COVID AND REAL ESTATE – New Protocols

NEW PROVINCE WIDE RESTRICTIONS

While the process and mechanics of buying or selling have been updated to reflect a ‘NEW NORMAL’, our goals remain the same – and you can still expect the same thorough, streamlined & smooth experience.

Realtors have been designated Essential service but we have been advised against hosting Open Houses.

Private showings are still the preferred mode of showcasing your listing.

Online & Virtual Initiatives

Our initial consultations have moved to virtual! While there’s no more options for coffee shops or office spaces to meet you at, we’re happy to communicate however is convenient to you – including zoom, facetime, whatsapp, or google duo!
Many sellers are requiring proof that you are a qualified & ready buyer. We help you to get all your ducks in a row, and can recommend next steps and point you in the right direction for success.
All property & market notifications continue to be sent through email. Once we know what you’re looking for, we will be able to set you up on a listing match program so that all the places that match your preferences are sent to you right away & in real time.
Virtual tours and online marketing material have become the new norm. We can help with virtual neighbourhood tours, virtual showings & reviewing online content to narrow down the list of your “must sees” and minimize risk.
We are equipped to deal with offers remotely, and have e-signature tools so that you can sign digitally from the comfort of your own home.
We are able to communicate however is convenient to you – and can facetime, google duo, whatsapp, call, text, email, or zoom.

Information for Sellers and Landlords
Information for Renters and Buyers
Open Houses During the Pandemic

If you’re selling real estate:

We have always had a strong marketing & sales plan, and implemented digital-first strategies – this isn’t new to us!

Now more than ever, hiring the right real estate agent to sell your home is imperative to your success.

We have successfully helped clients sell during COVID-19, and are confident that our revamped business model can help you too.

We’ve found that right now, successful real estate sales in today’s market depend on the following:

Reaching Buyers Online beyond the MLS, exposing your home to more buyers
Making Your Home Stand Out with high-quality & enticing marketing content, photos, virtual tours, floor plans & more.
Virtual Showing Opportunities like video tours, narrated walk throughs, and live open house streams to replace a traditional first showing or open house, from the safety of their own home.
Safe In-Person Showings that encourage qualified buyers to see the home in person in a controlled space while taking extra precautions to minimize risk.
Right Pricing Strategies and agent negotiating skills to succeed in an uncertain market with a nervous pool of buyers
Smooth Seller Experiences that hinge on communication, understanding, and transparency, provided by skilled experts able to manoeuvre unique circumstances
The Right Agent with knowledge and experience selling in today’s market.

If you’re buying real estate:

The process of buying a home has changed, but that doesn’t you’re your goal to find your dream home has to! At Bridgewell, while we’ve minimized the amount of physical contact to buy a home, we haven’t compromised on providing the same smooth experience.

While we’ve always been digitial-forward, the real estate industry as a whole has now been forced to accelerate what we feel was a much-needed change in an old-school industry. The exciting news is that virtual tours & online marketing are the new norm, providing you a wealth of opportunity to build an understanding of a property for sale from the comfort of your own home!

Here are some of the ways we’ve re-envisioned how to safety buy a home in today’s “new normal” all while continuing to meet your real estate goals:

Safety First & Organizing Necessary In-Person Showings

For the homes you really love, we’re available to make sure that you can see the home in-person in a safe & social distance friendly way. We can set up any in-person showings for you and make sure the listing agent has everything they need to comply with updated Real Estate Board & brokerage showing rules.
We have extra gloves, masks, Lysol wipes, and hand sanitizer for our clients to use! No need to sweat about finding them yourself, consider us your hygiene resource!
Prior to in-person viewings, a health questionnaire and waiver is required to be reviewed & submitted to the seller. This helps to minimize the chances that you could expose others to COVID-19 – if you are not feeling 100% or there’s a chance you’ve come in to contact with someone, please let us know and we will reschedule any showings until it is safe. If you are not feeling well right now but have a serious need to buy ASAP, we can always make a “subject to viewing.”
We will also make inquiries with the Seller’s agent to assess risk including requesting health and recent travel information from the Seller and their agent.
During a showing please use hand sanitizer, and do not touch doorknobs, cupboard hardware, light switches or other surfaces.
We are open to meeting in person if it is safe to do so, and a virtual call is made first. Our safety protocols call for physical distancing, good hand washing hygiene and personal protective equipment for our agents and clients.

Now, More than ever Home is important. #Stayhome #Staysafe

An Expert on Your Side

We are trained and certified negotiation experts, which means you’ll have an agent with top-notch pricing and negotiation skills to give you the upper hand.
Communication, feedback, and market data/analysis continuously throughout your transaction

Digital-First Tools & Online Marketing Strategies

Digital-first marketing content: Professional photography, virtual tours, video walk throughs, floor plans, live open house/showing steams & more.
Strategic distribution of your listing beyond the MLS, on social media platforms, through email marketing, and on thousands of websites online.
Open houses have been modified to a live-stream online open house (via various social media platforms), and privately scheduled individual showings with property safety protocols added as a secondary option.
We are equipped to deal with offers remotely, and have e-signature tools so that you can sign digitally from the comfort of your own home.

Safety First

Reducing physical showings to qualified buyers, requiring that all buyers have viewed a virtual showing first, and are pre-approved & motivated.
Visitors will be required to submit a health questionnaire and waiver of liability prior to showing, and will be denied access if they have travelled outside of Canada in the last 14 days, are feeling ill, or have been in contact with anyone who has similar symptoms/situation.
Approved visitors will be required to wear a mask and gloves during any in-person showing, and be advised not to touch anything during their visit. A member of our team will prop open all doors and cupboards for them, and be present during the entire showing.
We are able to communicate however is convenient to you – and can Facetime, google duo, whatsapp, call, text, email, or zoom.
We are open to meeting in person if it is safe to do so, and a virtual call is made first. Our safety protocols call for physical distancing, good hand washing hygiene and personal protective equipment for our agents and clients.