(WAND) - Home sales have increased in the last couple of months, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. More and more homebuyers are hitting the market to find a new home.
Home sales are up 27% in comparison to September of 2019. Liz McDonald, the president of the Champaign County Association of Realtors, said this is because the pandemic has forced the community to rethink their housing needs.
"People are spending a lot more time in their homes. They're working from home, their kids are schooling from home, they're needing home offices, they're needing school space (and) they're using their homes differently," McDonald said.
She told WAND News families are looking for bigger spaces to roam around when staying at home. But she said there is one problem with so many homebuyers on the market - there are not enough houses for sale.
"Our biggest problem right now is the lack of inventory. We could use more homes to sell," she said. "There are more buyers in the market than there are homes to sell right now."
For those looking to make that next big step, McDonald said to make sure they have a quality realtor to help.
"Make sure you're working with a knowledgeable real estate agent. They can really guide you through the whole process and make sure that they're protecting your interests," she said.
Although many businesses have taken a hard hit during the pandemic, the real estate market has remained strong.
"It's just been a remarkable year in a lot of ways, and we're just thankful that the real estate market has remained strong and that we're still able to keep helping people get into their homes that they need," McDonald said.Â
