Photo by Lisa Fotios: https://www.pexels.com/photo/three-pairs-of-shoes-1909014/
Show on your terms
If you’ve ever sold a home before, or have even thought about it, the idea may make many homeowners queasy just thinking about it. The housing transaction is already stressful enough, but to also worry about making time out of your schedule you’re currently occupied in to allow strangers to walk around your home can cause some anxiety for potential home sellers. Showings have always been around when considering a home for sale. It’s always been integrated in the property marketing plan for many agents, and has continued to be practiced today!
Ever since 2020 during the big pandemic, one of the many changes integrated in the real estate industry was the issue of in-person showings. Since contact with others was practically forbidden and to remain conservative and careful, this impacted the way homes were being shown. As a result from that time, many companies and innovative ideas came to fruition, allowing sellers an easier time selling their homes with limited human interaction. Thanks to the power of technology and agent know-how, contactless showings of homes rose to popularity, keeping the real estate market moving even during unprecedented times.
To start highlighting what changes have been made, we should look at what a traditional showing looks like. This will help us see the differences much more clearly, and will help outline what a traditional showing actually is. A traditional showing may include the following:
- Buyers’ agents are responsible for their buyers while touring the home.
- Buyers’ agents are responsible for scheduling times to see a home.
- Occupants of the home are expected to leave to allow interested buyers to view their home for the allotted time scheduled.
- Open houses are also a traditional way of showing homes in person.
- Open houses allow potential buyers to view a home in person during an allotted time during the day. This usually could last anywhere between 3-4 hours depending on sellers’ preferences.
Pros
- May attract more serious buyers.
- Buyers provide better feedback after viewing in person.
- Ideal for vacant homes and empty properties.
Cons
- Inconvenient to leave the home for showings.
- Must keep the home clean and maintained during listing.
- Potential risk of leaving valuables in an occupied home.
- Not ideal for occupied homes.
What we agents typically think of showings does not mean it is always in the traditional sense. As mentioned before, there have been many innovations when it comes to showings, allowing flexibility and time-saving options to marketing properties. Remote showings and tours have continued to grow in popularity, many ways to do so include the following:
- Live/Virtual open houses are used to not only show off a home to interested buyers in the area, but also to any who may not be able to show up in person.
- Walkthrough tour videos where the agent will highlight some of the key features of a home and post it on all social platforms, MLS, and other online resources.
- Interactive home tours where a potential buyer can click through the home as if taking a tour in person.
- Limiting only buyers’ agents to tour a home and using a video call app to show a home to their buyer clients.
- Limiting only to the seller’s agent to tour a home using a video call app to show a home to potential buyers.
Pros
- Attracts buyers with little to no interaction.
- Allows occupants to stay in the property without leaving home.
- Great if working from home or for strict home schedules.
- Ideal for occupied homes.
- Ideal for buyers looking to relocate from out of the area.
Cons
- Most effective only if an agent has a strong digital presence.
- May attract many buyers, but maybe not as serious.
- Not all agents may provide this service.
- May cost extra depending on what method sellers prefer.
Does this mean that sellers can only choose between traditional or remote showings? Absolutely not! All this post is supposed to do is to bring light into more options when it comes to marketing a property with showings. Although 2020 brought many grievances, it has definitely provided many positives. This includes tools using technology to make showings much more bearable and less stressful for sellers in a demanding market.
Because remote showings have grown in popularity, it would be a great idea to think of your current living situation and to inquire with your listing agent of these options to make listing much easier. It’s always great to consider mixing and matching these ideas, so you may have the best catered experience listing your home! That way, your selling goals will become all that much clearer, making the selling experience much less stressful and anxiety inducing for you. An agents’ job is to always make their clients’ lives much easier, and this is just one way of doing so for seller clients.
