Real estate sales expected to pick up pace once tours of available Bay Area homes begin Monday

HAYWARD, Calif. (KGO) -- Real estate home sales will be kicking into a higher gear on Monday when owner occupied homes for sale can be toured in person with stringent protocols in place.

It's been a strange March and April for real estate with only vacant homes on the market.

Real estate agents could not sell homes that were occupied but the buyers are out there, according to realtors like Sheila Cunha with Legacy Real Estate.

She just sold a home in Hayward and said " We put it on the market on Friday and by Wednesday, we had multiple offers and went pending even in this market."

Things are expected to take off starting Monday when owner occupied homes can again be viewed in person.

But the owner cannot be inside the home and a maximum of two people from the same household can tour with proper protective gear.

But buyers won't be able to open cabinets or closets because no touching is allowed under the new rules.

Cunha said there are no open houses and no broker tours.

Stagers are allowed in some counties and prohibited still in others.

Many sellers took their homes off the market since the shelter in place order took effect, though many are expected to relist them now.

Some agents say expectations could change among homebuyers.

An extra room that was once a luxury could now be looked at as a necessity for a home office.

Tina Hand, president of Bay East Association of Realtors said, "I think this will shift their mindset and what they want. It may not be the four bedroom home, it may be the three bedroom two bath with an office."

She also noted buyers are indicating they want to move out to more open space and or in some cases are willing to commute longer as they plan to work from home more.

Hand said, "I believe we will still have our summer home buying season, it will just be later in the third quarter or fourth quarter."

Prices are expected to remain stable.

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