May 2020 Costa Ballena Real Estate Market Report: Selling Properties From A Distance

Our Osa Tropical Properties office is taking this time of social distancing to adapt our business to meet the needs of today’s Costa Ballena real estate clients. We may not have many people physically stepping into our office presently; however, this week we decided to open our doors anyway. Our goal is for our agents and administrator to have easy access to all of the tools we need to best serve our clients. And right now, our clients are demanding more virtual services to get their Costa Rica properties bought and sold, even during lockdown. More inquiries are coming into our office and we are answering questions about life in Costa Rica and what the process is to buy a property in Costa Rica.

What’s Happening in the Costa Ballena Real Estate Market

We know not to assume that no one is thinking about moving to Costa Rica. Not everyone is afraid of the state of the current or future financial markets and some people absolutely want to move somewhere quieter, more remote, more friendly, and more beautiful. There is no point in telling yourself that buying or selling a listing right now is not going to work because others are far more receptive to change. They want to be ready to move into their Costa Rica home straight away as soon as the travel bans are over. Governments worldwide are beginning to lay the groundwork for eventually – when the time is right – getting back to work and opening borders. This development has savvy buyers working now to find their best post-COVID escape. Costa Ballena real estate transactions are occurring every week and new leads are coming into our office every day. Buyer activity is through the roof on all of the major online portals we use. It all boils down to people from all over the world being primed and ready to buy properties in Costa Rica. Some savvy people in our communities are noticing this trend and new listing appointments are filling up more of our agents’ weekly schedules. Still, most homeowners right now don’t believe they can sell. They don’t know things are moving in the market. On top of that, they don’t know that our office has safety guidelines in place and the solutions to launch a listing and get it sold in this marketplace. It’s our mission to change that perception in our clients’ minds because we don’t want anyone to miss out on a great opportunity to buy or sell.

What Costa Rica Property Buyers Are Interested in Today

Buyers today are looking for a place of refuge that is away from the hecticness and the health hazards of their current homes. They want some place permanent to move to that will deal with adversity in a calm, peaceful, and helpful manner; where everyone is treated with care and consideration. And Costa Rica has proven to be this place, with very low numbers of infection, very little spread of the virus between regions, and a low number of deaths. Our South Pacific region has been relatively untouched by the current pandemic and we value our region's inherent remoteness and low population in maintaining these statistics. Word of our community pride in this fact has spread around the world with many people taking notice and wishing for the same feeling of security for their own lives. Costa Rica’s universal health care system continues to be of major appeal, especially to those from the United States or countries with overburdened healthcare systems. Costa Rica has the ability to perform thousands of COVID-19 tests more per week than is demanded and none of Costa Rica’s hospitals are overrun with patients. Of those calling our office interested in buying a property in Costa Rica, a large percentage are investors looking to buy an income property (where they might also eventually move when they are ready to retire). Even though the tourism market in Costa Rica has ground to halt in this global lockdown, investors are speculating that this sector will reignite with vigor as soon as the border restrictions are relaxed. So many stressed and stifled people are ready to travel at their next opportunity and Costa Rica is already positioning itself globally as the place to be when travel reopens. Properties in Costa Ballena were already experiencing record income levels in recent years and are positioned to replicate these numbers and better in the coming years.

How Our Office Is Able To Sell Properties in Costa Rica

Virtual tours have become an important new tool in our roster. For many years our office has spent a lot of time and effort creating great videos of homes, businesses, and lots in Costa Ballena. We are accustomed to using drones, 360 cameras, and other tools to give our clients a more intimate experience with properties in our market. Today, we are conducting more live video calls and offering handheld video tours that are interactive with our clients, who are able to ask questions throughout the tour and view specific items of interest. This means that buyers get to see more of the property that interests them and we agents can better understand their wants and needs. Live tours are not always possible and dependent on an available internet source. Clients who are most committed to selling their home in Costa Rica will spend the extra money to keep their high-speed internet connected for our use, even while their home is vacant. Screen sharing apps allow us the opportunity to show our clients documents, using our cursor to point things out and explain as we go. We are finding that there is surprisingly little opposition to using technology, even amongst retirees who make up the majority of our client base. Those you might not expect to be are in fact accustomed to video calls due to using Facetime with family and friends. And for those who do feel a bit apprehensive, it’s like flipping on a light switch. All you have to do is click the link that we send and we’ll all be there together.

Our Safe Strategies for Costa Ballena Real Estate Sales

Not much changes in a contactless environment and we still need to create an environment of confidence and credibility. We want our clients to feel the same level of credibility from us as if they would have walked through the front door of our office. We send our virtual tour clients messages prior to the scheduled appointment that prepare them for their virtual visit of the listings they want to see. This might include a video confirming the appointment, feedback on the property from other clients, photos and videos of the property taken before the lockdown, written descriptions, layouts, and more. Our “Safety-First Listing Launch and Home Sale Strategy” is adapted to COVID-19 regulations and best practices. Non-owner occupied homes are naturally the easiest to negotiate because our agents are most likely the only people that will be walking through the home, presenting it virtually to clients and other agents. In owner or renter occupied homes, we are more likely to schedule one video session at a time that is convenient for those living in the home. These properties are less likely to be available for multiple lives tours. The first property-seekers to schedule a live tour will be the ones who get a personalized showing and future clients are sent the same walk-through tour. Our clients – both buyers and sellers – are able to schedule their sessions with us during time slots that we have devoted to this service. Whether you want to know the current market value of your property or if you want to know the steps for buying a property in Costa Rica, our agents are meeting their clients’ needs over video and voice call every day. Email us today to book your virtual session with your friendly expert Osa Tropical Properties agent sales@osatropicalproperties.com.

Costa Rica 2020