Why digital selling tools will flourish after coronavirus

Virtual inspections and online auctions are two tools which went from being the exception to the rule when face-to-face options became impossible because of lockdowns.

Realestate.com.au launched it’s own digital inspection tool after anticipating bans on auctions and open-for-inspections due to COVID-19.

Now, a number of experts say there are several reasons why both will play a role in buying and selling property well into the future.

1. There are “significant benefits” for all

Ray Ellis, chief executive of First National, said virtual inspections and live-streamed auctions worked well during COVID-19 shutdowns – a sentiment accepted by agents and buyers alike.

For buyers and tenants looking for a home to buy or rent, inspecting properties from home saved lots of leg work, he said.

“Both sides of the equation benefit, because buyers and tenants are able to better qualify the properties they think might be of interest, before physically inspecting, and agents know that they’re spending time only with clients who have a distinct interest in the property,” he said.