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Despite this, Cobus Odendaal, CEO of Lew Geffen Sotheby’s International Realty in Johannesburg and Randburg, believes that show houses are still very relevant in the sale of property.
“By necessity, virtual tours were honed during lockdown to enable us to keep servicing our clients and they were well-received by the public as an alternative for viewing properties during the lockdown period.
“And they will continue to be useful in the marketing of property, but just as an add-on to existing protocol because the fact remains that the majority of home buyers - by some margin - still rely on the opportunity to physically visit a house to get a ‘feel’ of the home before they commit to buying.
“And show houses are also the best way to limit the inconvenience for sellers as it can be stressful and challenging to juggle work and family with having to keep the house pristine and have people traipsing through the house at dinner time.”
Claude McKirby and Arnold Maritz, co-principals for the group in Cape Town’s Southern Suburbs, agree, noting that since lockdown restrictions ended, show house attendance has steadily increased.
“As with everything else coming out of lockdown, the return to show house viewing was slow as everyone was cautious and did not want to unnecessarily expose themselves to potentially contracting Covid-19.
“However, as people got used to living more normally again, so more and more began to attend show houses again."
Although the arranging, managing and hosting of showhouses is the agent’s responsibility, McKirby and Maritz say that sellers also play an important role in ensuring the show day’s success:
“The same reasons that used to drive good attendance to show houses prior to the pandemic still apply - great presentation, realistic pricing and good position,” concludes Odendaal.