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7
Promoting Your Home Online Amidst Social Distancing
With stay-at-home directives and social distancing in place, the real estate market needs to get creative with facilitating the buying and selling of homes. Cutler Real Estate is doing just that by offering virtual open houses that allow sellers to showcase their properties online and enable buyers to get an inside look at homes for sale—all while complying with efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Learn more about virtual showings and open houses, how your home is marketed online, and ways to get your home ready for the best results.
What Is a Virtual Showing?
Our Realtors now have the ability to offer a "Tour via Video Chat" request option to your online listing. Buyers are afforded the convenience of choosing a date and time to view the home via Skype, Zoom, Google Duo, or WhatsApp. Once the request is submitted, the Realtor will contact the interested buyer to confirm the virtual showing.
At the appointed time, the Realtor will connect with the interested buyers via their preferred video app and provide them with a tour of the home and property in real time. This method allows all interested parties to maintain social distancing, while still giving buyers a detailed look at the home.
What Is a Virtual Open House?
A virtual open house essentially moves a traditional, in-person open house online. Your Realtor captures your property and home interior via video, then promotes that video presentation via Facebook or YouTube.
This format allows your Realtor to showcase the best features of not just your home but your property and neighborhood as well. The video presentation can highlight street views, an open-concept layout, a finished basement, and a remodeled kitchen. Your virtual tour can also shine a spotlight on sought-after outdoor areas, such as a pool, outbuilding, or patio.
Virtual open houses also offer buyers and sellers convenience. For sellers, your Realtor can schedule a video session at your convenience with minimal, if any, social contact. In turn, homebuyers can watch a virtual open house when it premieres on Facebook or YouTube, or they can choose to watch it online at a later time.
How Is My Virtual Open House Promoted Online?
The next step is promoting your virtual open house, and this is where Facebook and YouTube come into play. Your Realtor will prepare a 15- to 20-minute presentation from video footage of your property, then upload it to either YouTube or Facebook. Both platforms utilize "premiere" features to allow for the scheduling of a video "go-live" date.
Once added to YouTube, your virtual open house will feature a countdown to the premiere of the video. Your Realtor will then promote the virtual open house via Facebook and other social media platforms to generate interest in the event. Premiering the virtual open house video on Facebook is similar and allows your Realtor to easily promote the video presentation to a targeted audience.
Once a virtual open house video is uploaded, your home's listing page will feature a virtual open house link at the top in red, further showcasing the upcoming presentation.
During the premiere of the virtual open house video on YouTube or Facebook, your Realtor will have the opportunity to interact with commenters in real time, answering any questions they have on your home. Potential buyers will appreciate the ability to communicate with the Realtor, as well as the opportunity to see a property without leaving their home.
How Should I Get My Home Ready?
Just as you would with an in-person open house or showing, you should thoroughly clean your home from top to bottom, including areas such as closets, pantry, and laundry room. A virtual open house includes all aspects of your property, so you'll need to make sure the outside looks as spotless as the inside.
A virtual open house video provides your Realtor with a way to focus on the "wow" factor your home offers. Whether it's a great home office or an updated kitchen, be sure to spend extra time preparing those areas.
Once everything is video ready inside and out, use this checklist on the day of the video shoot:
Interior
- Turn on all lighting, including under-cabinet lighting in the kitchen.
- Make sure televisions are turned off, and cords are out of sight.
- Open curtains to let in natural light.
- Pull blinds to the same height.
- Do one last sweep around the house to clear away any clutter.
Exterior
- Limit seasonal decorations.
- Ensure any outdoor furniture is clean.
- Put the trash can out of sight.
- Pull any stray weeds.
- Park vehicles away from the house to clear the driveway and garage.
Interested in buying a home in Northeast Ohio, Columbus, or Cincinnati? Browse our listings today and look for the virtual tour option on individual listing pages. To showcase your home for sale via a virtual showing or open house, contact your Cutler Real Estate Realtor to get started today.
The Cutler Real Estate® word mark is a registered trademark owned by Cutler and Associates, Inc.
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