BRYAN, Texas — The shelter in place order for Brazos County has affected lots of businesses and jobs, with some industries having to pump the breaks altogether.
One that’s still going strong though, with some precautions, is real estate.
“We’ve got this order in place. Real estate is a professional service that is deemed essential. We’ve obviously seen a change in the way that we have to personally do our business,” said Morgan Mangan, a real estate broker and part owner of Walsh & Mangan Real Estate Group.
With almost 1,500 active listings and the amount of closed homes increasing by 8.9 percent, real estate is a big deal in Bryan-College Station, but since concerns about corona virus have come up, Mangan said there have been a few changes.
“We’re still able to do business, however we still want to take precautions. Our office is closed. We’re having to be a little more diligent when we’re showing properties. We’re taking sanitizer with us. We’re taking disinfecting wipes. Wiping down doorknobs, light switches,” she said, “we’re calling sellers ahead of time and saying, 'Hey, so that we can avoid touching as many surfaces as possible? Can you have all of your interior doors open? Can you turn lights on? Anything to keep us touching as few surfaces as possible. We’re taking virtual tours, videos of all of our listings.”
Even with all of those changes, sellers can be concerned, but the market itself is in pretty good shape.
“We haven’t seen too much of a slowdown. Mortgage rates are good right now, it’s a good time to buy. Same for sellers. It’s difficult to have a listing right now when everybody’s at home and somebody wants to see your house and you have to get it ready, but buyers are out looking,” Mangan said.
So for those concerned about the housing market at this time, just know at the end of the day, there’s a reason real estate is an essential service.
“Buying and selling is a part of everyday life. People have to have somewhere to live. Our procedures may be a little bit different, but we can work through that. That’s what we’re here for. We’re here to do what’s best for our clients and we’ll get through this,” said Mangan.
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