Seven weeks into lockdown Toby Dowding from John Smale & Co looks at how coronavirus has affected life in the property market.
Throughout the lockdown, our team have been working remotely. At first we thought there would be little to do. How wrong we were.
The past four weeks have been frantic. First there were all the property sales we had to get past the finishing post. Even in lockdown we have been able to do this within strict government guidelines. Then there are the deals that we had only just tied up when the lockdown began. It is astonishing how many buyers and sellers have been keen to keep to their plans - even though they will have to add months to transaction times.
But now we are also busy working with those who are already planning new lives beyond the pandemic. We are advising on marketing and even ballpark pricing - subject to final inspection. We also have many keen buyers who have pencilled in viewing appointments for when the lockdown is over.
Of course, it isn’t fun. None of this is: for anyone. The virus has changed our lives and the lives of everyone with whom we work. But despite working remotely our team is working together. We are working with our clients, our buyers, our central London marketing team and our 300 associated offices around the UK.
Working together is what sets us apart.
Working through the pandemic is like riding a bike up a very steep hill. We have had to change gear. We will probably change gear again before this crisis is over. But one thing is very certain; we will be in the right gear when it’s all over.
