For quite some time, we've heard stories about places where homes went onto the market, and were sold--on average!--in a matter of hours. Buyers had to be willing to pounce, and to make as clean an offer as possible, in order to have a chance to buy. Now, we have our own version of that scenario.
Buyers who have accepted job offers in our region are looking at properties on line, then having their agents take a walk through the house with FaceTime, then making an offer, usually with an addendum for Sight Unseen Purchase. Then, normally, if the offer is accepted by the sellers, the buyers come and check out the home in person. Sometimes, this is within the period for other inspections, and sometimes it is a separate clause.
This isn't really different, from the point of view of the sellers, from the Fairfield custom of having a contingency for an attorney to approve the offer. It's just another hurdle to get over before the sale, and it prevents many unnecessary showings of a property in these uncertain times. Again, it mirrors what has happened in very hot markets for some number of years. It takes advantage of technology, allows for social distancing, since the agent can visit alone, and moves the purchase forward as quickly as possible.
These sales are just another example of the creativity required to sell real estate in the time of COVID, and the fact that it's working is a comfort to us all.
