The stay-at-home orders caused by the coronavirus pandemic this year have altered so much of our daily lives including how we work. With more people working remotely, our homes have also changed significantly.

More companies, too, have realized the benefits of remote work and expanded work-from-home policies and have signaled that they’ll continue these programs even after the pandemic has lifted. Because of this, we’ve already begun to see a shift in home buying in 2021 and will inevitably see even more changes in the new year.

Here are four ways remote work will drive home buying in 2021.

No.1 — Commutes Will No Longer be a Factor

If…

We find ourselves in interesting times that call for new ways of thinking, living and working. And while some companies find themselves making significant adjustments to keep employees safe, others have been built to be flexible and to acclimate to any climate.

Transitioning an office to work remotely can be incredibly challenging as it’s not just the physical aspects of a work environment that need to be considered. To create new and trustworthy ‘offsite’ relationships, communication will need to be much more deliberate.

The inherent benefits of physically working together are now gone but simple adjustments can actually lead to…

In the past two decades, in particular, technology has steadily crept into the real estate sector and for absolutely good measure. Previously, prospective home buyers had to engage in independent research on a property or unit and conduct their own sleuthing on a neighborhood. But now, websites hosting listings compile aggregate data and local and municipal information on a house or area, making real estate information easily accessible for consumers and potential home buyers.

House hunters can now also view virtual tours of units from the comfort of any location, from wherever they are holding their smartphone. …

Summer is an active time for housing but the coronavirus pandemic that seemingly shut down the world in early Spring gave us reason to wonder.

However, the National Association of REALTORS® June report showed existing home sales surged 20.7% from the prior month. Clearly the wondering has ceased. Realty ONE Group real estate professionals now are faced with the same challenge they’ve been managing for many, many months — low inventory in most markets means not enough houses to meet demand.

I’ve talked to many of our agents who are just as busy listing and selling homes as they were…

Forbes Contributor Brenda Richardson recently wrote an article revealing that prospective homeowners are putting off buying a house because of the recession caused by the coronavirus pandemic. I certainly respect Americans for being cautious as we all work together to navigate what is and what could be.

Richardson’s article was based on a survey by Bankrate that found that 22 million adults put off buying a home as a direct result of the national crisis. Further, the survey says 62% of potential buyers will wait for six months or more and 20% have put their plans on hold indefinitely.

Throughout…