Hey gang,
I may regret this outpouring of feelings later, but I can't think that I am the only one feeling these big emotions, and I think it is important to always be authentic, so I am taking to the forum to share. To be seen, but also to let someone else feel that they are not alone. Hang in there, I promise this is work related.
As the governor has now "reopened" to the point that outdoor gatherings of 25 or more are allowed, I am struggling. This is not a political post. Everyone feels differently about all kinds of aspects of this thing. None of those differences matter in what I want to share.
I have a good number of friends, colleagues and people I went to school with that are struggling big with this virus. Some have lost immediate loved ones, as a few members of our CENTURY 21 family have, some of my people have in hospital for many weeks, one even had a very experimental "Hail Mary" surgery at Holy Name after being in an induced coma for many weeks. On the other side of that, I have my teenagers (and others who are older than them) that probably think I am crazy about my cautiousness, probably mostly because they don't know anyone who has been affected by the virus.
Now to the work related part: I have taken clients out, luckily only to vacant houses (just the luck of the draw), and I did visit one set of strangers on a listing appointment last week. Taking on this listing appointment and visiting strangers was a big step for me. I have been contacting old clients, doing community events, sending postcards to my farm and social media marketing, but honestly, I had avoided taking on any stranger clients until last week out of my own personal safety precaution.
The listing appointment was a good one, but I did get to have that awesome ackward encounter we sometimes experience where the previous presenting agent was there - no mask on the agent, no mask on the homeowners. Homeowners first comment was "she is visiting us from the hospital. Ha ha."
I anticipate many ackward encounters in the future. I have had a few transactions thankfully transpire during this time, and my buyers from my sphere of influence have felt the need to be right on top of me in the house during inspections and home visits, even with me setting and resetting the ground rules before and during the visit. I am doing my best to keep polite, but I am obviously getting frustrated. I am just saying this all out loud to say: you are not alone if you are feeling this way too. I joked to my wife that I wanted to buy a pool funnoodle to accentuate the type of distance I am trying to maintain with my clients. I am only half joking with the desire to have it with me. And no I didn't buy the pool noodle and my wife was pretty convinced (and concerned) that I was going to.
Feel free to share here any successes you have had stressing the importance of social distancing with your clients. I know, like everything, the more I do my social distancing speech, the easier and more successful it will get. Just like addressing any objection a buyer or seller has, it will take practice - and there will be moments of genius and epic failures and everything in between.
If you haven't seen it, here is the NAR report on April's sales: https://www.nar.realtor/newsroom/existing-home-sales-wane-17-8-in-april?...
Here is the recent executive order stating - indoor gatherings of 10 and outdoor gatherings of 25. But with the 6 feet rule still applying:
https://www.nj.gov/governor/news/news/562020/approved/20200522d.shtml
I love you all. Feel free to remove if this post is in any way problematic.
