Virtual Open House “ABC’s”
When the pandemic hit, I’ll admit that I was scared.
I worried that real estate, like other industries, might come to a standstill because of social distancing guidelines and we’d lose job security and much more. It seemed that, without in-person showings, nobody would close on a house, and the housing market would completely crash.
Imagine my surprise when the market showed itself to be resilient enough to withstand the crises. Through a combination of technological innovations and resourcefulness, we continued showing homes and found that there were plenty of buyers for them.
The bottom line is this: COVID-19 has changed, not stopped, the real estate market.
One factor that has kept buyers interested is that rates are currently at record lows, which means lower payments. This plus the ease of virtual showings because of social distancing protocols means selling your home is not only likely, it’s turning out to be a great time to sell.
One of the most significant changes to the market is that Virtual Showings have gone from being an interesting add-on to a “must-have” for your home-selling strategy. With people stuck spending more time at home and finding ways to pass the time, more eyes may fall on your listing than they ever would before.
With that in mind, I thought I’d share my method for hosting and promoting these virtual tours:
- Always Use Professional Photos & Staging
- Both Self-guided & Agent-guided Options
- Create Online Promotions
I start by hiring professional staging experts to set up the house — think “movie set” level! They clean surfaces until they sparkle and bring in pro lighting. The high-quality images they capture give home-buyers an excellent impression of your home.
I like to make sure that potential buyers have the option of clicking through the virtual tour themselves or having me there to answer questions and guide them. Via the “property search” tab on my website, they can either request a tour appointment or jump right in by themselves. If they request a guided tour, I make sure to send them a floor plan and correspond beforehand to know what they are most interested in learning about the home.
I promote homes for sale on social media with posts across a variety of platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn — not to mention my mailing list. This gets the word out far and wide, elevating a listing’s profile and getting more eyes on it in a shorter span of time.
Could it be as easy as A-B-C to Sell Your Home?
These tips are a great starting point, and may be all you need for home-selling success! Of course, every real estate situation is unique and there’s the opportunity to make it — or miss it. It’s never a bad idea to enlist the help of someone who’s done it many times before.
If you’re selling a home right now or considering jumping into the market, I would like to offer you a free, no-hassle, no-commitment consultation, and would love to put my experience to work for you. Email me at [email protected], or call 301-208-2288. Call [ai_phone href=”+1.301.208.2288″]301.208.2288[/ai_phone] or email me at [mail_to email=”[email protected]”][email protected][/mail_to].