Real Estate Marketing & Beyond
With most Americans continuing to stay at home to try and prevent the spread of the coronavirus, real estate agents are increasingly relying on video or virtual home tours to show clients their listings.
Many agents feel that these video tours can help make up for the lack of an in-person viewing, but they still need to be prepared.
Redfin this week provided a list of tips for agents to help guide them through the process of giving a video tour, based on some of the common questions buyers are likely to ask them.
For starters, Redfin advises agents to prepare a floor plan of the property prior to the call. This will help clients to get a better sense of the home, its size and its layout as the agent walks them through it.
As you’re walking clients through the home, it’s a good idea to comment on the condition of various features. Buyers may ask if any surfaces or features are worn or damaged, as it’s not always possible to tell when viewing them remotely. Agents can help by zooming in on certain details. Also, it’s a good idea to inform clients of any other features, such as creaky floorboards.
Location is important too. Clients often like to drive around the area prior to, or after viewing a home, but they can’t do this if they’re not physically in the area. Agents can make up for it though by talking about the surrounding area. For example, how noisy is it inside and outside the home? Is the street outside busy with traffic, or is there some other source of noise. And how close are the neighboring houses? How much privacy does the home afford?
Be sure to check out the view as well. Clients will likely want to know what they can see when looking out from inside the home. Agents can help by showing off the landscape, especially if it’s attractive.
Be ready to respond to what direction the natural light is coming in from. That can help a buyer get a better sense of how much light they’d get in certain rooms during the day.
Take note of any smells or odors. Your buyers won’t be able to get a sense of this from video so comment on whether you notice any lingering odors inside or outside of the home.
Point out any differences from the listing photos. Is there anything that looks different in person versus the listing photos? This is important as buyers try to judge a home from afar. Are the photos an accurate portrayal of the home?
