More enquiries and sales has been a trend one Bendigo real estate agent has noted in the past fortnight, after a lull in early April.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Tweed Sutherland First National director Matt Leonard said the last two weeks have been exceptionally busy.
"Not just for our company, but when speaking to other agencies in Bendigo, they are experiencing the same thing," he said.
Real estate agents across Bendigo welcomed as many as 10 people at a time to inspect open homes last weekend.
It was the first weekend in nearly two months open homes were held without the need for a private appointment.
Mr Leonard said it was a mixed weekend for open homes.
"There didn't appear to be much consistency," Mr Leonard said.
"Some houses were very well attended and others were lower than expected.
"Whether that means people didn't know that inspections were back or intend to inspect at another time, it is too early to tell."
Real Estate Industry of Victoria chief executive Gil King said the sector has adapted during the pandemic and will continue to act safely and responsibly.
"The real estate sector is prepared to do the right thing to ensure auctions and open homes are run safely," Mr King said.
Rentals in Bendigo continue to be sought after, with the rental vacancy rate steady at 0.5 per cent, despite the coronavirus pandemic.
"Our vacancy rate is 0.3 per cent,' Mr Leonard said.
"Year-on-year, we leased exactly the same amount of properties for the month of April.
"We had less inspections, but the demand is still very strong and very high."
The Victorian regional rental vacancy rate was 1.9 per cent in March and April.
It was a different story in Melbourne, where the vacancy rate rose 0.2 per cent from 2.3 per cent in March to 2.5 per cent in April.
Bendigo is also in the midst of a land shortage, with few available and titled allotments that will settle in the near future.
"Anyone looking to buy a block of land now, generally, has to wait for the title to be issued and that is between 6 and 12 months for the majority," he said.
From June 1, cafes, restaurants and pubs will be able to reopen to up to 20 customers and this could increase to up to 50 patrons from June 22.
The graduated approach could be good news for commercial tenancies, Mr Leonard said.
"Whether it is viable for operators to have a certain number of patrons and keeps doors open, time will tell," he said.
Have you signed up to the Bendigo Advertiser's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in central Victoria.