Virtual open homes helping Orange property market continue to boom

Real estate agents across Orange are taking different approaches to dealing with the ban that was introduced due to COVID-19.

While some agents such as Blowes Real Estate and McCormack Barber have staff working from home, One Agency is taking a different COVID-safe approach that worked well last year – armchair open homes.

The company’s agents live-streamed through their phones to show people through a dozen Orange properties on Saturday.

One Agency principal Ash Brown said they tried the same initiative last year with success so they decided to bring it back again with more stay-at-home orders in place for Sydney-siders.

“It went fantastically [on Saturday], we had hundreds of views and we’ve had an offer on one already,” Mr Brown said.

“It’s amazing how technology is really helping our industry.

“Last time we did this in the lockdown in April [last year] we had a record month.”

Mr Brown said Saturday morning’s offer was not the only one to be made via an online viewing recently.

“In a month we’ve sold three homes just off the internet, sight unseen,” he said.

“They are doing pest and building, we’ve done a Facetime with them.”

He said two of those buyers were families who are moving to Orange while another is a local family.

Mr Brown said even during the pandemic people need shelter, and if they have sold their home, are moving town, or their lease has ended, they still need to find somewhere to live.

“When it comes down to it, we’re not selling houses we’re selling shelter,” he said.

McCormack Barber director Peter McCormack and Blowes Real Estate director Gary Blowes are also continuing to run their businesses on the same principle.

Mr McCormack said some staff are working from home and others are at the agency, which is closed to the public.

“We manage more than 1000 properties in Orange, we’ve got to come in,” Mr McCormack said.

He said the staff deal with a range of issues including emergencies such as burst water pipes.

However, precautions are being made and there is a hold on routine inspections.

Mr McCormack said private one-on-one inspections can still go ahead for serious buyers, preferably in vacant homes. “We are showing rental properties that are vacant,” he said.

Mr Blowes said all staff at his agency are working from home where they can still work on contracts.

“When COVID came around [last year] we set everything up to work from home,” he said.

“A lot of owners don’t want people coming through their houses anyway.”