Out of Town Buyers Consider Videos to Make Real Estate Decisions
First it was an email. Then a text. Then a phone call.
A North Shore buying client wanted to take a look at a newly listed single family home offered on the suppressed value side of the ledger. No problem, I thought, until I noticed that this home in Deerfield was being shown for a limited window Saturday with no other viewing options.
I called the listing agent to see if somehow there was a typo. No, she said, the bank ordered all showings to be conducted Saturday with only the top five purchase offers being considered by the bank.
So I got back to my client with a “here’s the deal” email (and text and voice mail to ensure she got it). I knew she liked the home and wanted her to be able to include it in any home-buying decision, especially as this mammoth upgraded home with Thermador kitchen, indoor lap pool, sauna and exquisite master suite was six-figures-plus under market value.
The problem was my client was out of town through Sunday afternoon and was simply and succinctly unable to see the home on Saturday. Unless, of course, we could a) get an intermediary to show up on her behalf and b) I could video the premises for her to consider on her laptop at her vacation place.
Voila! And so her best friend eased over from her Highland Park home to tour the home with me Saturday at 2.30, snapping pictures on her iPhone and I pushed record using my qik.com tool on my iPhone to video an online email which I then sent to her to view.
http://qik.com/video/42496304
And so my ostensibly out-of-town buyer was able to peruse a six-plus minute video of the bank-owned property listed with a Chicago real estate agent for $850,000. Her decision? Untold as of yet. But that she has the opportunity to participate in the decision-making process for a property that easily qualifies as a great deal in this real estate market that heavily skews in favor of being a buyers market is a measure of her Chicago real estate professional’s ingenuity, professional oversight and technological savvy to protect her interests.
This is the same manner in which I conduct the buying, selling and renting affairs of my clients whose current work situations have them on extended positions in places like Shanghai, Beijing, Berlin, Washington D.C., Denver, Indianapolis and Charlotte. As the point person for all of these clients (and friends), my job as their Realtor is to ensure the preservation, protection and best service to them. In several instances this means that I show up alone to meet listing agents throughout Chicago with iPhone in hand to video premises and offer commentary to give what amounts to a shapshot of this specific element of the market.
When the images along with location gain my clients’ approval, I take the next step of crunching numbers in the form of a comparable market analysis to enable us to make an informed offer.
And thus the wheel of the Chicago real estate market continues to turn.
Any questions? Or a desire to participate in the current buyer’s market with a skilled and expert real estate professional? Call me at 773.848.9241.
By the way, in a matter of minutes I will propel myself toward a gracious and attractive single family home in Lincoln Square.
Situated mere steps from the heart of one of Chicago’s most attractive neighborhoods, this four bed and two bath home on an oversized lot is a perfect choice for someone looking for location, space and room to expand. The Brown Line and Metra are nearby and the block is outstanding.
I will be there today, July 24th, from noon until 2p. Stop by if you are nearby.
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