As the
world adjusts to the “new normal”, even such commonplace things as dropping by
someone’s home has become a more complex venture. Fortunately, the advances in
digital technology have given us an edge when it comes to allowing visitors in
our homes through virtual means. Here are a few things you need to know when
hosting virtual open houses.

 

Choose
a method most appropriate and comfortable for you

There are a
couple of ways by which you can do a virtual open house, which both require
access to either a smartphone or high-quality video camera.

 

Interactive or live Virtual Tours can be
hosted via social media sites like Facebook or Instagram, or through online communication
platforms like Skype or Zoom. This allows for real-time engagement with all
participants and is the closest to traditional open houses. However, agents or
clients who are not too comfortable with going on-camera may find the live
aspect of the tour a little uncomfortable.

 

Video Tours are filmed ahead of time and
simply posted on the social media site, like YouTube or Facebook. These are
similar to video teasers that a lot of agents are already practicing, and allows
for a more flattering approach to presenting the home by highlighting the
features the seller or agent would like to focus on.

 

Prep
and Plan Your Tour

Whether you’re live streaming or recording, make
sure to prepare well for the tour to avoid potential delays and setbacks.

 

Prior to the day of recording or streaming,
write down your talking points and rehearse so you are more comfortable
discussing them. This is also a good way to ensure that you’re able to hit all
salient points you’d like to discuss about the house.

 

Make sure to
turn on the lights in all areas you will record in. Make sure they are also
clutter-free and presentable. If you’re doing a live stream, having team
members or family “watching” and asking planned questions can be a great way to
facilitate discussion as well as steer it in a direction you prefer.

 

Provide
detailed information

Similar to a guided tour,
provide details and information as you go through the house.

 

Start with the curb or front entrance, and
include a shot of the surrounding areas if you may. Highlight the features of each
room, including recent renovations, flooring, and lighting, as well as views
and outdoor spaces. After showing off the home, take the time to choose a good
space to talk about the neighborhood and other amenities you’d like to point
out, including commute options and even open spaces nearby.

 

Up
Your Promotion Game by Making Sure You Have a Great Realtor!

Your Realtor should plan and
advertise your open house similar to how they would promote a traditional open
house, by choosing a date and letting clients and followers know and how they
can get connected. Apart from utilizing email blasts, we maximize the campaign with social
media platforms like Facebook and Instagram and post teasers of your upcoming
tour.

Whether you
plan on streaming live or uploading a pre-recorded video, having the most amounts
of viewers checking out your post can go a long way towards attracting
potential buyers.

After the
video has been posted, continuously promoting, sharing, and repurposing it for
further posts is a great way to maximize it as well.

 

Following Up

After the recording has been posted or live stream is completed, we follow up with all commenters and attendees. Whether you
would like to do a question and answer portion for live attendees, or go
through the comments and answer them (publicly or privately, via personal
message) for recorded videos, make sure to address all questions and concerns
that come in. This can be a great way to not only meet the potential buyer for house, but also to collect feedback on any potential issues.