According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch real estate agents in Richmond are now taking it upon themselves to disinfect the homes they are showing and using virtual house tours to reduce risk. “It’s really important for the overall health of our regional economy that the real estate market continue to work,” said Laura Lafayette, chief executive officer of the Richmond Association of Realtors. The market was showing strong signs for the first quarter of the year before the virus hit.
The area’s median sales price rose 7% to $270,000, reflecting the largest price increase in two years. In 2019, the median price for a house was $259,000, a 5.2% increase from 2018. The median price means half of all homes sell for more and half sell for less.
Lafayette said March data will be available in mid-April. In the meantime, the 6,300 members who make up the association and the Central Virginia Regional MLS were advised last week to stop hosting public open houses for safety reasons, she said.
Like the rest of the country, they were charged with following safety guidelines: wearing gloves when touching doorknobs or other surfaces, using sanitizers before entering and just before leaving a home, and not touching anything while inside the house.
“It’s really important that we don’t do the public open houses,” Lafayette added, “but do continue the practice of real estate.”
