Hosting Virtual Open Houses: The Future of Real Estate Showcasing
For ages, Realtors have been hosting open houses to dramatically boost a listing’s visibility. But in today’s fast-paced world, things have changed. Nowadays, homebuyers often find it difficult to carve out time for in-person property viewings with their jam-packed schedules. And this is where a virtual open house comes in.
A virtual open house is an online event where potential buyers can explore a property through a live video or pre-recorded walkthrough. Professionals of a real estate brokerage can highlight the property features to buyers, answer questions in real-time and engage with a wider audience beyond geographical limitations in this virtual open house event.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to successfully host a remote house tour so you can survive and thrive in the competitive housing market. Let’s begin!
A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Host a Virtual Open House
A virtual open house can help you easily and effectively showcase your listing to a large number of homebuyers. However, this real estate marketing strategy can be effective only if you properly plan and execute it.
Here are the key steps your real estate brokerage in Mississauga must follow to host a successful virtual open house –
PRE-EVENT PLANNING
STEP 1 – Pick a Platform
First, Realtors must choose the right platform for hosting the virtual open house for their listings. Some of the common platforms used for virtual open houses are Zoom, Facebook Live, Instagram Live, and other real estate platforms. You must pick the platform by considering your target real estate audience’s preferences and familiarity with these platforms.
STEP 2 – Set a Date and Time
If you want a large audience for your virtual open house, you need to choose the right time. Hence, pick a date and time that works well for the target audience of your real estate brokerage, taking into account their schedules and time zones. You must aim to select a date and time when most potential buyers for the listing are likely to be available.
STEP 3 – Create Engaging Content
Now, you must develop a script or outline for the virtual open house. For the script, focus on the property’s best features, unique selling points, and the amenities of the neighbourhood. If possible, gather video testimonials from previous and current owners or neighbours to add a personal touch to the open house. Keep the tone conversational and be prepared to answer any questions that might come from the audience during the tour.
STEP 4 – Prepare The Listing
Before the virtual open house day, make sure the property is in its absolute best condition. To ensure that, your real estate brokerage must connect the home seller to a staging company that can enhance the visual appeal of the property. Also, plan the virtual open house tour route ahead of time to make sure there’s a smooth and logical flow from room to room.
STEP 5 – Test Your Equipment
Technical difficulties can derail even the most well-planned virtual open house. Hence, you must prepare in the best way possible to avoid this by following these steps –
- Test your microphone, camera, and internet connection well in advance of the virtual open house event.
- Ensure that your camera provides clear visuals of the property and that your microphone captures your voice without any distortion.
- If possible, do a practice run to identify any potential issues that could happen in the virtual open house and make adjustments as needed.
STEP 6 – Promote Your Open House
Promote the open house event to drive attendance (potential buyers and buyer’s agents) to it. To do that, use email marketing, social media, and your real estate brokerage’s website to spread the word in the Mississauga housing market and elsewhere.
Create engaging graphics about the open house event and share them across multiple platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Don’t forget to include the date, time, and open house event platform details in all your promotional materials.
STEP 7 – Collect RSVPs
RSVPs not only give you an idea of how many people will attend the open house event but also allow you to send reminders and follow up with potential buyers. For the RSVPs, use a simple form or an RSVP feature on your chosen platform to collect attendee information. As the event date comes near, send reminder emails to make sure those who expressed interest don’t forget to join.
DAY OF THE EVENT
STEP 1 – Welcome Attendees
On the day of the event, make sure you and any other team members of your real estate brokerage hosting the event welcome attendees warmly. A friendly greeting sets a positive tone for the entire event and helps build rapport with potential homebuyers. At the beginning of the open house event, provide a brief overview of the property and what attendees can expect from the virtual tour.
STEP 2 – Start the Virtual Open House Tour
Next, start with the tour by guiding your attendees through the property, highlighting key features and unique aspects of the home. Make sure to use clear and concise language to describe each room of the house. As you move from room to room, you must maintain a steady pace, ensuring that attendees have time to absorb details without feeling rushed.
STEP 3 – Engage with Attendees
Throughout the virtual open house tour, make sure to engage with the attendees by asking them if they have any questions about the property. Politely enquire if they would like to see specific areas of the property in more detail. Use the chat or Q&A features of your chosen platform to interact with the attendees of the open house.
STEP 4 – Provide Additional Information
During the tour, make sure to share relevant details about the property apart from highlighting its unique selling points. Give details of the square footage, lot size, property taxes, and any easements about the property.
This information can help potential buyers make informed decisions and address common questions upfront. Your real estate brokerage in Mississauga must also prepare a downloadable brochure or a digital packet with all the property details that attendees can access.
STEP 5 – End the Open House with a Call to Action
Lastly, make sure to conclude your virtual open house with a clear call to action. The CTA could be encouraging attendees to schedule a private viewing of the property or contact you for more information.
POST-EVENT FOLLOW-UP
STEP 1 – Send Thank-You Notes
After the virtual open house event, send personalized thank-you notes to all attendees. In the note, you must express your gratitude for their interest in the property. This will leave a positive impression and keep you on top of mind as the homebuyers continue their search.
STEP 2 – Follow Up with Leads
Identify and reach out to the homebuyers or buyer’s agents who showed an interest in the property. Whether they asked specific questions during the tour or requested more information, following up promptly can help move them closer to making an offer.
STEP 3 – Analyze Performance
Finally, your real estate brokerage must take the time to review the performance of the hosted virtual open house. You must analyze metrics such as attendance, engagement levels, and post-event inquiries to identify what worked well and where there’s room for improvement.
Don’t Skip the Physical Open House Just Because the Virtual One Was a Success
Even if your virtual open house is a hit, make sure to schedule a physical one to give potential buyers the complete picture of the property. Physical open houses allow potential buyers to truly feel the space, check out the property details up close, and get a real sense of the neighbourhood.
Plus, in-person visits give Realtors a better chance to build personal connections with buyers, answer their questions on the spot, and gauge their reactions. This face-to-face interaction can be invaluable for Realtors for closing deals and making your listing stand out. So, make sure your real estate brokerage in Mississauga keeps those in-person open houses on the calendar – they’re still a crucial part of the home-selling process.
