Many potential real estate sellers pulled their listings or put them on pause last year, confident that selling during a pandemic wouldn’t be feasible. Construction projects were also put on hold for several weeks during peak season.
This created a serious housing shortage – another unexpected effect of COVID-19.
Despite the economic uncertainties that most people are experiencing during these times, there’s a robust market, but the demand far exceeds the inventory of homes available to buy. It’s not a surprise that many people put their lives on hold during the past year.
The unprecedented challenges everyone has faced and the uncertainty of the future put almost everything in limbo. There is hope on the horizon due to vaccines being distributed and a potential return to “normalcy,” but what will selling a home look like? “People are afraid of COVID, so they don’t want people in their homes walking, talking, and touching everything,” entrepreneur and founder of BidMyListing.com Matt Proman says.
Launched during this pandemic, his new real estate company provides a solution for those who want to sell but are wary of physical interaction with strangers. “BidMyListing provides a safe way to get in front of dozens of qualified agents from the luxury and safety of your own home,” says Proman. Meeting people during the pandemic is already fraught with challenges without the added pressure of finding someone trustworthy to help sell a home. “That’s tremendously important,” Matt Proman explains. “You don’t have to shake hands with a bunch of unqualified agents. You don’t have strangers walking in and out of your house. It comes down to finding the best agent for the job while maintaining total control over the process in a completely safe environment.”
How to Sell Safely With BidMyListing
When one goes to BidMyListing.com, the process is simple. Homeowners and realtors have separate logins. Homeowners provide information about their property, upload photos, and wait for the bids to come in.
Agents create a profile about themselves and their agency and set up parameters to be alerted when a property meeting those criteria is listed so they can submit a bid. Homeowners select the agent that they think will do the best job in selling their home. Knowing that there’s a level of investment made by the agent assures them that they are committed to making a sale. Both parties can feel comfortable and safe since it is handled entirely online, eliminating a great deal of anxiety from a process that is stressful under normal circumstances. “The BidMyListing web based app connects homeowners and real estate agents so they can negotiate on a fair listing term, a fair commission, and a fair advertising agreement,” Matt Proman says. “It works for both parties. The whole time the homeowner is in full control.”
Once a bid is accepted by the homeowner, they arrange to meet and plan the next steps in making the sale. Buying a home sight unseen is not as uncommon as it used to be, due to COVID concerns, but most people looking for a new home prefer to take a tour before making an offer. Virtual tours are helpful, but it is important to many potential buyers to physically explore the home before committing themselves. Realtor.com recommends ways to prepare your home for showings and how to keep everyone safe – thorough cleanings, wearing masks, and maintaining physical distance are vital when conducting live tours, and any at-risk residents should be isolated. Many homeowners prefer that the real estate agent shows the home while the family is out of the house.
The real estate industry, like everything else, has had to adapt to the drastic changes brought by the pandemic – virtual options like remote viewings and online negotiations provide safe options. Using BidMyListing.com to select a real estate agent to handle the sale of one’s home during the pandemic is a feasible choice and a smart one.
