In real estate, the ‘less is more’ philosophy is so 2019

Ashley Farrell has a new mantra, “adapt and overcome”. This philosophy guided her throughout the pandemic.

From March to June of last year, the Farrell business closed. Corcoran’s associate real estate broker in Westhampton Beach said her first instinct was to limit the damage. “What did I have to do to stay afloat?” ”

Like Long Island real estate sellers, she had to find a way to meet the needs of her clients without showing up in person. There was a major obstacle. “How do you show real estate without entering the house?”

His solution was to teach clients how to create videos and collaborate on the creation of virtual tours. “Not everyone was comfortable with the technology so there was a lot of trial and error. It was frustrating for the clients and me. ”

She relied on videos from her clients’ home cellphones as “screenings.” “Believe it or not, a few houses have been sold. A man, with only a video made by the owner, offered $ 150,000 above the asking price without even seeing the house in person. However, I didn’t want to. find myself in this again. I strongly reoriented my attention to technology.

Farrell, who hasn’t been at a shutdown in person for over a year, says the pandemic has completely changed his business. Without a deep dive into technology, he would have struggled to survive.

How did you adapt?

Before COVID, it was enough to have 10-15 still photos, a 2D floor plan, and maybe a few aerial photos. Now my standard checklist before launching a property includes 15-20 still photos, six photos of drones, a 2D floor plan, interactive floor plans and a 3D Matterport tour, a complete virtual in-home presentation with voiceover and countless short media “detail” videos. I have moved away from the “less is more” philosophy.

How do you use social networks?

The transition to social media has been dramatic. In addition to my pre-pandemic Instagram and LinkedIn posts, I now have a YouTube channel, am a TikToker, and regularly post Reels. I have had success offering full virtual tours of the house on YouTube, have received positive feedback with TikToks and Reels with less than 15 second snippets of house details. I sold and rented houses because a buyer or tenant saw the ad on Instagram. The reach of technology is endless.

What was the hardest part?

I’m in my twenties, thought I was tech-savvy. I ate a humble pie. At first it took me so many hours to make a video. I work with six to seven apps to make videos, and I’m still learning. It was also difficult that neither the owner nor I could be present when the photographer took the photos for the ad. The photographer couldn’t touch anything and sometimes things had to be moved or rearranged. Usually I was there to make sure everything was perfect. We reopened last June with many restrictions. It was chaotic at times because the Hamptons market was hot, hot, hot. I could only show the house with the owners and one part at a time. People were lined up on the driveway waiting to see the house.

With the lifting of the remaining pandemic restrictions last week, will you keep the new things in place?

I will keep them 100%. My sales people love the entire 3D exhibit and tours. My activity in 2020 was triple that of 2019. The market is still hot. This year should be good, but not as good as 2020. Adapting to the “new normal” has helped my business stand out from those who are reluctant to change.

What did you learn from the last year?

You can’t be too comfortable. Be ready and willing to change. Whatever life throws at you, face it – adapt and overcome.