Finding a dream house has always been like finding a needle in a haystack. Buyers visit different houses and inspect their various aspects before making the final decision. In the same way, the seller has to showcase their property to different buyers to strike a good deal.

But what can be done during a pandemic? Today, maintaining social distance and avoiding home visits have become the main priority. Allowing people to visit your home for viewing is unsafe. So should we postpone our plan of selling or buying a house for a future date?

Don’t panic. There’s always a solution to a problem. Keeping in mind the current safety guidelines commercial real estate Austin recommends you sell your house online by arranging a virtual house tour. This will save time and lower your exposure to COVID-19.

What is a virtual tour?

Virtual tours enable the buyer to digitally walk through the house from the comfort of their home with a single click. Unlike photos and video tour where only a single perspective of the house is displayed and zoomed, visual tour displays the house from different angles. Also, buyers and sellers can interact with each other during a virtual tour.

GW Partners, a commercial real estate agent in Austin will help you sell your house in a smooth and timely manner through the virtual sale option.

If you have decided to sell your house through a virtual sale option you need the following things for creating an impressive house tour video.

• A Smartphone with 3D facilities or a 360 camera.
• A monopod or a tripod with a panoramic mount.
• Good software for quick and easy processing of files. You can select from Kuula, iStaging, Asteroom, Live tour, EYESPY360, 3DVista, etc.
• Wi-Fi connectivity.
• Hosting sites such as Zoom, Google Hangouts, and Face Time for live video streaming of your house.

After arranging these things follow the below tips for successfully hosting a virtual home tour.

Plan your house route: 

A virtual home tour is quite different from physical viewing. So make the virtual tour as impressive as you can to keep your potential buyer engaged and interested till the end. First of all, make a list of all the rooms which you wish to show to your client. Focus on parts of the house that will interest the client.

The client would indeed prefer to see every nook and corner of the house. But showing too much on a virtual tour is embarrassing. So avoid irrelevant and unwanted images of the house which may distract the client. Consult a commercial real estate firm to advise you as to which parts of the house are best for client viewing.

 Organize and make the property presentable for a shoot: 

source: https://pixabay.com/photos/interior-furniture-modern-room-2400372/

As it is well said, “The first impression is the last impression.”A clean and organized house attracts the client at the first glance itself. Remove unwanted objects or hide them behind a door or pillow. For example, ugly bins, TV remote controls, trinkets on kitchen tops should be hidden or kept in a cupboard. Also, if you have a pet keep them away during a virtual tour. This will enable the client can to see details of each room without any distractions.

A real estate agent will help in arranging things to give an attractive look to your property before the shoot.

Proper lighting: 

source: https://pixabay.com/photos/dining-room-living-room-furniture-1158266/

Each room should be proper lighted before the virtual tour. Open all curtains and switch on all the lights. The afternoon time is bright and full of light. But too much light will make the images blurred and blown out. So the best time for a virtual tour shoot is at sundown. The light is warm at this time and you can capture good quality images. Avoid shooting near mirrors as it gives a reflective view. Also, avoid shadows falling in images.

 Maintain the exterior:

The exterior of the house is equally important along with the interior in a virtual tour. Make sure that the entrance i.e. the starting point of the house should be presentable. Move cars from the parking area and garage. Store away trash cans, gardening tools, and hoses. Clear the walkways. Also, landscaping should be beautified. Remove dead plants and plant fresh flowers. Give a fresh cut to the lawn too. Avoid taking a close up image of the exterior as you would end up only screening the door.

Tip: Avoid a virtual tour of the exterior when it is windy or gloomy.

Be ready to satisfy inquisitive buyers:

Whether it is an in-person viewing or virtual, buyers are ought to question. So prepare yourself thoroughly to answer these inquiries. Rehearse your commentary for highlighting potential areas and issues.

Start your tour with a warm welcome and enable the buyers to see your face. This gives a personal touch. Highlight each area and ask the viewers for their likes and thoughts. Keep the viewers engaged till the end by remaining dynamic throughout the tour.

It is recommended to work with a real estate firm as they will help in practicing your tour. And support your side by side in answering questions that come up during the tour.

Upload your images: 

You can also create a virtual tour by uploading images using different software. The software will stitch each static image together for a 3D and 360-degree virtual tour. You can also add additional features to enhance viewing. For example, you can add music, audio description, and an interactive link. You can add your virtual tour and various websites such as Google or Facebook for promotion.

 Bottom line:

A virtual house tour is the best option for selling your residential or commercial properties during pandemics. So if you are located in and around Texas and you wish to sell your house contact the most reliable Texas real estate firm GW Partners in Austin.   *