“The key is to keep in touch, ask your clients how they are, and try to avoid hard selling in this time of crisis.” These are the key points mentioned by Michael Mabutol, president and managing director of Pinnacle Real Estate Consulting Services, Inc. during Lamudi’s Webinar Series entitled “Continuing Broker Business and How to Invest in Real Estate during Covid-19.” He was joined by former PRBRES chairman and president of Edward King Global Consultants Dr. Eduardo Ong and Manny Florendo, president and lead broker of PhilProperties International Corporation.

The Enhanced Community Quarantine imposed all over Luzon has dampened the real estate industry as mobility and economic activities have come into a virtual halt. This came after the Department of Health raised the current situation to Code Red Sub-level 2, which was triggered by exponential increase in cases signifying local transmission. To contain the spread of the virus, everyone is encouraged to be on strict home quarantine.

So how does a real estate business survive and thrive in this difficult situation? “It is what you do now that will set you apart, since everyone is on a wait-and-see mode,” said Mabutol. While waiting, here are some important pointers to remember as a broker or a real estate professional.

1. Maintain communication with your clients

The real estate industry is a relationship business. First of all, ask how your clients are and how they are doing in this crisis. Wish them well, and continue building your professional relationships with them. Send a quick SMS or email, call them if they’re okay with it, or reach out to via other means, such as Viber, WhatsApp, WeChat, Facebook Messenger, or LinkedIn. Let them know that you have not forgotten about them and that you can help them, especially once the lockdown has been lifted.

2. Set regular conference calls with your team

Technology has allowed us to be constantly connected despite the distance. Zoom, Skype, and Google Hangouts has allowed us to conduct virtual meetings and video conferences with our colleagues. With the use of technology, the current lockdown may be an opportune time to brainstorm with your team to identify challenges, outline action plans, and communicate instructions to ensure that business continues on as usual. It is also a good time to just catch up on how they are coping with the work-from-home arrangements, or whatever setup they are in. Aside from the video calls, constant updates through SMS, Facebook Messenger, or any other messaging app is necessary to keep the line of communication open.

3. Be relevant and present online

Leads or inquiries can still be generated during the quarantine period. Since people are online most of the time, they have means to check properties in your website, Facebook pages, LinkedIn profile, and listings portals. It is time to clean up and bump up your listings to ensure you have maximum visibility. It also would help if you can post relevant content (e.g., articles related to health and Covid-19, learnings and trainings in your industry, etc.) to help people during this time.

4. Time to address your clients’ concerns

Since most, if not all, deals are put on hold, this is the right time to address any pending concerns your clients might have regarding that purchase. They may be requesting for additional information or documentation, or you may be in the middle of the negotiation process with the buyer and owner. Use the time wisely to ensure that there is movement in your transaction.

5. Try to avoid hard selling

Everyone is affected by this crisis, one way or another; some are even more affected than most people will be. Hard selling may be annoying, even insensitive given the situation, so change the tone by which you send your message. One way to reach out to people is to let them know that you are a trusted professional who can help, especially related to your industry. Conduct yourself in a polite and professional manner, by using words like “if you have real estate requirements I can help with,” or “I’ll be glad to help you now, or after things normalize.”

The real estate industry has experienced dips in the past and it has always emerged stronger. The Covid-19 pandemic is affecting all sectors of the economy, and it may take several months or even a year before things go back to normal. What is important to note is we can and will survive this, and we can use this time wisely to regroup and go back to basics.

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