Real estate agents look forward to restrictions easing

Dalby’s real estate agents respond to the state government’s plan to allow open houses this weekend.

Generic Melbourne property iStock images.

NEW HOME searchers will face less restrictions next week as part of the Queensland Government’s plan to gradually re-open the state.

Open homes and auctions will be allowed as of Saturday, provided that visitors adhere to social distancing rules.

Ray White Dalby’s residential sales manager Brian Laverty said they’re still active in the market.

“We’re really looking forward to getting back to the open houses and the ability to do the auctions again,” he said.

“We’re doing four open houses this Saturday actually.”

Ray White Dalby conducted their first online auction last month and sold all 13 properties but that is the only auction they’ve done since the government introduced lockdowns in March.

Mr Laverty said only one person at a time was allowed in an open house and had to be escorted by a real estate agent.

Now up to six people can visit an open house at a time.

“With the change in the guidelines now that’s going to help us do our open houses now which is good.

“Businesses continues on and Dalby has certainly been a town that hasn’t had as much effect from Covid-19.

“It’s been a slight downturn and we can definitely start to see the positives coming out of it now.”

Online auctions are nothing new for 1 Property Centre however.

Director of sales Peter Forbes said they have done virtual auctions since 2017.

“It’s probably been so quiet that there’s probably no need for open houses at the moment,” he said.

“It’d be nice to be able to have that option to have an open house.”

Property inspections have still been taken up by 1 Property Centre during the restrictions.

“Inspections are very different,” Mr Forbes said.

“If a couple turned up to look at a vacant house, we didn’t go in the house with them.”

However the economic turmoil created by the pandemic has resulted in house sales dropping.

Despite this, the rental market has not changed much.

“People are still moving houses if they need to or want to,” Mr Forbes said.

For Fitzsimmons Real Estate, their agents have also been forced to make major adjustments due to the new rules.

Director Andrew Fitzsimmons said that it has been illegal to do open houses during the crisis.

“We’ve had to stop open houses through April,” he said.

Fitzsimmons conducted their first online auction during the lockdown.

Mr Fitzsimmons said that the inquiry levels for buyers went flat in April.

But new tenancies have been taken up with several contracts agreed upon and signed.

“We’re just looking forward to the restrictions being eased so people can probably travel again and move around more.

“People are getting back to it again and there’s a lot at the end of the table.”

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