The new reality or Day Ten of how we conduct our real estate business and business in general under the California Shelter in Place order. How are you coping?
The Mayor of Los Angeles, Eric Garcetti, was the first to issue Angelinos this directive and the following day, California’s Governor Newsom followed suit. This directive of course created numerous changes which we all had to make and continue to make as things are evolving.
Our most important role, in my opinion, is that we need to provide leaderships to our clients. There are many who are paralyzed by the events that came upon us so unexpectedly. Some are in ‘panic mode’ fueled by the barraging of emails, texts and social media inundations by well-intentioned people. Others are in ‘survival mode’; while I deeply empathize with their feelings, neither is the mode I am in. The Federal and local governments have taken unprecedented action to prop up the economy during this crisis while putting plans in place to keep us safe (provided we are smart and adhere). Real Estate is about making deals that both buyers and sellers feel good about. We can do our best now to achieve that by keeping in touch with our clients either by phone or email. The information we provide needs to be truthful and convincing, not phony and alarming. So answer your phone and respond to your texts and emails. If clients are reaching out to us, they clearly want and respect our thoughts and guidance.
We are so fortunate to have so much - mild weather, great opportunities just to name a few. We should be grateful to modern technology and a nice home from where we can continue to conduct business. Most of my clients make a comfortable living so they have a cushion to fall back on. If that’s the case, perhaps we should focus on this moment of the clock being turned back 50 years or more. I see parents walking and bicycling with their kids, folks walking their dogs. The list goes on and on. It’s back to the pre-Internet, pre-social media, pre-300 TV channels, pre-streaming, pre-texting, pre-cell phones. If not for the threat of CV-19, it really would be a much more relaxed and appreciative time.
A big change for me (and Diane, to be fair) is we are now sharing “working from home” space. For example, I love pacing the house when I am on the phone. But now Monday through Friday I need to close my office door when I’m having an involved conversation or if I am part of an on-line Zoom meeting. We also share Holly walking duties now, so my step count is down and as is my routine style of relaxation.
‘Sheltering at Home’ is not the same as being ‘Quarantined’. I still go shopping for necessities, one of which is the quest for toilet paper and paper towels, neither of which I have had the good fortune to come across in the past two weeks. Although we all are taking precautionary measures, I notice that when paying by credit at the cashier, the credit machine is not wiped down after the person in front of you (even though we are told to stand six feet apart until we pay.) The gas station payment pad and gas hand-held nozzle is the same – not wiped down.
If we try to somehow put a positive spin on all of this, we can start by looking at opportunities and strategies on how to handle life as we know it, for now anyway. Let’s be real, just one example is all the complaints about traffic to get from point A to point B in Los Angeles. I speak from experience as Diane would complain EVERY SINGLE DAY how long it would take her to go 8 miles from Westchester to West LA/Century City. Now she is looking forward to traffic and promises me she will never complain again. On the flip side of that, whenever we walk Holly it is quiet and peaceful now and I don’t worry about our being run over when crossing our residential street which is typically overrun with LAX traffic. There were only two planes that were in the process of landing, and two taking off on a recent walk – please note I am not saying this is a good thing from an economic or real life standpoint, I’m just trying to look for a positive in the current situation.
In talking with people who have been laid off working at LAX, I was told that 85% of the airport activity has stopped. This of course has a huge impact on the workforce. We need to focus not on political divisiveness, but rather on uniting and solving the challenges to the point of making them manageable.
In the meantime, keep a cool head and be aware that real estate is an essential part of the economy; and buyers and sellers need to buy and sell no matter what adversity with which they are faced with. So, let’s make it easier for them in a time of need. If you are looking for a level-headed Realtor in the greater Los Angeles area please reach out to me. Stay safe and healthy and try to manage the barrage of information coming your way.
If you are looking for a knowledgeable, focused and goal-oriented Realtor in the Beverly Hills area who will help you achieve your Real Estate goals, please reach out to me directly!
If you are looking for a pet friendly Beverly Hills Realtor who can handle and sell the most difficult properties that no one else could, please reach out to me directly!! If you are considering buying or selling a home, a luxury home, luxury investment real estate, luxury vacation homes, or luxury beach properties in Southern California, Los Angeles, Century City, Westwood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Marina Del Rey, Venice or Malibu, feel free to contact me at 310.486.1002 ( m) homes@endrebarath.com or visit one of my websites at https://www.endrebarath.com I contribute a portion of my commission to local animal rescue organizations.
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