3 Ways How COVID-19 Has Affected the Real Estate Industry

Peter Murage
3 min readAug 21, 2020

Haven’t you felt the hit as well?

The pandemic hit that has had almost every business broke?

About the US Congressional budget office, anticipates that 15% of its citizens could have no jobs by the third quarter of this pandemic. This prediction translates that hundreds of millions could likely be left jobless due to COVID-19 impact.

This impact then drives to a decrease in value in the real estate industry. Leaving more individuals with no option than to defer rent and mortgage payments.

This pandemic has hefty impacts on the real estate industry. Follow up with me to unveil deeply on these impacts.

The Drop of Mortgage Interest Rates

The acquisition of mortgages occurs only in two situations. One being, it may be a request of purchasing a new home or two, repaying an already existing mortgage to lower the periodical monthly rate.

Economic threats associated with COVID-19 have led to the drop in mortgage interest rates compared to pre-pandemic times. This provides slots for people affected by the pandemic economically to be able to apply for mortgages afresh at lower periodical payments. This translates that buying a home in the pre-pandemic times is more expensive than purchasing it during the pandemic period.

On the contrary, due to COVID-19 circumstances, real estates have then adapted to the recent changes. Most creditors now allow new mortgage applications and refinancing at the comfort of your home. Clients inquiring recent mortgages or refunding would likely expect time delays. This is due to state restrictions on movement hence appraisers and inspectors have little to no access to those homes.

Commercial banks are therefore extending periods for individuals with mortgages and yet have been impacted by COVID-19.

A rise in Rent Deferrals

The pandemic which has contributed to the rise of unemployment cases has created the risk of rent deferrals as well.

In the US, The National Multifamily Housing Council Payment Tracker enlightens that only 86.9 percent of homes have made either full or partial rent payment by August 13 from a survey encompassing 11.4 million units.

With eviction notices across the country lifts, landlords most likely defer on mortgages and the COVID-19 virus could become even worse in the state. Due to this pandemic period, it is reported that if millions of tenants are dashed out of their homes in the center of a tough error, might lift the COVID-19 spread.

Massive Shift on Property Market

As human movement slows down due to COVID-19 impact, the real estate’s returns drop off as logistics indicate. This is shown by the immediate cut of the expected rate of revenue from construction and letting considerably.

Statistics reveal that from April, the underacted project profit of real estate properties had a decrease of 25% or even more in most scenarios, especially leisure and hospitality.

The slow movement has acknowledged a shift in consumer demands. This is brought by the lock-down experience that has unveiled the disadvantages of energy-demand buildings.

The bright side comes in, thanks to remote working. The pandemic period has driven a new demand where one can easily live and work at home. Where there are efficient space and adequate energy systems on set.

For instance, Italy’s real estate sector’s predicted drop is between 10 billion to 22 billion Euros compared to last year’s results, is recognizing a rise in demand for high quality that offers efficient health living and active working environment.

Conclusion

The COVID-19 pandemic has shaken every industry across the world. The real estate sector having been affected by a massive shock on property markets, also remains neutral despite the negative impacts. The market expects a slow rise post-pandemic as uptake will be restrained due to depreciated income heights and shifted preferences by potential investors.

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