House hunters will once again be able to attend open house inspections and auctions in Wagga, with the NSW Government lifting its ban as of next weekend.
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The news came to the immense relief of PRDnationwide Wagga director Simon Freemantle, who said it had been a tough six weeks operating under the strict lockdown rules.
"When people are buying the biggest asset of their life, they'd like to be able to do their homework properly," he said.
Mr Freemantle said sales enquiries had taken a significant hit in the first few weeks of coronavirus lockdown, with numbers only recovering gradually as people grew accustomed to their new normal.
Instead of open house inspections the real estate agency has been offering virtual tours and video presentations, which Mr Freemantle said had worked surprisingly well for them.
He predicts more people will be using these online services even after the coronavirus threat has blown over, with prospective homebuyers adjusting to a new modern method of house-hunting.
"I think they'll still be demanding more of that technology, because people's time is so important these days and they don't want to waste it," Mr Freemantle said.
"We've found a lot of people are adapting to that style, taking a look online first before making a decision and that makes the shortlist process a lot easier."
RE/MAX Elite Real Estate Wagga director Dave Skow was also relieved to hear news about the restrictions being eased, saying he was looking forward to business as usual.
"It means we're getting back a bit of normality and we can go back to the pre-covid way of doing things," Mr Skow said.
RE/MAX has also been opting for virtual tours and one-on-one inspections, and he said turnover remained surprisingly steady using this method.
He said slower sales had been balanced out by fewer properties on the market, leading to a turnover rate that was more or less the same as pre-coronavirus levels.
Mr Skow predicts the Wagga property market will continue to rally, especially as restrictions ease around the state and infection rates appear to be coming under control.
"On a hyper-local level I think we've heard time and time again that the local health district has been without a positive case for a long time now," Mr Skow said.
"Buyers seem to be more confident these days; they know that coronavirus is not the end of the world and it's something we'll be able to live with without too much disruption."