Like many other aspects of our lives, our adaptation to COVID-19 is speeding the homebuying process into the digital age. As technology improves, a growing number of buyers are becoming more comfortable with virtual house tours. But how do you conduct a virtual home tour effectively?
House-Hunting Through Virtual Tours
A survey released in January and commissioned by Matterport—one of the biggest producers of 3-D home tours—found that prospective buyers overwhelmingly preferred to work with agents who offered virtual tours. In the National Association of Realtors® Home Buyer and Seller Generational Trends report for 2019, 48% of buyers between ages 39 and 63 responded that they found virtual tours a “very useful” tool in their search.
“I think virtual tours will definitely become a new normal once this is all over,” said Brian Caluori, a broker with Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty. “Why take the time to go see a property when you can view the virtual tour before you even step inside the house?” Caluori describes virtual tours as a “prescreening step.”
Granted, we’re not saying you should buy a house without seeing it in person unless there’s absolutely no choice in the matter. Nonetheless, it’s smart to do what you can remotely to whittle down your options so you can choose what’s worth an in-person visit, now or later.
Our Virtual Recommendations
Since online searches often yield an overwhelming number of results, we recommend you prepare a list of “must-haves” for both your home and neighborhood. Keep this list handy when searching. For instance, technology is making it easier to pre-screen neighborhoods by way of interactive maps which provide buyers detailed information on area schools, crime rate, transit, and amenities. Your list of must-haves can quickly help you eliminate undesirable neighborhoods without ever having to visit them.
Before requesting your agent to conduct a virtual tour of your pre-screened properties through FaceTime or other audiovisual app, make a detailed list of the aspects and features of a home you’ll want your agent to focus on. While a growing number of listings are incorporating 3-D, video, and floorplan elements to their browsing options, should one of your chosen homes only show photos, keep in mind they may not always show the whole picture. Here are some red flags to look for:
- Are there more photos of the exterior than the interior? This may mean the inside might need work.
- Closed curtains and blinds in a photo are usually hiding a bad view.
- If a picture of a bathroom focuses on a sink, it can mean the bathroom is very small.
- If a photo looks stretched out, the photographer may have used a wider angle to make the room appear bigger.
- Some listing terms are red flags as well. A “fixer-upper” can mean a great investment or a money pit. “Cozy” generally means the home is small.
Once you’ve completed your detective work and narrowed down your list, you’ll be able to direct your agent to the sections and features of each property to confirm dimensions, condition, feature quality, overall layout, and smaller details.
If you like a home from the virtual tour, ask your agent for the seller disclosures as well. These should outline any known problems with the home’s structure, as well as the age of various features and any improvements.
In-Person Visits
Since real estate is considered an essential service in California, you can next request to schedule an in-person showing. First, verify with the listing agent that no one in the household is sick. Since you can’t know if anyone living in the seller’s home has asymptomatic coronavirus, take all necessary precautions to protect yourself and follow CDC guidelines. Here are more tips you can take to protect yourself:
- Ask the seller to leave all closet doors and kitchen cabinets open for you to minimize the need to touch handles.
- Don’t touch anything in someone else’s home.
- Stay 6 feet away from your real estate agent at all times. If the home is small, ask your agent to open the front door for you and wait in the kitchen while you tour the house on your own. You can ask questions via cellphone as you look around.
- Wear protective booties; agents generally provide these. Carefully throw them away when you’ve finished touring.
- Wash your hands thoroughly with soap after you leave the home.
Can We Help?
As we enter this new age, the value of an agent’s experience cannot be overemphasized. Recognized as one of the top agents in the nation, Julie and her team will help you safely navigate across these uncharted waters and into the home of your dreams.
Please contact Julie at 650.799.8888 or [email protected] to schedule a free consultation.
