“South Florida by the numbers” is a web feature that catalogs the most notable, quirky and surprising real estate statistics.
UPDATED, March 25, 12:55 p.m.: There is only one story. The entire world has changed quickly and dramatically due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and subsequent attempts to fight its spread through social distancing, and South Florida’s real estate community is no exception. While industry pros are realistic about what the outbreak means for the economy and market, most have adapted quickly through technology and creativity. Rather than paint an overly-rosy picture of what is clearly an extraordinary challenge, this month’s edition of “South Florida by the numbers” focuses on agents, brokers, contractors, and other professionals who are making the best of this extremely difficult situation while following public health guidelines and serving their customers as best they can.
2: Times a day one of Miami’s top real estate agencies is sanitizing its offices, as one of a few brokerages still keeping its physical locations open since the start of the outbreak. Other offices are doing similar measures, and almost all have directed their agents and employees to work remotely and make use of technology to conduct business. [The Real Deal]
$1,052: Per square foot price of the week before last’s most expensive condo sale in Miami, a Bayview double residence on Fisher Island, sold by Master Broker Elena Bluntzer. [The Real Deal]
25: Percentage of home sellers making changes to how their homes are viewed, according to a survey by the National Association of Realtors earlier this month. These changes include temporarily suspending open houses, requiring homebuyers to wash their hands or use hand sanitizer, or asking them to remove their shoes or wear booties during showings. [MiamiAgentMagazine]
23: Hours needed by Central Consulting & Contracting to build partitions for a New York City hospital preparing to handle additional coronavirus cases. The company is partnering with Plaza Construction to offer similar services to hospitals in need of additional space in Florida and other states, charging only for labor and materials and waiving all management fees. [MiamiHerald]
Almost 100%: According to Tere Blanca of Miami’s Blanca Commercial Real Estate, percentage of leases negotiated on behalf of her clients that have been signed or are expected to be signed, as of her March 18 interview. While some prospective tenants have asked for changes in the procedures to tour space (like permitting access to vacant space for fewer people), they continue to do so. [MiamiHerald]
This column is produced by the Master Brokers Forum, a network of South Florida’s elite real estate professionals where membership is by invitation only and based on outstanding production, as well as ethical and professional behavior.