{"id":1761,"date":"2022-02-10T07:51:00","date_gmt":"2022-02-10T14:51:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/agentstory.com\/a\/?p=1761"},"modified":"2022-02-15T16:05:17","modified_gmt":"2022-02-15T23:05:17","slug":"navigating-cold-and-flu-season-as-a-real-estate-agent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/agentstory.com\/a\/navigating-cold-and-flu-season-as-a-real-estate-agent\/","title":{"rendered":"Navigating Cold and Flu Season as a Real Estate Agent"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Since the pandemic began, getting sick has become less predictable for all of us. Is it a cold, or is it Covid<\/em>? As new variants infect millions of people around the globe, Realtors\u00ae have had to get creative in buying and selling real estate safely to meet client needs as the housing market soars. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As an agent, one of your responsibilities is to monitor and safeguard your health. For Covid-19, that means tracking your symptoms and seeing a doctor if they don\u2019t go away on their own. Remember, your provider can run tests to give you a full diagnosis so that you can take appropriate action. It also means being transparent with your clients. In this blog post, we\u2019ll discuss the similarities and differences of cold, flu, and Covid-19, and help you leverage technology to close deals while staying healthy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Determining if You Have Cold or Flu<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While the cold and flu are both highly contagious respiratory illnesses that spread from close contact with others, you\u2019ll generally feel worse with flu<\/a>. If you have a common cold<\/strong>, you might have a cough, chills, congestion, sore throat, or headache. Flu <\/strong>symptoms may mimic cold symptoms, but it\u2019s also common to have fever, vomiting, and diarrhea. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But What if It\u2019s Covid-19? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As a brief refresher, people contract Covid-19<\/strong> from the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Like cold and flu, it spreads from close contact with others. Anyone can become infected, including those who are fully vaccinated and wear masks in public, though certain populations are at greater risk of severe illness such as adults ages 65 and older. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For most people, Covid-19 symptoms<\/a> are mild and go away on their own. Symptoms have been known to change and will often appear cold- or flu-like, such as cough and congestion. Getting tested<\/a> is the only way to know if you\u2019re infected because the symptoms are so similar to cold and flu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keeping the Germs at Bay <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sharing is caring, unless you\u2019re sick. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you don\u2019t feel well, respect yourself, clients, and other professionals you work with regularly. Give your brokerage and urgent clients a heads up. Go ahead and ask to reschedule that house showing or training. While you may feel like you can power through a cough, your clients may have underlying health conditions that make seemingly small illnesses a big deal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pro-tip<\/em><\/strong>: Arrange before<\/em> you get sick to have another agent cover for you, and promise to do the same for them. There is always more work to do, and the majority of it can wait.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make sure to rest by getting extra sleep, halting strenuous exercise, and nourishing your body. It\u2019s OK to slow down!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Work from home if you\u2019re feeling up to it. As a real estate agent<\/a>, you can take online courses, record client notes in a database, write thank-you notes to clients, and much more. Just try not to run at full speed until you\u2019ve recovered. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leveraging Technology to Assist Buyers and Sellers <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Take the time now to learn the ins and outs of virtual open houses<\/a> and virtual tours<\/a> if you haven\u2019t already. A virtual open house over Facebook Live or Instagram Live can put sellers at ease knowing that they might attract qualified buyers over merely curious ones. And virtual tours give buyers a clear view of a property without leaving the couch. All you need is a smartphone or your computer to get started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buyers are much more comfortable buying homes virtually now. As a buyer\u2019s agent, try video chatting with your clients. Offer live tours if your clients are out of state or they\u2019re uncomfortable stepping into a stranger\u2019s home. Take time to answer their questions, open drawers, and show them the best features. Share tips for buying a home sight unseen<\/a> with confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bottom Line<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While the winter months may slow down real estate business until spring, getting sick could occur in any season. Practice good hygiene and social distancing where possible. If you do get sick, protect your coworkers and clients. Have a healthcare professional diagnose your illness, follow the latest Covid guidelines if applicable, and pause in-person interactions until you\u2019re feeling better. Your clients will understand and appreciate your concern for their health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This post was not written or reviewed by a licensed physician, and the information should not solely be used to make medical decisions. Please refer to the <\/em>Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/em><\/a> or your broker for the most up-to-date health guidance.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Since the pandemic began, getting sick has become less predictable for all of us. Is it a cold,…\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":1764,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/agentstory.com\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1761"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/agentstory.com\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/agentstory.com\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agentstory.com\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agentstory.com\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1761"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/agentstory.com\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1761\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1766,"href":"https:\/\/agentstory.com\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1761\/revisions\/1766"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agentstory.com\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1764"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/agentstory.com\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1761"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agentstory.com\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1761"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agentstory.com\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1761"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}