Virtual home touring? No problem, but

VIRTUAL HOME TOURING? NO PROBLEM, BUT MAKE SURE YOU ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS

Joe L. Fisher

Lately, there has been a surge in virtual home tours which has resulted in somewhat a confusion, since it is always not clear the operating standards and procedures and what they should look like. In the advent of the Coronavirus, the norm was broken. Buyers usually commit to buying after connecting with property emotionally, and that is hard to do with virtual tours. As such, a good virtual tool will require both the seller and the buyer to be prepared.

For the buyer, they need to know what questions they need to ask the realtor or the seller. If there are questions to ask when you are touring the property in person, there definitely must be questions to be asked when touring the property through virtual tours, especially today in the wake of the

COVID-19. It is more likely that today, selling or buying a home will be through virtual tours. As such, with this guide, you will know all the right questions to ask, thus making your virtual real estate home tour a successful one.

BEFORE THE VIRTUAL TOUR…

Even before you start your virtual tour, there are some considerations you need to make there are something that should never miss in your discussion with the realtor or the seller. For instance; the floorplan of the home. This will act as your reference guide during the virtual tour. As such, you must know the floorplan of the home even before you start your tour. Additionally, knowing your floor plan beforehand helps you get a better sense of the size of the property.

DURING THE VIRTUAL TOUR

Feature of the homes: Do any of the home’s features require repairing? One thing you will note is that it is always hard to tell from the video which features are worn out or damaged. As such, you need to ask the agent or seller if there are features that are damaged, or worn out.

Location. Where is the home located, what is the neighborhood like? You need to comment on the area surrounding the home. This will be determined by the noise levels inside and outside the home. Is the home located in a

busy street, what are the surrounding areas like? Also, how close other homes in the area. Interior conditions. This might seem like nonissues, but you must ask your agent about the interior conditions of the home. What is the direction of the natural light? In the carpeted areas, when walking around, can you hear any creaking or other sounds? Do you notice any odours inside or even outside the home that are unusual? Also, get to the details of the appliances used in the house, ask questions like how old are the kitchen appliances? Remember, you do not want to incur any additional costs to replace broken appliances.

Exteriors view. How is it like? Is it well maintained? One thing you must have noticed is that the curb appeal plays a huge role in adding to the home value, as such, do not forget to ask about it and any other outside features.

AFTER THE VIRTUAL TOUR

After the home showing, you need to ask the agent if there are any noticeable differences between the in-person tour and the listing photos. This is crucial; it tells what kind of a seller you will be dealing with. Some sellers will accentuate the features of a home in the picture, but, you will be met by something completely different.

Additionally, you need to ask the realtor of his personal view of the property and if there are any other features that he perhaps noticed that might be of concern. Since they see the property in person, they might be able to tell the differences and spot any features that stick out to be highlighted.

With this information, you will be able to get the most out of your virtual home tour. Would you like to view some homes in Richmond through in-person tours or virtual home tours? Get in touch with Joel L. Fisher, an industry veteran. He is also the founder of Fisher Realtors. To find out more about Fisher follow this link; https:// thepowerisnow.com/joe-fisher/

Sources;

“Questions to Ask When Touring a House on Video-Chat,” Redfin (April 17, 2020): https:// www.redfin.com/blog/questions-to-ask-whentouring-a-house-on-video-chat/