From the office to the kitchen table: working from home

Regina and Fréderic are desperate. Two coronavirus lockdowns and some unfortunate timing have driven them into bankruptcy. Now they can no longer afford the mortgage payments on their home and have to sell it. As they are under considerable time pressure, this has to be considered a distress sale. Good advice seems hard to come by, but with the help of an experienced real estate agent, they manage to pull off a minor miracle.

Real estate marketing is increasingly taking place digitally. This allows prospective buyers to get an impression of the property through 360-degree tours and other modern marketing options. These methods are used by digitally savvy and experienced quality real estate agents. What digital solutions are currently available and how can buyers and owners benefit from them?

Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, there has been a sharp increase in the number of people who are not only spending more time at home, but also using their homes for an ever-wider range of activities. Working from home, homeschooling, home production, and even business and private online meetings from home are now the order of the day. We spoke to an expert for whom the multifunctional use of his property has always been the norm – the Easter Bunny.

The coronavirus waves and lockdowns seem to be never-ending. Anyone who needs to sell their property now, or has been planning to do so for some time, cannot wait forever. However, many owners are unsettled by the constantly changing contact restrictions. Fortunately, your local quality real estate agent has adapted over the past twelve months to sell properties even under the current conditions.

Interest rates for follow-up financing are currently favorable. However, it is difficult to predict how this will develop in the coming years, especially in light of the coronavirus crisis. If interest rates rise, follow-up financing can often be difficult to obtain. It is therefore advisable to start looking into follow-up financing options at an early stage.

Market experts are divided on how the real estate market will develop after the coronavirus crisis. While some economists expect significant price reductions, real estate agents with market experience believe that the real estate market will remain virtually unchanged. However, one thing is already clear: residential property prices will continue to rise, at least in major cities.

In the first quarter of 2020, residential property prices were on average 6.8 percent higher than in the first quarter of 2019. Significant price increases were recorded in both urban and rural areas. Demand for housing has risen sharply again following the coronavirus lockdown. It is perhaps surprising that retail space is also showing signs of continued high demand after the coronavirus crisis.

Divorce, career change, or unemployment due to COVID-19: anyone finding themselves in one of these situations often needs to sell their property quickly. But even a distress sale can sometimes end up in foreclosure if you try to do it on your own. This often costs the owner a lot of money because the property is sold below its value. A professional real estate agent can help you avoid this.

For weeks now, the world has been experiencing an economic crisis unlike anything we have ever seen before. The economy and society are in a state of emergency. Only the housing market seems to have been spared from the coronavirus panic so far. But will this still be the case after the coronavirus crisis?