Brokers’ polar vortex plan of attack

Union Square in the snow
Union Square in the snow

Despite winter weather’s tendency to shutter offices and cripple public transit, a few flakes can actually be a boon to well-prepared brokers and sellers.

Bad weather’s biggest upside is that only truly serious home seekers will venture out, picking off casual window shoppers, brokers told BrickUnderground. And clients expect brokers to show up rain or shine, canceling only as an absolute last resort if it is physically not possible to get to the property.

Key to managing a successful showing in polar temperatures, brokers said, is being armed to deal with the influx of slush and salt, bulky coats and other such accoutrements, brokers told BrickUnderground.

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“We definitely ask that buyers take off their shoes,” Priscilla Moreno of Town Residential, who is showing a one-bedroom at 87 Barrow Street on Sunday, told the site. A roll of paper towels tucked under an arm or cleaning rags on offer at the front door can keep the space clean for the serious shoppers who show up, and candles can come in handy should the power flicker.

A bit of extra personal warmth can go a long way, brokers added — such as the addition of “treats inside waiting for them while they take the tour” and an appreciative word for having made the trek.

“Since I’ve been a parent, and learned firsthand how long it takes to bundle up a child and schlep them out in the snow with their stroller, I have gained a whole new respect for parents who bring their children out to open houses on snowy days,” the Corcoran Group’s Maggie Ross told BrickUnderground. “I’m constantly impressed by their patience and ability to pull this off.” [BrickUnderground]Julie Strickland