Is An Open House Necessary To Sell Your Home?

If you're preparing to sell your home, you may be wondering whether hosting an open house is necessary to successfully land a buyer. This is especially a major concern for homeowners looking to market their home in the midst of COVID-19.

With the increased need for social distancing, finding alternative ways to market your home to potential buyers is important. The good news is, you have options. Read on to learn 5 open house alternatives available for sellers who are ready to sell their home today. 

3D Virtual Tours

A 3D virtual tour is an interactive walkthrough composed of a sequence of still images of a home. A virtual tour gives potential buyers a better visualization of the home's features digitally. With a 3D virtual tour, the potential buyer gets to choose which part and angle of the home they look at. Essentially, 3D virtual tours function the same as viewing a street view on Google Maps, except the buyer is viewing inside the home.

There are various benefits of 3D virtual tours for home selling. For starters, a virtual tour minimizes the need for showings. In addition, virtual tours give potential homebuyers a better sense of the floor plan more effectively than still photos.

Along with this, a 3D virtual tour helps homeowners expand their market as they won't just attract local buyers but out-of-town buyers as well. Virtual tours really focus on creating an experience for viewers. For this reason, interested buyers can make a more informed purchasing decision and feel confident in what your home has to offer right from online.

Video Tours

Another way to minimize the need for an open house is to conduct a video tour of your home. A video tour is similar to a 3D virtual tour in that it gives potential buyers a better sense of your home's features. With that said, a video tour isn't interactive like virtual tours, but they can make buyers feel as if they are walking through the home themselves.

Video tours are easy to make and effective when it comes to engaging potential buyers. Even more, they are a great way to stand out among other home listings that only leverage photos. Ultimately, a video tour is a great way to show potential buyers the true essence of your home. An engaging and detailed video walkthrough helps buyers visualize themselves in the living space as you walk from room to room, leading to more interested buyers. 

Limited Tours for Serious Buyers

For some homeowners, hosting an open house is necessary. However, if sellers want to minimize the number of walk-ins, it's a good idea to offer limited tours for serious buyers. 

Often times, sellers will host an open house only to attract individuals who aren't ready to make a purchase. These walk-ins generally do not have a pre-approval and haven't even consulted with a real estate agent.

Unfortunately, having an influx of walk-ins can waste a lot of time for sellers who want to sell their home as quickly as possible. However, offering limited tours for serious buyers will help sellers utilize their time more wisely and ensure they don't waste their time on individuals who are only in the looking stage. 

Here are 3 signs of a serious homebuyer.

1. They've already been pre-approved for a mortgage: Some potential home buyers will make an offer but fail to mention that they don't have a pre-approval. It's more likely that if an individual does not have a pre-approval letter, they aren't prepared to purchase a home. Additionally, they may not even be able to afford it. A serious buyer will have a pre-approval letter, which not only shows they can afford the home but that they are beyond the looking stage and ready to make a purchase for the right home.

2. They make a legitimate offer: Another sign of a serious buyer is someone who makes a legitimate offer. If someone makes a low home offer well below the asking price, it's likely they are not prepared to purchase your home. Even more, they might spend more time trying to get you to negotiate the price rather than making an appropriate offer. 

3. They're working with a realtor: Realtors are experts that can help simplify the buying process by providing expertise on the local housing market. With that said, many serious buyers take the next step and work with a realtor to find the right home. 

Enhance Your Listing with Better Photos

Advanced technology has made listing and selling homes much easier. But that doesn't mean that traditional photos aren't still a great way to attract homebuyers. In fact, many people still rely on photos to view homes and make a purchase decision.

However, sellers can't expect to post a few photos of the property and attract serious buyers. It's important that you post various photos to help potential buyers get a real sense of the space. The more photos you provide, the more information a buyer has to make an informed decision.

Along with this, it's important to ensure that each photo is detailed and eye-catching to engage potential buyers. Here are 3 ways sellers can take better photos of their property.

1. Take Pictures on a Cloudy Day: Taking photos on a harsh, sunny day may not be the best time to show off your home's features. When the sun is too harsh, your photos will produce too many shadows, making it difficult to see important details. Instead, take photos of your property on a cloudy day when the light is evenly distributed. This will minimize shadows and allow buyers to see your home's best features. 

2. Avoid Odd Angles: When it comes to photographing your property, it's best to avoid odd angles that can distort the size of a room. The best way to shoot real estate is at about chest height and shooting straight on to produce a true-to-life image.

3. Let in Light: Light is a great way to set the mood of your home. For this reason, sellers should incorporate it wherever possible. This means that you should open your blinds and pull back curtains when taking photographs to let in natural light. In addition, leverage any artificial lighting as well such as with lamps to enhance the quality of your photos. 

Online Selling Process 

The home selling process is easier now than ever before. Thanks to the internet, homeowners no longer have to set up an open house to attract potential homebuyers. Everything you need to do can be done in the comfort of your own home.

Here at FlashHouse, we offer an easy and secure way for owners to sell their home without the hassle of showings or open houses. You provide us with some information about your home, tell us your closing preference, and when you'd like to move. 

Your home offer is free and you're not required to accept. If your home qualifies, we'll send you competitive home offers with an estimate of net proceeds. To learn more about our home selling process, read here.