Buying a home often can’t be put on hold. If you’re looking for a safe way to tour homes before you visit your favorites in person, we’ve got the guide for you!
How to Get a Video or Virtual Tour
We can’t speak for any other real estate agents, but we can definitely tell you how Homie is keeping our buyers and sellers safe!
Virtual 3D Tours: Homes with 3D virtual tours will have the tours linked on their listing detail page. Just click on that link and use your keyboard or mouse to navigate the home.
Pre-Recorded Video Walkthroughs: If a home has a pre-recorded video walkthrough, you can find it on our Facebook pages; just search for Homie on Facebook. Just take a look at our video tab and check out the Video Walkthroughs playlist. You can also find them on the listing pages of Homie home that have them.
Live Video Tours: If you’re starting to get serious about a home, you can ask your buyer’s agent to do a live video tour. To keep as few people in homes as possible, your agent will tour the home solo, but they’ll keep you on the other end of a video call.
How to Make the Most of 3D Virtual Tours and Pre-Recorded Walkthroughs
The goal of video and digital tours are to cut down on the amount of homes you, or your agent, need to visit in person but still help you find the home you’ve been dreaming of. Here are a few strategies to employ.
Pause It: If you’re watching a pre-recorded video, don’t be afraid to hit pause and really take in a room. The beauty of these types of tours is that you can stop any time you want, just like you can during an in-person tour!
Take Notes: Take notes of areas of the home you want your agent to spend more time in or that you want to see in detail when you go on a tour.
Hit Replay: Whether you’re enjoying a 3D virtual tour or a pre-recorded video, you should walk away after your first look and come back. A fresh POV will help you see things you missed before.
How to Get the Most Out of Live Video Tours
This is the type of tour where you can really ask the right questions. Your Homie agent will be in the house allowing you to peek inside while on a video chat. Here are a few tips to see and learn everything you need.
Find the Right App
You can use video call apps on iOS or Android mobile devices. You also have a few options on a computer. Talk to your agent to find out what works best for both of you and what will have the best connection. Here are a few to consider.
FaceTime: If both you and your agent are using iPhones, you can use FaceTime. This built-in app works on phones, but if you have your iMessages connected to your Apple laptop, you can also use it there. This works best on a WiFi connection.
Google Meet: Google Meet is often pre-installed on many Android devices. However, anyone can get it. All this app requires is a Gmail to login. You can also use it on computers from the Gmail dashboard.
Google Duo: This app can be downloaded on any device and works to communicate to any device with the app also installed. iPhone, computer, Android, it doesn’t matter!
Skype: This video call platform has been around for a while. While it is a Microsoft app, you can use it on any device.
What to Do
What are you supposed to do while your agent takes you on your live video tour? Well. It’s no movie, so don’t just kick back! Here are a few tips to help you.
Ask Us Anything: Don’t be afraid to ask your agent to open up doors, cabinets, or explore a home deeper. Don’t worry, they will practice safe hygiene and respect the owner so you can see what you need!
More Notes: You made notes before so you’d know what to have your agent take a longer look at, and it’s time to repeat yourself. Update your notes with information you gain from the live video tour.
What to Do After Video and Virtual Tours
Now what? You found a home you love, and you’re ready for the next step. Depending on your situation, you might do a few things.
Google Map It: Before you venture out of your home, why not take a quick peek at the area online? Check out Google Maps to canvas the area, check your route to work, and even scope out walking trails and parks.
Drive the Neighborhood: Take a driving tour around the neighborhood and see what’s up. What’s nearby? Where’s the nearest school or public transportation station? Make a list of what’s important to you. We recommend driving around three times during the day: morning, noon, and night. This will give you a good idea of what the place is like at all hours.
In-Person Tours
If you loved the way a house looked on any of your technology-guided tours, you can ask for an in-person tour. For safety, we recommend that only one or two key decision makers go on the tour with the agent. Narrow your list to only one or two homes before you visit in person to limit the amount of exposure you have to germs and the amount of germs that are passed from place to place.
We recommend you read our guide on keeping yourself safe and healthy on home tours during this time.
Skip Straight to an Offer
If you are moving from a few hundred miles away or even out of state, doing an in-person tour might not be the right option for you. If you’re loving a home right now and are ready to make a move, you can skip straight to making an offer! Your Homie buyer’s agent can help you make an appealing offer that will get you into your dream home.
How Homie Can Make It Happen
Homie is dedicated to keeping our buyers and sellers safe. If you’re home shopping during this time, Homie offers a variety of the options above on our listings and some options on outside listings. You can learn more about buying with Homie here. If you’re selling your home, we have solutions for you, too. Click here to learn more about selling with Homie.