During the coronovirus outbreak, virtual tours have become a format to allow for real estate agents to stay safe while still allowing people to continue to find the home of their dreams. Though seeing a new property through a screen will never be the same as experiencing the feeling of walking in for the first time, it still allows for buyers to get a basic sense of what they are getting and not going into one of the biggest purchases they will ever make blind.
A virtual tour not only allows for a house to be seen by potential buyers in the area, but also by people around the world. This is especially important during the ongoing pandemic as some of those currently under quarantine might be thinking of moving across the country when the world starts to return to normal. For those potential buyers, the search for the perfect home might include searching the internet for houses where they plan to be, and remote viewings could prove of specific interest to them.
The Cambridge Association of Realtors (CAOR) provides a guide to all the brokerages in Cambridge, Ontario, that outlines how an agent can set up a virtual live-streamed open house, which then can be saved and used as a virtual tour for those unable to make the original live-stream. The CAOR also has created other resources for realtors to utilize during the COVID-19 virus, and while the information is targeting Ontario, it is useful for realtors everywhere. The first thing that you need to do when creating your virtual tour is select the platform you intend to stream it on. Popular options include Facebook Live and Instagram Live. The best option for you will depend on how your brokerage intends on promoting the property outside of the tour as having all the information on one platform makes it much less frustrating for clients and increases the likelihood that they will continue to pursue the property. After selecting which platform you intend to use, you want to advertise when the tour will be occurring live in order to make sure viewers know. This can be done by emailing your contact list and posting on relevant social media channels.
How To Create A Virtual Tour On Different Platforms
In order to go live on Facebook, you first want to click on “Create Post” on top of the news feed. If you are streaming from a business page make sure that you are on that page and not your personal feed. After clicking on the “Create Post” link, click the three dots in the bottom-right corner, then on “Live Video.” This will bring you to a new screen where, if it is your first time, you will have to grant permission to access your camera and microphone. While on this screen you can share the post by clicking “Go Live” in the bottom-left. You are now live and can see questions being asked by those in the live-stream. After the stream has ended, find the post on your stream, click the post and then on the three dots in the top-left to download the video. This will then allow you to save the video and share it to any other social media platforms. The nice thing about Facebook Live is that you have the option of doing it from either your phone, tablet or computer.
In order to start an Instagram Live video, you first need to be signed into whichever account you plan to live stream it from on your phone or tablet. After logging in, tap on the camera icon in the top-left of the screen. From here, scroll down to “Live” and tap the icon in the circle above it. You are now live and can speak with the viewers that access the-live stream. You can also comment to those asking questions through the comment tab at the bottom of the screen, or pin a comment which will allow newcomers to see it when they join. When you are finished the tour, tap “end” in the top-right corner of the screen and once done you can tap the downward arrow icon to save it to your camera roll – for use on other platforms or to share it to your Instagram story where it will remain for twenty-four hours.
As a whole, Instagram seems to be the better option for live-streaming an open house as, the process to get the stream up is more efficient. This along with the fact that the downloading feature appears immediately after the stream ends makes it less likely that you will forget to save it and share it to other websites. However, each brokerage may have its own regulations, and a larger following on a different social media site so confer with your colleagues in order to make sure that consistency is occurring. If you plan to do virtual tours you may want to look into purchasing a tablet with a camera if you do not already have one. After all, the larger screen size will make it less likely that a potential client’s question is missed, and it allows access to your phone if needed without disrupting the virtual property stream tour. Regardless of the current situation and restrictions on movement, using remote viewing as a tool is likely to be more common after the coronavirus lockdown orders are lifted.
