More than ever, agents are relying on virtual showings for when their buyers are unable to see homes in person. Technology can now help you bring those clients into the listing virtually, and provide nearly the same experience as if they were standing in the home with you.
To make sure your clients have the best possible experience, we’ve put together some tips so that your virtual showings will run smoothly and wow your clients.
Planning Makes Perfect
The first step is being ready before you start the showing. Knowing what your buyers are looking for in the home makes it simple to highlight those features as you walk through it.
- If possible, walk the home or look at the floor plans first and consider how you want to proceed through the home. Is there a lot of outdoor space to cover? Do you typically start from the front door and move through the house from there?
- Prepare a checklist of features to cover. You want to make sure all important items are covered during the virtual showing. When you use HomeRover, your buyers can add checklist items themselves to make sure you cover everything they want to see.
- Check your internet coverage: Do you have access to wireless internet, or can you utilize cellular service to power your showing? If the mobile coverage (LTE, 5G) is poor, see if you can access the home’s wifi network. The last thing you want during the showing is choppy video from a bad connection!
Pro gear to up your game
A small investment in hardware can make a big difference in the showing experience you are able to deliver to your clients.
- Using a smartphone grip will eliminate shake and provide a better visual quality
- An external battery pack ensures you have enough power to make it through longer showings or multiple homes
- Adding an external microphone to your smartphone improves the audio quality of your voice during the showing. Another great option is wired or wireless headphones with mics (like Apple Airpods).
Lights, camera, action!
While a virtual showing can live on beyond the actual showing as a video that can be watched again, the showing itself is no different than if you had the buyers there in person.
- Before you go live, walk the home quickly to make sure the home is presentable and so you are not caught off guard by anything (or anyone) in the home.
- Turn on the lights, open curtains, and open doors throughout the home. This will improve the visual experience for your buyers and also improve the quality of the replay.
- Scan the showing checklist and ensure you are ready to check them off as you walk through the home.
- When you go live, rotate your smartphone to landscape orientation. This gives your buyers the best view of the home. Portrait video does a poor job of representing the home from the viewer’s end.
- Before you start the showing, consider switching to your front-facing camera so that you can start by saying hello to your buyers.
- As you walk through the home, try your best to hold the smartphone steady and move slowly. This should reduce the amount of shaking and help deliver better visual quality.
- Before you wrap up, make sure to ask the buyer if there is anything else they want to see. Sign off with a warm thanks. You are the host and it’s your show!
Get the right tool (app) for the job
Yes, you could use Zoom or Facetime to virtually bring clients into a home, but neither were designed specifically for real estate professionals to collaborate in real time with their buyer clients. HomeRover was built to mimic an in-person home showing and has the features you need to make your virtual showings the next best thing to seeing the home in person.
Download our app here and try it for your next virtual home showing!