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February 19 - March 4, 2021
wilmingtonbiz.com
Greater Wilmington Business Journal
| REAL ESTATE | Buying homes, sight unseen I
PHOTO C/O NEST REALTY
Market heats up: This home on Lydden Road in Wilmington is an example of a buyer making an offer without seeing it in real life. Nest Realty agent Mary Rayner represented the buyer.
BY CECE NUNN t might sound kind of crazy, said Realtor Paul Allsup, that someone would buy a house without seeing it in real life. “But a lot of times, that’s what they’re doing,” said Allsup, of the Paul Allsup Real Estate Group at Wilmington-based Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage. “We have all this relocation coming from up north and the West Coast and it’s very difficult to take a day trip from New York to Wilmington to see a house that you really like before it gets sold. Those people are reaching out to the agents directly and asking for virtual tours.” Other Realtors have described the same circumstances. “We’re seeing this situation happen on a regular basis,” said Ryan Crecelius, principal broker
at Nest Realty in Wilmington. “The market is so competitive, even a matter of hours can be too little, too late. Our agents know they have to be quick on the draw to get in the home quickly and give the buyers a thumbs up using FaceTime, video, etc.” Allsup gave the example of a couple from Minnesota who found a home they wanted, but they didn’t have a chance to fly down to Wilmington at such short notice. “We did a virtual tour on Facebook Live, walking through the house. They were seeing the home in real time as it really was” as opposed to viewing photos or videos that were shot previously, Allsup said. And they really loved the house, he said. “They understood that it was
