Courtesy of Michael Worthington with HomeRover
RALEIGHT, NC – This year taught the real estate industry that the vast majority of a transaction can actually be accomplished without face to face interaction. Paperless contracts and electronic signatures have been the norm for years. But buyers still viewed numerous homes in person before making a decision. Typically, only relocation clients or second home shoppers saw homes via virtual showings.
Tags: Virtual Showings
However, stay at home orders and other precautions meant agents had to adjust. They were forced to bring their everyday clients into homes virtually because they were unable to see them in person. Finding a way to do this effectively became a priority.
What’s a Virtual Showing?
Virtual tours and virtual showings are not one and the same. Virtual tours are listing marketing, created on behalf of the sellers to portray their home favorably. Whether made with 3D technology like Matterport or a video walk through, a virtual tour shows the home in it’s perfectly staged glory. They are great for creating buyer interest but they don’t necessarily convey the true picture of a home.
Virtual showings, on the other hand, are an interactive experience for buyers. The buyer’s agent walks through the home while their clients watch via live streaming video. Buyers ask questions and look around the home as if they were there in person. Until now, agents used apps like Facetime, Skype, or Zoom to accomplish their showings. Information gleaned through the showing was typically lost after the showing was completed.
How Does HomeRover Help?
The HomeRover app allows agents to schedule and conduct professional virtual showings. The app retains all home showings for the consumer in one place for easy reference. It also stores all photos snapped during the showings. Buyers can watch the recorded showing videos to help narrow their list of homes. Agents, meanwhile, can virtually collaborate with buyers and also retain a visual record of the home’s condition at the time of the showing.
Homebuyers can see homes right from their living room couch. Interested in learning more? Download the HomeRover app here.