27 May 2020

With
the recent announcement made by the Prime Minister which no longer allows
auctions or home opens, you might be asking yourself if you can still buy/sell
your home or find your next rental property, well you certainly can.
Over
the last few weeks, the real estate industry has quickly adapted their normal
business practises to become as contactless as they can be.
Here
are just some of the solutions your real estate agent may have for each
situation.
Home opens (property inspections)
It
was only a few months ago we were seeing over 50 people at one home open in Perth,
however home opens for large groups are now limited to 20 people. If you wish to view a property, make sure to contact the agent to arrange a private inspection or register for the home open.
During the inspection, the agent will endeavour to provide hand
sanitiser or another cleaning solution and while walking through the property, the agent may ask that you not touch anything. All internal doors and cupboards
are often left open so that a full viewing experience is achieved.
It is also important that everyone that attends a home open follows the strict physical distancing rule of 1.5 metres.
Virtual tours
If
you are looking to buy, some agents will provide you with a tour via Facetime
where they walk you through the property to make sure that every aspect is
covered.
While
they may be wearing gloves and a mask the entire time, you can still ask them
to stop and check certain parts of the property, whether it is checking the tap
in the bathroom or opening the cupboard in the kitchen.
Other
agents are conducting Facebook Live videos which provide a detailed walk
through of a property that can be accessed anytime on their social media
account.
Also
make sure to check the property listing on reiwa.com as some also include a
virtual walk through and floor plans, which provide you with a more accurate
description of the property.
Auctions
Both
auctions that occur within auction rooms or with groups of people standing
inside or outside of a property cannot continue - however this does not mean
auctions will not take place.
Make
sure to reach out to the agent who is conducting the auction as they could have
a range of different ways they conduct an auction. Some of these include using
RESO, Facebook Live or phone bidding.
Rent inspections
Some
agencies will be conducting their routine inspections through a live stream
where the property manager will do the scheduled inspection through a video
chat app such as Facetime or WhatsApp.
During
the inspection, the property manager will ask the tenant to walk through the
property and check the items on the inspection checklist, as they usually would
do in an inspection.
Online forms
REIWA
agents have access to a number of online forms, which means your application or
contract can be filled out online. They can then be signed through a program
called DocuSign, rather than having to print out and fill out the documents in
person, then get them delivered.
More information
While
there is a range of ways in which usual real estate business will now be
conducted, it is best to contact your REIWA real estate agent to find out what
options they have available.
Alternatively,
if you have any questions relating to auctions and home opens, you can contact
the REIWA Information Services on (08) 9380 8222 or [email protected].
Find
out more by reading how the real estate industry supports new coronavirus restrictions.