Are you a property owner or landlord that wants to sell their asset or needs to rent an apartment or retail space in New York City? Call or text me: Sam Moritz, licensed real estate agent, 203–209–3640.
It’s April 2020, and the Pandemic rages outside. I’m sitting in the apartment that I live in in Bushwick, isolated and not really allowed to leave. But I have four apartments listed on StreetEasy. Are people even moving?
Apparently some are, because I’m getting messages about my listings. My colleagues and I are not really allowed to meet clients in person, so we’ve been sending videos of apartments, to gauge how serious they really are.
Before I continue, let’s be clear: a video tour cannot replace an in-person tour of an apartment. In fact, even today, I don’t have anyone apply or send an offer for an apartment or condo unless they can physically view the unit in person.
A video tour will never replace how you may feel when you exit the subway and walk to the apartment. Do you like the neighborhood? Do you feel safe there? Are there cool bars, restaurants, and other businesses near the apartment that you like? Video tours don’t capture this.
How do you feel inside the apartment? Is it quiet enough for you?
Any piece of information about an apartment or neighborhood which is not conveyed to the tenant or buyer looks poorly on me, too. So I basically require that people view in person before they move forward with any property. This is your housing: you should have all information about the place where you’ll live before you sign a lease or a contract.
But when used correctly, videos have made things way more efficient in the industry.
Before the Pandemic, I never sent video tours.
But now, many prospects ask me for a video before they show up to see a rental or a unit for sale. A couple of days ago, a renter asked for a video tour, I sent it, and then said immediately after that they didn’t like the look of the apartment. I appreciated that. My time is valuable too. I have to commute to each apartment. Sending a video just saved me about forty minutes of time. If you’re looking to rent or buy something, you might want to consider asking for the video first — it may save you time, too.
Renters asking for video tours: now common practice.
The video tour doesn’t filter everyone out, though. Just last week, I had a very sought-after rental listing in Bushwick. I sent video tours before anyone showed up. But I still had people say, while they were in the apartment: this apartment is too small, it’s not right for me, etc. You’d think someone could make a decent assessment from the video — but it’s not always the case.
But for the most part, Pandemic-induced video tours has made the job of a real estate agent a little easier. Because we can filter people out before they view in person, we can now focus on other things, like writing blog posts.
I’m associated with EXR, a brokerage head-quartered in Clinton Hill, but I work out of their office in Bushwick. I’ve been with them for six years. Here’s our website: https://www.exrny.com/
Here’s a link back to my website: https://www.sammoritzrealestateagent.com/
Are you a property owner or landlord that wants to sell their asset or needs to rent an apartment or retail space in New York City? Call or text me: Sam Moritz, licensed real estate agent, 203–209–3640.