PROSPECTIVE buyers have wasted no time in getting back out into the market after restrictions on holding open homes were lifted.
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Real estate agencies around Bathurst scheduled open homes for Saturday after more than a month of not being able to hold them.
Owner of One Agency Bestwick Real Estate, Mitchell Bestwick, said there was a great response to the first day of open homes, with just under 30 people with genuine interest visiting properties.
"We had 10 open homes, which is quite a large number for a small office like ours," he said.
When showing people through homes, precautions were taken to ensure everyone's safety, including providing hand sanitiser.
"We also limit people that come into the property at one time, we only let two groups in at a time, and we've asked that if anyone wants to look inside or open cupboards to ask one of us to do it," Mr Bestwick said.
Even though open homes are able to be held, the agency will continue to have virtual open homes.
"We're using Facebook live to allow people who are worried and concerned to look at homes and ask us any questions," Mr Bestwick said.
Cleary Fairbrother Property also held open homes on Saturday, stating that sanitiser was to be used upon entering the property and asked people not to touch surfaces unnecessarily.
Eight properties were open and the agency was happy with the response.
"What a fantastic first day back doing open homes. Great turnout and good to have a normal Saturday again," the agency posted to its Facebook page.
At Raine and Horne Bathurst, the team is taking a slow and steady approach to holding open homes again.
Director Grant Maskill-Dowton said open homes were only held for properties that were already vacant or set for auction, making it safer for everyone.
Agents saw more people attending properties than they had expected.
"There was a few people out and about. It certainly wasn't record crowds by any means, but there was certainly people out and about and the activity was stronger than we would have thought given the short amount of notice we had to get them back up and running," Mr Maskill-Dowton said.
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He expects that open home attendance will increase over the coming weeks, particularly as market activity has kept up.
"Even during the last seven to eight weeks that this has all been going on, we haven't really seen a massive downturn in inquiry," he said.
"I guess the first few weeks that it was very raw it certainly did quieten down, but after that I think people adapted to private inspections quite well."
