The Digital Open House

Smart phones, tablets and mobile apps have been a real game changer in real estate! The internet and web brought us online listings, MLS systems, online applications to perform due diligence and investigate properties, virtual tours and more…

Mobile technology however has brought us that much more capability. Selling real estate is a profession that has you on the road all the time. Lugging around a clunky laptop can be uncomfortable, never mind a portable printer. Mobile technology can cut down on trips to the office and make you extremely efficient.

As we watch the paper disappear, it becomes more and more prudent for real estate sales professionals to learn and share ideas about how they can do more digitally. The digital open house is a great example and really only requires a tablet and access to the ViMO app.

• When you run an open house you can use your tablet to not only show highlights with respect to the property and neighbourhood, but as real estate sales professionals representing buyers and buyers themselves come through your client’s property, you can create a profile for them in your ViMO app and electronically transmit all pertinent details on the property.

• If a buyer comes through your client’s property and is not interested, you can show them other properties in the area on your ViMO app and schedule a date to take them out to see those properties (assuming they are unrepresented).

You can literally answer any and all questions a buyer may have at the swipe of your tablet!

Be ready to get digitally connected! After adding a real estate sales professional on ViMO, ask them if they would like to connect on LinkedIn, or if a buyer, connect on Facebook.

Getting prepared for a digital open house:

• You will want to ensure that you have an iPad with your app loaded up.
• Practice the different criteria you will enter to generate information about the property – this way you appear confident when with the client.
• Ensure that there is Wi-Fi at the property. If there is not, have a contingency plan like setting up your smart phone as a mobile hotspot.

As of today, you may not be able to do away with paper entirely – not because you can’t but because the late adopters of the world may still want something to take with them, like a feature sheet. It is a good idea to print a few from GeoWarehouse to have out on the table. With that said, when running a digital open house, keep a tally of how many people want the information transmitted to them electronically versus in hardcopy format.

Moving towards running your open houses digitally will inevitably make you more competitive because you are capable of doing more, faster!

Stay connected with GeoWarehouse and ViMO. Find out more by visiting www.geowarehouse.ca or www.myvimo.ca today.