To my friends and clients,
I’ve been wanting to reach out to you for a while regarding what’s happening with real estate and COVID_19 but things have been changing so rapidly, it’s been difficult to pick the right moment. These last couple of weeks I’ve been staying at home with my family and trying to stay safe. I hope you have too!
Recently real estate was designated as an essential service. This is because we need to be able to close deals that are already firm as well as help people who still need to buy or sell real estate. This could be because of a job transfer, relocation, financial challenges or any number of other reasons. It has also recently become clear that COVID-19 isn’t likely to blow over in a couple of weeks. While most of us will be able to stay safe in our homes until life returns to something closer to normal, there will be others that have to sell, rent or find a home. As a Realtor, it’s my job to help these people if I can.
Keeping buyers, sellers, the general public, and myself safe while carrying out my duties will be my number one concern. Using technology, it’s possible to do many things remotely and should physical meetings be necessary, my brokerage has developed strict protocols to keep people safe.
The worldwide COVID-19 spread has some people questioning whether now is a good time to buy or sell a home. My answer is that it may be, depending on your immediate needs. If you need to sell now this may be a good time because of the low housing inventory we are experiencing in our market. As for Buyers, interest rates are at an all time low. While we are seeing an overall slowdown in the economy due to the virus, the real estate market has continued to be resilient. If you need to sell now, there are still many buyers in the market that need to purchase a home. The health concerns may reduce home inventory even more – this may be a good thing for people who need to sell.
If you don’t need to sell now and are concerned with potential health risks, then please exercise your option to wait and I will be in regular contact as to market conditions and, more importantly, health conditions. In an effort to protect our clients and the public as a whole, we are implementing new safety protocols that I would be happy to discuss with you and customize to satisfy any concerns that you have.
I recommend that you and all members of the public go to Canada.ca to receive updates on COVID-19 and to understand the health risks to all.
If needed, I look forward to helping you while taking every precaution available to protect your safety. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you need some advice or just want to chat. In the meantime, stay safe.
Sincerely,
Dean
Dean Manton is your local real estate expert. Put Dean’s 22 years of experience and market knowledge to work for you!
