Never before has the world seen such upheaval on a global, country, state and individual level. It feels like we’ve been turned on our head and shaken around. Now the dust is settling and we’re re-acquainting ourselves with a new environment, new norms and new ways of socialising, educating and conducting business.
Humans are resilient and we adapt. Now we’re forging ahead with a mass re-prioritising of what’s important to us. Today I want to look at some of these changes and the new norms of the post pandemic world we’re incorporating into our lives. So, in no particular order, here we go.
Family
Family has always been important in Australia, with society placing a heavy importance on the family bond. Covid has reinforced that importance exponentially. We’re concerned about our grandparents, about our kids and about each other. This has brought our families closer together, working to minimise the risks of the virus and ensure our loved ones are safe.
Lockdown has given us the opportunity to appreciate the time spent with each other and miss the family members we aren’t able to see. Moving forward I think we’re going to appreciate each other more and not take any special family moments for granted.
Health
This is obviously a major topic. Our concerns for our own health and those around us have become extremely prevalent and will remain so in the foreseeable future. This has created plenty of new norms in our day to day lives, which we are all very familiar with now.
There’s mask wearing, social distancing and relentless sanitising of hands and objects. All easy things to do and a small price to pay for our general health in the country. There’s also a renewed interest and focus on hygiene in general, which to me can only have positive benefits on our society as a whole.
High hygiene levels and a preoccupation with staying healthy will protect us from more than just Covid. It’ll have a lot of benefits for society as a whole.
Social Media
The importance of staying connected has made us more and more reliant on social media. Many of us have families and loved ones in other countries that we’re unable to visit and don’t know when we’ll be able to see again. Social media allows us to stay in touch with them.
Social media has also helped with the unified approach of ‘We’re all in this together’. There’s been a communal growth of online sentiment joining humans in one purpose no matter where they are in the world. Social media has been invaluable in promoting this.
Of course, there needs to be a balance in everything. My advice is that while social media should be a part of your life, it shouldn’t be your whole life.
Changes to Business and Work Life
Business and industry around the world is also adapting to new ways of doing things. It starts with individual interactions, where things like handshakes have had to fall by the wayside. Meetings and conferences need to be socially distanced. Office and factory layouts have changed. Hand washing, sanitising and temperature checking are all part and parcel of everyday life if we work from the office.
Many companies have some if not all of their staff working from home now. As a society we’ve had to adapt our processes and mindsets to be able to do this as efficiently and effectively as if we’re working from the office.
In real estate we have experienced the various levels of restrictions on home opens, auctions and inspections. There’s been a huge shift to using the internet to sell homes, whether its online inspections, virtual auctions or even signing contracts over the internet.
Never before has marketing been so important in real estate. It’s a sign of the times that agents who have been willing to adapt are managing to stay current through all the changes. Those who aren’t adapting to the changing times just won’t be able to sell houses.
Nature Rules
If this pandemic teaches us anything, it’s how powerful nature is. Whatever the source of the virus, it’s clear we need to respect nature and live in better harmony with her. She has the power to bring our world and society to its knees.
So we’re learning to understand and appreciate nature more, we’re prioritising health and well-being and our families are drawing closer together. Every cloud has a silver lining, and it seems this pandemic has some of its own.
Stay safe, look out for each other and stay in touch with your friends and family. If you have questions about real estate and the outlook for Brisbane properties, please give me, Henry Wong a call on 0412 471 588. I’d love to chat.
