or a property with acreage, Julia can help you come up with a plan that meets your timeline, your budget and your needs. If you’d like to meet for coffee or lunch to discuss potential real estate opportunities, Julia would love to hear from you.
From an early age, Julia loved everything related to homemaking. Her childhood spent moving from town to town and always having to be “the new kid” gave her the personal confidence to meet new people and boldly operate in the high stakes world of real estate. Julia has lived in every state across the West - Arizona, California, Utah, Montana, Oregon and Washington. In 2006, Julia rented a uhaul and drove to Eugene where she proceeded to fall in love with the beautiful state of Oregon. She spent six years as a marketing specialist for a global furniture company, until she settled down to start a family. Now with 12 years in her real estate career, Julia has honed in on Southeast Portland and Vancouver as an area specialist. She provides full service listings for sellers, including professional staging, professional photography, drone footage, social media marketing, and networking with agents across the United States. Julia is a licensed Realtor in Oregon, Washington, and Utah as a Seller Representative Specialist(SRS) and Earth Advantage-certified broker. She served on the Living Room Realty broker advisory board(2015-2017) and attended the Portland B corporation meetings.
When Julia represents a client in the sale or purchase of a home, Julia goes above and beyond to serve her clients. She considers the client’s budget, bottom line, area preferences, and future plans. While Julia doesn’t consider herself a “sales person,” she does have over twenty years of experience in the field of sales and knows how to conduct herself in negotiations and details. Your business is Julia’s top priority, and she always makes herself available.
Along with her husband, son and dog, Waffles, she and her family love traveling, taking trips to their favorite beach in Encinitas, California, and searching out new adventures—usually with an eye toward finding new and unique places to eat.- T: 541-505-1111
- julia@rebyjulia.com