Sometimes off island buyers with tight timelines do not have the flexibility to travel to look at a listing in person. In this situation, it is important to partner with a trusted brokerage and an experienced Realtor who can help you navigate the process. We have worked with numerous clients in this situation and we are happy to share our experience.
What is our approach to helping Buyers who can’t be here in person to look at properties?
Chris Powers: We have sold properties to off island buyers sight unseen and we are carefully cautious every time. We explain to Buyers that we will do our best to help them make the best decision for their situation. If the listing has photos with poor lighting and no walkthrough videos available, or if there’s something our Buyers particularly want to see, we take our own onsite photos or videos.
Christie Powers: We try to be their eyes and ears where possible. Once a Buyer asked for close-up photos of all of the plumbing fixtures. One house was on a rough road, so we took a driving video. We have done FaceTime calls to walk through the property with Buyers answering their questions as we went. The first time they actually saw the house was after it had closed and we handed them the keys!
What are ways to mitigate risk of buying sight unseen?
Chris Powers: Buying a property is a big financial decision. We always remind Buyers about:
- Carefully watching all listing videos that show the property (sometimes including a self-guided 3-D tour)
- Reading through any available documents such as maps, surveys or plot maps, list of improvements, rules and regulations, and floor plans from the listing
- Hiring a home inspector to do a thorough inspection
- Including a contingency clause in the contract that may provide you with an out should inspections reveal any issues with the property
If you have any questions about this topic or others for Chris and Christie Powers, please email them to christiepowers@coldwellbankervi.com. Visit their Instagram page and Facebook page.