7 Steps to a Successful Virtual Open House

In an age of social distancing, one of the best ways to limit exposure while successfully marketing your client’s home is through a virtual open house. If you haven’t been doing a lot with video, you may feel intimidated at the idea of streaming an open house or conducting a virtual walkthrough. However, the same things that make a successful live event contribute to a successful virtual event: friendliness, knowledge and market expertise.

Here are seven strategies to help make your virtual open house successful—and to help you repurpose it to more effectively market your listing.

1. Promote your virtual open house ahead of time.
Promote your virtual open house the same way you would promote an IRL open house—through the local MLS, email blasts to buyer leads and fellow agents, and through your social media platforms. Give a timeframe for the virtual open house and build interest with details about the property.

2. Spend time on your tour.
A virtual open house should take time, much the way a traditional, live open house does. Aim for 10-20 minutes (depending on the size of the house) of streaming as you take viewers on a virtual tour of the home.

3. Provide plenty of detailed information.
Start outside and guide viewers through the front entrance just as you would for an in-person private showing. Next, proceed through each room, ending up back outside with the outdoor spaces. Show closet space, upgrades and finishes, as well as attention-getting extras, like the view from the bedroom or deck. You’ll want to take some time to talk about the neighborhood, local amenities, schools and other highlights. Be sure to stop and answer questions from viewers during the livestream.

4. Consider multiple tours in a day.
If you want to make a big impact, consider a day of virtual tours for all of your current listings. Promote these heavily beforehand through email and on social media. It’s a great way to promote both your listings and your services.

5. Find a partner to work with.
If you don’t have enough listings of your own, consider partnering with an agent in your office or on your team to show additional properties. Put together a number of agents and keep the fun going throughout the day with a series of virtual open houses, or add presentations from a local lender or title representative. The more people you partner with, the greater your sphere of influence and the more social media followers you’ll reach.

6. Upgrade your video equipment and platforms.
Consider upgrading your camera, optimizing lighting or using a tripod to make your virtual open house a little more professional. Want to stream to multiple platforms simultaneously? A multi-stream switchboard can make it possible.

7. Repurpose your content for ongoing promotions.
Once your livestream is over, you’ll want to download, edit and repurpose the virtual open house as video content for YouTube and on your website. Follow up your previous email with a link to the tour, and invite those who couldn’t attend the live broadcast to catch up. If you collaborated with other agents or affiliates, share their content on your platforms—and send them your links to share, as well.

Most of all, be yourself and have fun with your virtual open house. Bring your personality, your sense of humor, your second-to-none market expertise—whatever makes you the best agent in your market—and use it to engage your fans and followers to get that listing sold.

Real Estate Express is one of the nation’s premier online real estate schools, providing pre- and post-licensing courses, continuing education courses and professional development to hundreds of thousands of real estate agents across the country. Real Estate Express, along with its sister schools McKissock Learning, Superior School of Real Estate, Allied Schools, The Institute for Luxury Home Marketing and Hondros Education Group, helps real estate professionals achieve sustainable success throughout each stage of their real estate career. Learn more at RealEstateExpress.com.