COVID-19, Your Chance To Truly Connect
A Chance To Grow
While much of this article could apply to many industries/professions, I am going to focus on the Realtor community. I was once a Realtor and a goal of mine is to be as helpful as I can to that group.
We are in… well let’s just call it weird times. The COVID-19 pandemic is spreading, and at the time of my writing this the San Francisco Bay Area is on a shelter in place order. And schools are closed through at least May 1st. I imagine this is going to have an effect on the real estate community and as I meditated on the circumstances I am seeing some unique opportunities.
This is an opportunity to grow. I’m not sure I can concisely articulate what I mean by that. Growing your social media isn’t at the forefront of my mind. I think it is more of an opportunity to grow as a human presence in your online channels.
The world has stopped. Selling, and selling yourself is not what people need right now, and will probably turn off potential clients. But that doesn’t mean you have to stop being present. You can even bring a bit of normalcy into your sphere. That brings comfort and a great impression on you and your brand.
What Can You Do?
If you’re in an area that is like mine, schools are shut down and you have your kids at home. This is a fact of life for thousands of people right now. So how about utilizing tools like Instagram Live or Facebook Live (or even just creating content) centered around being at home with your kids for all this extra time.
Share ideas for educational activities parents can do at home with their kids. Provide resources for parents to find supplemental educational experiences.
Run through a list of “Real Life” skills parents can teach their kids that they won’t learn at school (think changing car tires, personal finance and budgeting, cook a meal, read a map, and more).
Fun DIY projects to do around the house that are appropriate to kids’ ages. Little garden planter boxes, hanging shelves, making toy storage boxes, etc… Pull the ideas off of Pinterest!
If you want to help those parents with the younger kids, share how to teach them to do chores. I’m sure parents would be incredibly grateful for that inspiration!
Family activity ideas for being stuck at home. Family campfires in the backyard, home movie nights, no-screen activities like pictionary and charades, story time, coloring books, build furniture forts (yes!), build a family tree…ideas are endless. One of my favorites is paper airplane battles.
Aren’t in the same boat of having kids at home? That’s fine. You can still create content to share these ideas. Or you can start really diving into your own personal interests. Here are some more examples:
Live or video content on effective home-based workouts during all these shelter in place orders.
How to still eat nutritiously while spending so much time at home.
The benefits of gardening (especially now as grocery stores get cleared out).
Home yoga workouts.
Teach your sphere new skills that you know; think sewing, crafts, DIY, and more.
Provide your followers with journaling prompts to help them through their thoughts and emotions during this time.
And as a Realtor, you can offer ideas to spruce up one’s home that also passes the time.
Create a social media challenge; Chores in a day, most inventive Quarantine cocktail, get creative!
Feature local businesses who are still operating. Like local eateries that are still doing takeout.
Discuss self care/mental health strategies during these times. Meditations, journaling prompts, things to help bring inner peace.
I have a fascination of just going live and chatting it up, you can bring friends into your livestream with you digitally, call it a campfire, patio talk, whatever. Be Yourself!
What Do You Get Out Of This?
Like I mentioned earlier, we are in some weird times. You have an urge to remain productive, but it can be a delicate scenario on to continue pushing your business or “lay low.”
There is no reason to lay low. There is every reason to continue building your brand, and building your relationship with your sphere. You have the ability to get creative, and to be someone who is present. You have the opportunity to bring comfort and some sense of normal to your sphere.
If your business has slowed a bit during this surreal set of circumstances, seize this opportunity to make some magic. As Realtors, you are always there for your clients. Here is a chance to truly continue that, and maintain relationships that will be valuable moving forward.
And finally, it isn’t actually what YOU get out of this. It’s what your sphere gets from you.