The pandemic changed virtually everyone’s approach to face-to-face environments. Everything from work to school to business has seen some sort of alteration, and many of those changes have been for the better. Real estate professionals now have access to technology that can reach a broader audience, and bring in potential clients who otherwise wouldn’t have access to their listings.
Even still, executing virtual events whether they be open houses, showings, or focuses on the local areas, can be challenging. We’ve put together some ideas for virtual client events.
Host a Virtual Open House
The current trend across the country is one of great migration. Homeowners in some of the most expensive housing markets in the country are steadily selling and moving into markets where real estate and cost of living are relatively low. This influx of out-of-state homebuyers has allowed real estate professionals to capitalize on what could be one of the greatest benefits of virtual events in the housing market.
Virtual open houses became a thing during the pandemic, but with so many homeowners switching locations and moving to completely different areas of the country, virtual open houses give selling agents access to an entirely new clientele. Host a virtual open house within a similar timeframe to your physical open house. It’s best to conduct this event live so you can answer questions but also remain on script during the open house tour.
Modern iPhones have some of the best video quality of similarly-priced cameras on the market with the additional connectivity to Facebook or Instagram live for virtual open houses. Consider investing in an inexpensive wired microphone for optimal sound quality when it comes to giving your tour and answering questions.
Virtual Showings for Your Buyers
A virtual open house is a great place to start, but it appeals much more to the masses and will likely only help you filter down the serious buyers. Offering a virtual showing for buyers one-on-one is another way to engage your clients virtually, do so with ease, and work within sometimes conflicting time zone schedules or work schedules.
Virtual showings can also be something you produce and publish to your YouTube, Facebook, or website as ways to allow prospective buyers to see the home they’re interested in without physically attending an open house or showing with you. In either case, you can use the content you’ve created to produce on-demand content for buyers who either can’t connect with you or may stumble across your listing after the fact.
Host a Virtual Client Appreciation Event
Many agents leverage face-to-face client appreciation events as an annual or semi-annual way to get everyone together and talk about the real estate market for the coming sales year. These events, whether virtual or in-person allow you to discuss the outlook of real estate for the upcoming sales season, highlight important listings that are either active or upcoming and showcase your expertise and the work you’ve done to this point.
On the virtual side, consider hosting a client appreciation event. You can highlight the changes happening in your local community and practically “sell” the things that you’ve been doing or are working on for the future. This virtual event can be a luncheon, cocktail hour, or other events, but make sure you’re available for questions. Additionally, consider offering a restaurant gift certificate for those who attend as a thank you for “having lunch” with you during your event.
