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.