Social distancing is one of the most responsible things you can do right now—both to protect your health and the health of the people in your community. And with social distancing in full swing, searching for a home in the traditional sense—including going to tour homes in person—is getting put on the back burner.

But just because you can’t see homes in person doesn’t mean your home search has to suffer! A recent article from realtor.com outlined tips for conducting a virtual house hunt that’s just as good as the real thing, including:

• Look for red flags in listing photos. You don’t want to waste your time virtually touring homes that aren’t going to be the right fit. When going through a listing, look for red flags that might indicate that a listing isn’t what it seems—and isn’t worth your time (for example, photos that are stretched in an effort to make the room look bigger, or a complete lack of photos of the home’s interior).
• Ask your real estate agent to go into detail during virtual tours. Thanks to technology like Zoom or FaceTime, your agent can take you on a virtual tour of potential properties. But video doesn’t catch all the small details you would catch if you were physically in the space (like the finishes on cabinets, or crown molding on the ceiling)—so make sure to ask your agent to talk you through those details.
• Check out the neighborhood. There are a ton of interactive map tools on the internet that will give you insights into a potential home’s neighborhood—so make sure you use them.

Bottom line? If you’re looking for a home right now, you’re going to have to get creative with your home search. But with a little creativity, technology, and patience, there’s no reason your virtual home search can’t be just as effective as a traditional search!