May Issue Luxury Panel
The Luxury Panel is a rotating group of San Diego’s top Real Estate professionals who specialize in the luxury market sharing their expertise on hot topics and home buyer & seller questions.
Question: What tools, tactics, and tech are you using to safely and effectively serve your clients during shelter in place?
Jason Barry, Barry Estates, info@barryestates.com, DRE 01147550
“Shelter in place is changing real estate as we know it and our team has embraced the challenge. We are continuing to help our clients achieve their goals, whether buying or selling, and have invested significantly in digital marketing and social media initiatives, including virtual tours. If a client prefers to see a property in person, we take all necessary precautions to include wearing personal protective equipment, sanitizing surfaces, limiting personal contact, and following all other industry guidelines. We remain committed to serving our clients safely, now more than ever, during these uncertain times.”
Brooke Russell, The Bornstein Group, Compass, brooke.russell@compass.com DRE 02076124
“We feel so fortunate that Compass corporate implemented very quickly ‘Virtual Agent Services’ to help us service our clients during these unprecedented times. Providing our clients a platform to safely shop for homes from the comfort of their own homes has been essential. We have been using Matterport 3-D tours, Facetime virtual tours and social media platforms such as Instagram Live and Facebook to market our properties. Evolving health concerns made it necessary to perform home inspections and document signing virtually as well. Being creative and diligent to our clients safety has helped us to open and close escrows in the last month successfully.”
Eric Iantorno, Pacific Sotheby’s International Realty, eric@ericiantorno.com DRE 01256501
“The good old classic telephone has been my go-to method during this time! I am calling all my clients, & letting them know I am here! I check in on them to see how they are doing & to offer help in any way I can!! I think it is extremely important to stay connected to one another during this time.”
Kris Gelbart, Windermere Homes & Estates, krisgelbart@gmail.com, DRE 01345809
“Technology gives us the ability to interact personally with our clients. The pandemic has created challenges but in an attempt to keep everyone safe and business moving forward, we have implemented some great tools. We use Zoom for meetings, we stage vacant properties, we do Virtual Tours, Facetime showings, video open houses and of course social media. Electronic signatures via Docusign have been extremely valuable to keep our transactions on schedule. Buyers and sellers are still transacting, and we continue to creatively adapt so we can keep bringing people together.”
Chaco Clotfelter, Willis Allen Real Estate, chaco@willisallen.com, DRE 01304520
“Our most valuable ‘tactic’ is to arm our Buyers with the most exceptional feedback of their preferred properties in the shortest amount of time, as we always have. Using our combined 40 years of experience (along with Google Earth Pro, Bing Maps, and tax records), we are able to add our knowledge of specific streets, neighborhoods, and most importantly nuisances to effectively give a deep analysis of a property/home/neighborhood almost immediately, saving them invaluable time instead of scheduling to see a ‘dud’ of a listing. Identifying diamonds in the rough from lemons is our most valuable ‘tool’ and no one can provide this better than the most experienced buyers agents in town. Our family has been representing Buyers and Sellers in North County since 1930, no one knows it better!”