Judith and Robert purchased a home in 2018 with the help of Shelley Lazzareschi. Since they were relocating from Seattle, they relied on virtual showings with Shelley to find their new home. Thanks to technology and Shelley's persistence, they were able to buy their lovely house without stepping inside first!
Robert and Judith were planning a move from Seattle to Madison to be closer to their aging parents so they could help care for them. They were planning to rent an apartment downtown and take their time to look for a home to buy on the west side. They figured this plan would be the easiest way to buy a home in the area without a lot of travel back and forth from Washington to Wisconsin.
Still, Judith wanted to get a sense of the Madison real estate market and began to look for homes online. She found herself on the Mad City Dream Homes website and it became her favorite home search tool.
Judith set up an account on the website, and Shelley Lazzareschi reached out to her. “I wanted to save my favorite homes and get an idea of local architectural styles, but I let Shelley know I wasn’t actively looking at the time,” said Judith.
That changed about a month after returning from an apartment-hunting trip to Madison. Judith and Robert decided they wanted to find a place to buy right away instead of renting and waiting for a year. Still, they were very busy with work and packing and didn’t want to tack on several trips to Wisconsin from Seattle. Judith went back to searching for homes on the Mad City Dream Homes website and reached out to Shelley for help.
“Shelley had seemed easy going, informed, and ready to help so I reached out to her right away,” said Judith. With Shelley’s advice, they decided to use FaceTime for a virtual tour of any home they wanted to see. They knew they could fly out before buying if they weren’t completely sure about a house. But, seeing homes virtually could save them a lot of time and money traveling back and forth.
Judith and Robert ended up buying the second home Shelley visited for them. “I walked virtually through the interior of the home and around the yard with Shelley and the owner,” said Judith. She added, “The owners had done extensive work on the property and they were able to provide me with detailed answers to all of my questions in real time.”
Judith felt confident after that virtual showing. “After my guided tour and conversation with the owner, I decided that as long as the house inspection turned out well I would make an offer without visiting it in person,” she said. “Shelley was a helpful sounding board as I decided on an offer, and she presented it well.” After only minimal negotiation, the offer was accepted.
“I was confident with my decision throughout the process and was so glad I saved money and time by relying on Shelley’s expertise,” said Judith. “As long as an agent knows and likes the house, I think a buyer can feel confident about buying without ever having toured it,” she said.
Many virtual showings are happening now due to the pandemic, but they are hardly a new concept. Our team of full-time real estate consultants has experience conducting thorough virtual showings for buyers, giving buyers confidence in their decisions. We would love to help you buy your dream home! Contact us for a virtual consultation.
