Looking For A Home Loan? Get Pre-Approval Today

Online Apartment Shopping Becoming the Norm

As the COVID-19 health crisis continues to unfold, and governments enforce stay-at-home orders worldwide, it can be impractical to continue to search for apartments or other types of housing in person.

The Government and health agencies have strongly advised for us to stay in our homes to prevent the rapid spread of the Coronavirus. This situation has become challenging for those used to shopping in-store and not online.

Thankfully, modern technology has stepped in, allowing us to shop for practically anything under the sun, including houses and apartments, on the internet.

The real estate sector has not been left behind; Apartment developers, apartment owners, and real estate agents have all adopted virtual tools to help them sell available housing units to interested individuals and property investors.

Has this approach of buying apartments online become the norm and changed the way we buy property in Australia?

COVID-19 and the Rise of Online Apartment Shopping in Australia

Online shopping in Australia has been on the increase due to the convenience it offers to people living in remote areas, or housebound consumers. Because online consumerism has become a trend, the real estate sector has bought into the concept and taken to selling properties online. The emergence of COVID-19 has enhanced this process and made it the norm rather than the exception.

Take, for instance, the case of Adam Cheong, who bought his first home almost entirely from his living room earlier this year. As a shift worker with infants in the house, Cheong didn’t have much time to spare and opted to buy off-plan from developer Caydon’s Alphington project.

Caydon’s Marketing Director Steve Williams said that apart from contracts, which need to be enforced in person, the developer was ready to work with buyers entirely online. He states, “From the developer and buyer perspective, all parties are being forced to embrace digital, and finding that a positive experience.”

He further added, “The reality is that you can go through the entire process without leaving your lounge room. That isn’t that common, but it will become more common given the current situation.”

 

 

Developers Are Embracing Online Apartment Shopping

With most businesses and developers already set up online, making the transition to full online shopping model shouldn’t be difficult.

Volume builder Burbank has opted to use gaming technology to enable customers to explore and customise home designs from their PC or smartphone. Buyers can enjoy a 360-degree view of spaces, with the option to mix and match from over 800,000 combinations of design and style options, floorplans, and colour schemes.

MYPlace3D, the first tranche of the software is already assisting potential buyers with a newer version MyPlace4D in the offing.

Jarrod Sanfilippo, Burbank’s Group General Manager, stated, “Customers will now be able to experience their dream home exactly as it will be built. MyPlace will enable people to visualise every aspect of the home in a fun and exciting way.’’

Tip: Most, if not all, property selling websites have tenant reviews to give potential buyers essential background information on the lifestyle and running of these developments. This tip will speed up your elimination process to help you decide which apartments are suitable for you to purchase.

Our Take on Online Apartment Shopping

If this is your first time to search for an apartment or property to buy online, Buy Melbourne Apartments is here to help make the process easier for you.  COVID-19 has changed consumer behaviours in many sectors of the economy, and the real estate sector is no different.

We have set in place and enhanced our Buy Off-Plan offerings to make it easy for you to understand what you are buying into, as well as improved our Virtual Apartment Tours to help you inspect properties online.

Should you need to see a property in person, we schedule appointments in line with COVID-related guidelines that adhere to social distancing, the strict use of face masks, and the use of gloves. All our personnel carry hand sanitizers and will observe the 1.5-metre rule as you view the property.

Buy Melbourne Apartments is committed to assisting you in finding your dream home, despite the challenging global health situation. Get access to the best Melbourne property deals on our website.

If you wish to learn more about our services, contact us online or call us at 0417 331 263.

Keep up to date

Get updates on properties, news and more across Melbourne

Secure Your New Apartment with Us!

Sign in to see your favourite properties

Save your favourite properties and access them anytime. Your shortlisted properties will appear on this page.