3+ Things to Know About Real Estate in a Social-Distance World (Technology, Technology, Technology + Value)
In the “old days,” there were only three things to know about real estate: location, location, and location. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, they’ve changed somewhat. Now it’s technology, technology, technology. But we cannot forget value.
We at the CREM Group are continuing to list and sell homes in Los Angeles and Orange County by leveraging technology to keep our clients safe. We are asked if we are still listing probate properties. Absolutely! And, to be honest, these represent some excellent opportunities to save money on your home purchase, which is not a bad idea in these COVID-19 times.
Technology for Meetings
Here’s what we found. We use platforms like Zoom and Google Hangout for meetings with our clients. Both buyers and sellers can discuss their homes with us, whether its probate real estate or a regular property. You can talk “face to face” and screen share to review documents/content together.
Technology for Viewings
Call it the Virtual Reality of real estate. Getting professional, digital virtual tours of our listings are very helpful, so buyers can “walk” the property without having to traverse it physically—at least in the beginning. Of course, people want to get their feet on the ground, and kick the tires, so to speak. But we save everyone a lot of time and create that ever-important social distancing by offering 360° views for the inside and outside of the properties. Virtual tours are used for both probate real estate listings, trust real estate listings, standard real estate listings, and sometimes even for undeveloped acreage (raw land). And there’s no driving involved for the first or second tour.
Technology for Signings
Electronic signature software, like DocuSign, was important prior to COVID-19. But now it’s absolutely necessary. Also, some financing forms need the presence of a notary, which can be achieved online these days. By incorporating some of the newest applications, we’re removing the inconvenience of wet signatures on real estate transactions. It’s faster, and our clients are glad for the reduced hassle factors.
Value
What does it all add up to? More transparency in the transactions for buyers and sellers. We know people are under all kinds of pressure these days. Health, of course, but getting the best value comes in as a close second. If we can help create value by saving money either for probate real estate deals, trust real estate sales, or standard transactions, we are all-in with it. Pricing is critical. We’ve been doing business in the Los Angeles neighborhoods and Orange County areas for enough time to know how to make a realistic comparable.
We tell our clients that they must look for value, and that doesn’t mean price all the time. Yes, everyone is very cautious these days, so if we see that a house is listed above market value, the house or property will not move. On the other hand, we do an in-depth analysis of the properties we represent. We use data services, but we get our hands dirty, too. We physically visit our listings, research the area, and ask lots of questions. If we don’t help our clients on the buying or the selling side with our probate real estate expertise in selling properties, we’ve done our clients a huge disservice. So, we don’t cut corners. We do it right.
The Bottom Line
Location, location, location is still valid, but technology, technology, technology cuts costs, and reduces physical interaction. We at CREM Group like to take everything into consideration. The probate real estate market has changed along with all real estate, in fact are even more affected for various reasons.
We’ve said it before: Probate real estate is different from non-probate, regular properties. Get a professional realtor to represent you, but be sure to obtain an experienced probate real estate agent for probate properties. That’s where the value is added. Feel free to contact us to understand why.
As always, contact us here if you have any questions about real estate, probate real estate, or trust real estate properties, especially in Los Angeles and Orange Counties in California.
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DISCLAIMER:
This content is meant purely for educational purposes. It contains only general information about real estate and/or legal matters. It is NOT legal advice and should not be treated as such. We recommend consulting a legal or tax professional before acting on any material, opinion, or point of view described herein.