What To Expect When Touring Properties For Sale

Are you starting the home buying process right now but have just been looking at listings online? You may not know what to expect when you are ready to start touring homes in person. Here are a few things to keep in mind so that you are prepared for looking at homes for sale.

Open Houses May Require Scheduling

In the past, a seller would host an open house and you would show up and tour the home, making it a very casual way to check out homes in the area without much of a commitment. However, things have changed with the COVID-19 restriction in place. Sellers may not want a ton of people walking through their home, especially if they are currently living in it. Do not be surprised if a seller's agent asks to schedule a time for you to visit an open house and then limit how many people can be inside at one time. The seller's agent may want to take precautions by opening doors and turning on lights so that you don't have to touch anything in the home when visiting.

Individual Showings May Be Virtual

Things have also changed when it comes to individual showings. In the past, your real estate agent would set up a time and take you to the home when the owners were away so that you can tour it in privacy. This is not the case these days, with some sellers deciding that they want to only host virtual showings where their selling agent will give a tour of the home with their smartphone. While not ideal, it may be the only way to see some properties where the seller has decided to be more cautious about who they let in their home.

Offers Are To Be Expected Soon After

If a home is priced right in order to sell, chances are that it will go very quickly in the current real estate market. This means that you need to make a quick decision about what you want to do after you tour a home. It may not be a situation where you can sit on it for a week before making an offer because others are going to be touring the home right after you and putting in offers that same night. Check with your real estate agent about the activity on the home and if you need to react quickly after touring the property.

Contact a company like Whitson Realty to learn more.