Ask These 4 Questions Before You Go to an Open House This Summer

Though it feels much longer, the coronavirus pandemic has been raging throughout the U.S. for about four months now. Many states are still “closed,” enforcing stay-at-home orders alongside social distancing measures.

For some, the search for a new home in all of this never stopped. In fact, Zillow Research reports that U.S. homes sold in the second week of June typically stayed on the market for only 22 days, the fastest turnover since June 2018. Sellers are noticing these quick sales, too, with the report noting that new listings are up 14 percent month-to-month.

As more buyers become interested in moving, how exactly can they stay safe, particularly when it comes to open houses? Here are four questions to ask your real estate agent before heading out for a tour.

Mask-wearing enforcement varies across the country, but wearing one has been shown by the World Health Organization to lower the risk of coronavirus spread by up to 85 percent. 

Andres Castañeda, a realtor with Century 21 NorthEast, always wears a mask at open houses. But because he works on listings in both North Andover, Mass., and in Salem, N.H., he’s seen differences in policies up close.

In Massachusetts, wearing “gloves, booties, masks are mandatory” in open houses, he shares. However, when he brings clients to New Hampshire, 15 minutes away by car, masks aren’t required.

For Kelly Faris, an agent with Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty, her own policies are much more stringent.

“I provide extra masks, and put up signs not to come in the homes without a mask,” she explains, adding there’s been “no pushback” from clients.

Romula Rhodes, a real estate agent with Gardner Realtors in New Orleans, says virtual tours have been increasingly popular with prospective buyers.

“You can have your realtor go for you first, using Zoom or WhatsApp to show the property,” she says. This narrows down the amount of properties a buyer needs to check out in person.

As much as Rhodes does to keep her listings sanitized, some of her clients are still wary of touring multiple houses in person. Turning to the virtual tour, then, can provide them with a sense of ease, and can speed up the decision-making process.

Rhodes says one of her clients who moved back to New Orleans from San Francisco used technology to see her options prior to settling back in the Big Easy.

“It’s now becoming the norm,” she explains. “House-buying and moving hasn’t slowed down—[it’s] just transformed into a new normal.”

Now that many people are working from home, going to open houses is no longer just limited to weekend afternoons. Faris has noticed that morning open houses—both during the week and on weekend mornings—have drawn interested buyers. 

“People don’t want to come in at the same time,” she says. Faris chooses to greet people in a home’s front yard, and answers questions prior to buyers entering the house and exploring at their own pace. Prospective buyers have been accommodating to social distancing measures, lining up outside the home, all six feet apart as they wait to view what could be their new home.

Rhodes’ buyers are not allowed to touch anything within the home, and everyone is instructed to wash their hands or use hand sanitizer before and after viewing the property.

Regardless of all of the uncertainty of the coming months, there’s one thing that realtors feel sure of: The housing market has no intention of slowing down.

“Right now, it’s open season on houses,” Rhodes jokes. 

Castañeda confirms that while it’s good for buyers to be cautious, they should be extra decisive in their home-buying prospects this year. He’s had conversations with younger people, ranging from 18 to 21, who are now trying to learn as much as possible about today’s market, with an eye toward the future.

“Buyers need to be prepared to pursue a home like it’s their only chance; more likely than not, it is,” he says. 

Some homes listed with his office have ended up being sold for $20,000 to $35,000 above asking, as the market inventory is fairly low, and more people are realizing their buying power in comparison with their renting prospects. Even if a buyer ends up missing out on what they felt was their dream home, Castañeda recommends they remain determined. 

“The house that’s right for them will come,” he says.