Andrey Popov©/ Adobe Stock
In the Trenches: Doing Business during the Pandemic Real estate practitioners share candid, inspiring tales of how they’ve adapted to working through the crisis. Realtor® Magazine asked agents to share their experiences of working through a period that has felt surreal, scary, and, at times, confounding. They recount here how they continued to go the distance to serve clients efficiently and safely, ever mindful of social distancing protocols. Learn how tech tools, new processes, and sheer instinct helped them power through. Their reflections offer inspiration for everyone in real estate making their way during these unsettled times. Stories curated and edited by NAR’s Wendy Cole, Frederik Heller, Hathaway Hester, and Emily Swenson.
The More Things Change...
Racing the Clock
My April 9 closing was anything but ordinary. While I met with my clients to prepare the closing documents, we sat over six feet apart, protected ourselves with gloves and face masks, and even avoided sharing pens. As it dawned on me that this was the first closing in 16 years that would not end with a celebratory handshake or hug, I was reminded of something else—this is what Realtors® do. We deal with whatever we’re faced with. Unforeseen circumstances are our normal. Throughout my career I’ve always put my clients first, finding solutions to (often) last-minute challenges. In the midst of trying times, my client knew she was my top priority and we sold her home—sans handshake.
My clients moved to San Francisco last November with two small children in tow and were having trouble selling their home in Nashville, Tenn. When they finally got an offer in early March, they accepted it. The family had been renting an apartment and were eager to start their Bay Area home search. They waited 20 days for the closing papers, and on the exact day the papers were set to arrive and be notarized, the state of California went into lockdown. My clients felt like they were racing against the clock to print out their closing documents and find the last open notary in the area. After this wake-up call, I knew I had to set in place procedures for virtual closings, notaries, and home tours. Adjusting to the new normal was daunting at first, but I have found joy and a refreshed passion for the real estate community amid the changes. My clients are happy and safe in San Francisco, and I have had six virtual showings over the two weeks that followed.
Leslie Wollard, Keller Williams on the Water, Bradenton, Fla.
20 | Salt Lake Realtor ® | October 2020
Sher Powers, CRS, Urbane Residential Specialists, Nashville, Tenn.
