Tag Archives: Real Estate Tours

Tidying Up: The Importance of “Staging” for Home Sale

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First impressions matter! One of the hardest challenges sellers face when listing their home is de-cluttering. Whether your client is moving up to a larger home, downsizing, or moving in with family, an open house is a great way to get your clients house noticed. Before scheduling your photographer to take photos of the listing, help your client commit to tidying up. Encourage them to sort through items and pack up all sentimental items now to keep them safe during the open house and to make moving that much easier!

Look through the buyer’s eyes as much as possible and tell it exactly as it is and not just what your seller wants to hear. Keep your target buyers in mind. Your next step should be to do a walk through with your seller and jot down any problem areas. You definitely don’t want to start preparing for an open house by making updates willy-nilly.  Depending on your client’s budget and time frame, create a list, putting top-priority issues that are sure to turn off buyers, first. Remember, today’s buyers are looking for move in ready properties. Below you will find the results of The National Association of Realtors Annual Profile of Home Staging. Notice all the benefits of having the home staged to truly benefit your principal.

As the big day for the open house approaches don’t forget to put on the finishing touches. The home should be in tip-top condition and ready for potential buyers. Here are a few last-minute details to really make the home shine:

  • Set out vases of fresh-cut flowers.They’ll make the home smell nice and add a splash of color.
  • Let in the light.Buyers want a bright, open house, not a dark and dreary cave. Turn on all the lights and open all the curtains.
  • Adjust the temperature.Keep the home comfortable — not too cold or too hot.
  • Serve food and drinks.A cold glass of lemonade in the summer or some warm, freshly baked cookies in the winter will encourage buyers to stick around longer, giving them more time to check out the home.
  • Have your client leave!They are probably proud of how fantastic the house looks, but they shouldn’t stick around to point this out to buyers. The last thing you want to do is make potential buyers feel uncomfortable. Tell them to spend the day out and about and let the perfectly prepped home sell itself!

THE VIRTUAL REALITY TOUR ADVANTAGE

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The benefits of using virtual tours to attract real estate buyers have multiplied over the years. Virtual tours attract qualified prospects and increase conversion rates so much so that now, you can’t afford to run your real estate business without having virtual tours on your website.

Virtual tours have turned out to be an effective tool in engaging customers with their selected real estate professional. Instead of staging a time consuming and strenuous open house event, a virtual tour remains open for anyone who wants to visit. This saves you valuable time and resources, as such, this customized approach reaches your target audience leading to an increased chance of a sale. The market is increasingly competitive and most prospective home buyers check online listings before contacting an agent or viewing homes in person. Drones can help your online listings leave a lasting impression on potential clients and when you use virtual tours for real estate, the customers are more likely to engage with your company as great visuals have more captivating power.

When you use a virtual tour, you can present all types of information related to the project in the presentations. Drones are a great tool for capturing the scope of homes and properties. For example, drones can be used to provide a moving tour through the inside of large homes, giving prospective buyers a much better idea of property layout and dimensions than photos. Drones are also useful for displaying properties with magnificent views or large yards. Home buyers are keen to know about the amenities, features, wall color and floor design allowing the viewers to focus on the details that matter to them. Virtual tours allow viewers to explore a property independently and to enjoy and visit each room they want to see.

Virtual tours have turned out to be a powerful marketing weapon for real estate companies. These visuals increase the chances of selling the property by assisting you to easily reveal the key selling points of the project and tailoring the features according to your target audience. Unlike plain still images, virtual tours can keep the viewer glued to your website for up to an hour. As they explore each room, it’s easier for them to dream about buying and living in the house. Automated human voice technology for narrations keeps the viewer captivated during the virtual walk through. Many real estate professionals choose to take their own drone photos due to the costs and hassle of hiring a drone pilot.

Before you can begin using drones for your virtual tour, you must first complete the following steps:

All commercial drone pilots must possess a Remote Pilot in Command Certificate which can be obtained by passing the FAA Remote Pilot in Command Exam.

  1. Pay the $5 fee and register any aircraft that weighs more than 0.55lbs.
  2. Pass the $150 Small UAS Remote Pilot Exam – exam prep is available here.
  3. Pass a TSA background check
  4. File FAA Form 8710-13

Here at The Real Estate Training Institute we have created an online HD video FAA Remote Pilot Exam Prep Program with licensed real estate agent and certified drone pilot, Greg McMaster. This course is available 24/7 from any internet capable device so you can study on your own time!