A guest post by Candace McCutcheon
I first met Emily for a buyer consultation in late March. It was one of my first virtual consultations. In just a few weeks, COVID-19 had gone from a distant threat to a life-altering global pandemic. Illinois had issued a shelter-in-place order a few days prior, and I had no idea what was going to happen to the real estate market.
Emily, an Iowa native turned Chicago resident (and more importantly, fellow Hawkeye alumni), left her apartment in the city to stay with her mom in the Quad Cities. Despite the uncertainty of the market and the economy, her company was thriving and she was eager to call something her own. Over the next few weeks, we toured a handful of condos — me in person, masked and gloved, and Emily on FaceTime (being so patient!) as I navigated the new norm for showings.
Many of the places we saw checked all the boxes on paper, but nothing had felt quite right up to this point. I was scouring the Private Listing Network one day and came across an incredibly unique floor plan in a building that Emily had her eye on. I had a feeling this might be the one.
We moved quickly, setting up a virtual showing the next day. Emily loved it! So much that she put in an offer before ever seeing it in person. After a few rounds of negotiations, the seller accepted.
I was nervous heading into the inspection. What if she ended up hating it in person? Thankfully, that was not the case. We spent the hour dreaming up potential decor, taking measurements, and chatting about the craziness of the past few months.
Emily closed on her stylish, lofted River North condo in early June — just in time to enjoy the summer on her new private rooftop deck. I am crazy jealous of her home office set up. Congrats, Emily!
