JULIE GARDNER
  • HOME
  • COMPASS
    • WHY COMPASS?
    • COMPASS CONCIERGE
    • COMPASS BRIDGE LOANS
  • LISTINGS
  • ABOUT
    • ABOUT JULIE
    • A DYNAMIC PARTNERSHIP
    • CONTACT
    • PROCESS
    • TESTIMONIALS
    • PRESS
  • PROJECTS
    • BEFORE & AFTER
    • GARDENS
    • OUR TEAM
    • VIDEOS
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • UTILITIES
    • SCHOOLS

"You've Got Mail!"

5/14/2021

0 Comments

 
Yesterday came news from COMPASS California Broker, Kathy Mehringer, that the CDC would be issuing new rules around face masks for those of us who are vaccinated, declaring that masks can be discarded both indoors AND outdoors except for venues with large crowds in sustained atmospheres (ie: concerts, plays, sports stadiums, etc.). AND while the Association of Realtors (AOR) was quick to suggest that Open Houses could soon resume, COMPASS strongly suggested that we show continued restraint by following the guidelines for "Shown Properties" as published by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). In other words, the current Covid protocol does NOT lay the groundwork for the traditional Open Houses.

(In case you were interested.)
Shown Property Guidance from the CDPH:
  • Physical Distancing Guidelines for Shown Properties (6' apart).
  •  Use appointment systems or a digital sign-in process to control the number of people in the property. 
  •  Show houses with occupants not present when possible. 
  •  Utilize virtual tours in lieu of property showings whenever possible. 
  • Open doors to minimize clients touching surfaces. 
  •  Remind clients to maintain physical distancing and to refrain from touching handles, switches, pulls, etc. 
  • Clean surfaces that may have been touched prior to and concluding in-person showings. 
  • All information and marketing materials should be delivered electronically to avoid handling paper.


Really? No paper? Someone should let the US Postal Service know because they've been delivering mail to my mailbox throughout the pandemic . . . .

Be that as it may, most Agents would be thrilled if we never returned to Open Houses (placing the A-frames and picking them up at the end of the day is a grind), and I would have been one of them. After almost two decades of spending nearly every weekend in someone else's house, smiling, shaking hands, and explaining the charms of a particular property and its surrounding community, it's become abundantly clear that the Sunday Open House isn't a tool we need AT ALL to sell a property. In fact, sales have never been brisker, despite the fact that physically showing houses has been a frustrating exercise in jumping through hoops, juggling appointments, sending out entry waivers, masking up, collecting CB codes, and wiping down surfaces. In short, it's been a royal pain!

Let's face it, even before Coronavirus, the INTERNET and Google Earth had already rendered the "Open House" an outdated practice; a fact most Agents were reluctant to share with their Sellers who weren't always keen on the idea of opening their home to strangers. Given that properties CAN easily be seen "virtually" and that the pandemic has only sharpened these online tools, why have Sunday Opens at all? (Good question.)

Moreover, the unspoken truth is that Open Homes have always been the vehicle that allowed Agents to meet unrepresented Buyers, and more importantly, potential Sellers who were thinking of moving and wanted to see the Realtor in action. (The nosey neighbor who just wanted to compare their properties was a bonus.) Additionally, Sunday Opens gave the "newbie" a place to gain experience and meet potential clients - manning Opens was the price of admission. The house got exposure, and so did the showing Agent. It was a win/win.

And while I won't claim I miss Sunday Opens, (I do miss Brokers' Tours) what's evolved in their place is much more taxing. Having to meet every Buyer to personally show them a home they've identified online means that our weekends (and weekdays) are largely consumed by private viewings - most of which will never meet the criteria - and then chasing the required paperwork to get our Buyers inside for an extremely truncated showing. Meanwhile, the next group waits impatiently outside for their turn. In the most extreme cases, the appointments are limited to 15 minutes, and stressed-out Buyers are forced to come to a decision to spend $2 million on their "dream house" in less time than it takes to get a cup of coffee at Peet's.

However, what Sunday Opens DID provide was the opportunity for Buyers to see and to REJECT homes, which in turn, gave them market context. Without that, Buyers are essentially purchasing in a vacuum and that's a whole other experience that doesn't really benefit anyone. (Can you say "Buyers' Remorse?") Open houses also validated a Buyer's choice. If other people liked the house - as witnessed up close and in person - it became a far more inviting proposition. To put it in CDC terms, BIG purchases are more easily accomplished in "the herd." Psychologically, it matters!

So bring back the Sunday Open, even if it means we have to limit the number of people inside the house, hand out antiseptic wipes instead of flyers, and ask them to show their vaccine card. On balance, we all need them.

Hey, if the post office can deliver mail, we can surely figure out a way to safely resume public showings.

How can we help you?
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Subscribe

    Author

    Julie Gardner, has been writing The Perspective for 18 years and has published more than 775 humorous but always informative, essays on life and real estate. 

    Picture

    Archives

    June 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009
    October 2009
    September 2009
    August 2009
    July 2009
    June 2009
    May 2009
    April 2009
    March 2009
    February 2009
    January 2009
    December 2008
    November 2008
    October 2008
    September 2008
    August 2008
    July 2008
    June 2008
    May 2008
    April 2008
    March 2008

    Categories

    All
    Business
    Design
    Drought
    Holiday
    Home Maintenance
    Homes For Sale
    Life
    Market
    Politics
    Renovation

    RSS Feed

    View my profile on LinkedIn
Piedmont · Oakland · Berkeley
 510.326.0840
[email protected]
DRE# 01431765
​COMPASS

  • HOME
  • COMPASS
    • WHY COMPASS?
    • COMPASS CONCIERGE
    • COMPASS BRIDGE LOANS
  • LISTINGS
  • ABOUT
    • ABOUT JULIE
    • A DYNAMIC PARTNERSHIP
    • CONTACT
    • PROCESS
    • TESTIMONIALS
    • PRESS
  • PROJECTS
    • BEFORE & AFTER
    • GARDENS
    • OUR TEAM
    • VIDEOS
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • UTILITIES
    • SCHOOLS