Can you sell residential real estate without being face-to-face? Absolutely! The real estate tech available today is the game-changer. At Amanda Howard Sotheby’s International Realty, we use the most innovative technology as part of our mission to offer top-tier service. The following ingenious applications help us engage with people regardless of what’s happening in the world or where our clients live.
Virtual reality
Imagine the power of millions of people visiting your property with never stepping foot inside. That’s the power of virtual reality (VR).
VR innovations in real estate are changing how we market and engage with customers. For starters, VR is a huge time-saver. The property can be toured at any time without the owners having to leave. Previewing with VR means we only show the properties people really want to see. The immersion experience means it’s easier for the viewer to build an emotional connection to the home. That’s hard to render in 2D photography.
Amanda Howard Sotheby’s International Realty powers VR experiences using Matterport, one of the leaders in VR for real estate. We create 3D virtual tours that serve as guided property tours or interactive visits.
With a VR headset, the viewers become fully immersed in the home. Cost used to be a deterrent for VR headsets, but now they are as inexpensive as a Google Cardboard device. It’s the next best thing to truly being there.
Staging apps
Augmented reality (AR) technology takes a digitally captured real environment and enhances it by adding features that aren’t really present. Virtual staging apps are a prime example of AR in the real estate space. This AR application applies virtual furniture and home decor to captured photography.
Speaking from our experiences, well-done virtual staging is effective in attracting buyers. Our proprietary staging app, Curate by Sotheby’s International Realty, enables us to create immersive AR experiences that illustrate the potential of rooms. We pair Curate with the virtual staging platform and modeler roOmy to show our clients how spaces can look with a range of decor styles.
AR’s benefit is clear. It transforms empty spaces for less than physical staging and helps homes list on the market for fewer days.
Personal connections
Amanda Howard Sotheby’s International Realty deeply values our community relationships. We love working with people! We want to be out there going the extra mile for our customers and our colleagues.
As we’ve learned, sometimes being physically present isn’t possible. Virtual technology is the next best thing for nurturing relationships. Apple FaceTime and Google Hangout help us engage with our clients and each other. For more formal meetings and training, we use other available hosting tech to connect. The coronavirus pandemic popularized Zoom, but businesses have used Skype and GoToMeeting for years. Even HouseParty’s group video chat works to visually engage with the people who matter most.
Working remote
Cloud-based software is the supporting player in our ability to get work done from anywhere. Upload a document at the office, download it on the phone while on-site. Cloud software syncs everything across the team even as we work across town from each other.
In real estate, e-document portals allow us to share important articles directly with the specific people who need them while protecting their security. No printing is necessary! We also offer hands-free signing with e-signatures for vital documents like our purchase and sale agreements.
And what about communication? Apps like Slack easily filter conversations and related documents into one place. The conversations are easily searchable and keep the email inboxes uncrowded. Pipeline and task trackers like Trello or Asana let the entire team see a project’s status and the next steps.
The benefit of virtual tech in real estate
We live in a world where people want to be digitally immersed in experiences. People are more open to home tours over FaceTime or a VR tour instead of a traditional home showing. Best of all, these VR experiences are increasingly sophisticated and more accessible to the industry and the general public.
The bottom line is virtual technology is how we work smarter and offer better service. Using it enhances what we can do for the real estate industry, our customers, and our colleagues.
