Can an Estate Agent Work from Home ?
And especially so during this pandemic ?
Well .... that's what most property agents
are always aiming for !!
Tens of thousands of ordinary people
are now working from home ... AND
some are enjoying a substantial income .
In fact it is everyone's dream
to be able to work from the comfort of home,
and generate an income as well.
For this current pandemic has created a
New Norm .... whereby movements and
physical contacts are restricted, and very
strict Standard Operating Procedures
have to be followed.
Thus it is easy to mention
working-from-home. But the reality
is that its easier said than done.
Because an an estate agent that caters for
the Sub-sale or Secondary Property Market,
it is imperative to have a physical presence.
From farming the GTA ( Geographical Target Area )
to obtain listings, then doing Market Survey/Research,
followed by Property Viewing and placing banners
and signboards .... all these require a physical
human presence .
These are the basic duties or scope of work
that any professional real estate agent need to do.
Imagine asking the interested party to do
everything virtually online ....
Of course, some agents will choose the easy way out
by asking the Property Owner to just send over some
photos of the property ( or perhaps a video ) .
And some lazy agents will just tell the Prospect
to visit the property on their own .... giving excuses
like being not free on that day and time ....
Considering the above, it is clear cut that
working from home is still a NO-NO
for any real estate agent .
There has to be a fine line between
working from home .... and working at the
site itself .... as well as minimizing the dangers
posed by the pandemic.
While the priority is to close the deal,
the estate agent has also got to look at the
spirit and essence of doing the deal.
Whats works for one agent does not mean
it will also work for everyone else ....
