The world of Real Estate is changing by the second! As of the date of this blog post, NC residents are on the 7th day of a “Shelter in place” order from NC Governor Roy Cooper until the end of April 2020. Despite this fact, some NC homeowners have been planning on listing their house for sale this spring. Let’s face it, while most folks will be fine putting off their plans of moving until this time is over, some home buyers and sellers absolutely must move forward with their plans regardless of the current situation. This is the reason that Real Estate firms/agents have been deemed essential by not only the state of North Carolina but also The Federal Government. Homes are considered to be a basic necessity.
Even if you decide to wait until the “Shelter in place” order is over we believe that many people will be stressed out by having strangers in their homes.
The use of “virtual tours” is up 495% in the last few weeks. That means that the real estate agents that didn’t see the value in offering those to their clients have now been forced by the current situation. The bad news is that the quality of the “Virtual tour” has never been more important than it is right now. Homebuyers are actually making “Sight unseen” offers on a house based on the quality of the “virtual tour”. Why do we have “quote marks” when we say “virtual tours”? The reason is that term can mean anything from a cheesy slideshow of cell phone pics with classical music, a cell phone video that no one can stand to watch, or an actual 3D intuitive walkthrough tour where the buyer can see each and every part of the house virtually on their phone or computer. They can move room to room, pan around and look at the floor and the ceiling.
So the question smart home sellers are asking themselves: Will these “sight unseen” offers be for a more favorable price and terms if the “Virtual Tours”, photography and video are better? Should I trust the marketing of my house in these trying times to a real estate agent that is scrambling to “figure it out” and using her cell phone to create the content?
We know the answer to these questions. We have been heavily invested in “high-end” marketing for a number of years. We were quite possibly the first Real Estate company on the East Coast to employ a full-time in-house videographer and it’s likely that there are only a handful to this date. (we don’t know of any) We have the equipment and expertise to run a small commercial videography business or news station. We’ve been using professional videography longer than most agents have been selling Real Estate.
We are still the ONLY Real Estate Company in Western NC to offer 3D tours that are professional grade. Meaning, a Real Estate agent or firm cannot even purchase the technology we use. It’s only sold to professional videographers/photographers. How do we do this? We have a professional in-house production company. There are a few Real Estate companies that do offer a 3D walkthrough tour however these are designed to be easy for the normal real estate agent to produce. The quality is much lower, the camera resolution is low and they generate a cheesy 3D dollhouse version of the house because they lack the ability to go outside of the house. It’s for interior use only without a special expensive add-on (which cheap agents won’t spring for). Think cell-phone camera vs. $10,000 professional DSLR and lenses. We think it’s important to be able to “walk” out on the deck and see the view or down to the stream and pan around and zoom in. Sometimes the outside of your home is as nice as the inside. Our 3D tours also include professional High Dynamic Range photos and a floorplan including the square footage. (you can even click on the different rooms on the floorplan and pop into that room on the 3D tour.)
We were also quite possibly the very first Western NC Real Estate agency to go paperless. We started with the product that everyone is using now, more than a decade ago and we terminated it because of the complicated nuances that our clients had to endure to sign paperwork electronically. The limitations of yet another password to remember and every signer required to have their own email address. (some folks have a “family email address”) It was way too cumbersome for our clients. While others have finally got on the “paperless bandwagon”, we have already tried and dropped the products they are just now using. (we always opt for the best and not the least expensive) Our signing process is seamless and requires no passwords to execute a contract or listing agreement. We are very experienced and can walk you through the entire process but most folks find it “self-explanatory” and they just do it. If your technical skills allow you to use email, peruse your Facebook newsfeed or read this blog, you will be just fine signing all the paperwork required to sell your house without ever leaving the comforts of your own home.
We know this blog has been eyeopening and our hope is that you will find comfort knowing that you and your family’s safety is our top priority during these times. Right behind that, is getting you the highest possible price and best terms for your house should you be one of those folks that simply can not wait until sunny days.
We also know that you’d expect all this “boutique-style” marketing and service to cost more money and we’d like you to know that while we do put more effort and expense into selling our clients homes than virtually anyone we can think of, we don’t charge extra for what we consider to be the service you deserve. You may be thinking that this luxury marketing is only available for luxury listings and we would like you to know that since this is all done in-house by our staff we not only control the scheduling and quality but also the price. We take pride in the fact that we offer this luxury style marketing to all of our clients no matter their price range.
No matter which Real Estate company you chose when listing your house for sale this spring, be sure to take a look at the marketing they are offering to their current clients because that is what you can expect for yours. If you agree that presentation matters more than ever, reach out to us for a no-obligation virtual consultation.
