From Open House to virtual tour: what is the best way to sell home?

From open houses to virtual tours: the real estate market is constantly evolving, and with it, sales strategies.

In recent years, the way homes are sold has changed dramatically, thanks to the evolution of digital technologies and consumer preferences. Two of the main ways of real estate promotion today are Open House and virtual tours. But what is the most effective method of selling homes these days?

 

The Open House, a winning classic

The Open House is a proven formula of opening a property to a wide public on a specific day and time. Potential buyers can then freely tour the property, get a feel for the space, and ask questions of the real estate agent in attendance. According to a 2023 study, about 60 percent of real estate agents continue to use Open House as their main strategy for attracting potential buyers, resulting in faster sales than other methods.

 

The benefits of the Open House

• Immersive experience: nothing can replace physically walking inside the house, sensing the space, light and atmosphere, imagining that you are there. Buyers can assess the quality of materials and the context of the environment up close.

 

• Relationship building: interacting directly with potential buyers creates a more personal connection and increases trust, which is critical in the purchase decision. In addition, the real estate agent can answer questions in real time, providing immediate information about property details, costs, and potential negotiations.

 

• Immediate visibility and reduced time on the market: with an open house, you attract multiple potential buyers in a single day. This increases the chances of getting multiple offers and creating a sense of urgency, reducing the property’s time on the market.

The disadvantages

• Time and resources: organizing an Open House requires time the physical presence of the seller or real estate agent and possibly a hostess at the reception.

 

• Unpredictable number of visitors: in some cases, attendance may be lower than expected making the effort either unproductive or higher than expected causing wait times and little customer attention.

 

Virtual Visits: the innovation of the present and the future

Real estate tours have taken a leap forward with the evolution of digital technologies and virtual reality. Through a computer or smartphone, it is possible to explore a property in 3D from the comfort of one’s own home, move freely within rooms, zoom in on details, and obtain additional information.

The advantages of virtual tours

• Unrestricted accessibility of time and place: potential buyers can visit the home whenever they want, without having to physically move. This increases the pool of possible interested parties, including buyers from other cities or countries.

 

• Immersive experience: thanks to 3D technologies, the virtual tour allows for realistic and detailed exploration of rooms. Some tools even allow you to measure spaces or visualize possible structural changes, such as changing the color of walls or moving furniture.

 

• Time optimization: for both real estate agents and potential buyers, virtual visits save valuable time by avoiding site visits for properties that do not truly reflect needs.

 

The disadvantages of virtual visits

• Lack of physical experience: although the technology is very advanced, virtual visits cannot convey certain sensations that are only experienced by physically visiting a property, such as the smell, air quality, or outside noise.

 

• Technology and expertise: in order to make an effective virtual visit, advanced tools must be used, which can incur additional costs. In addition, the quality of the virtual visit depends on the technology used and the quality of the footage.

 

• Impersonal experience: lack of direct interaction with a real estate agent can lose the personal touch that can help convince a potential buyer.

 

The classic visit

The classic real estate visit followed by the real estate agent remains an evergreen. The agent is not merely a middleman, but a professional who provides his skills, his network of contacts and his knowledge of the market to ensure a quick sale at the best price.

Today’s real estate agent is able to use traditional and digital tools. In addition to posting listings on major real estate portals, he can leverage social media and networking to reach a wider audience.

 

The collaboration of technology and human expertise

The combination of digital tools and human expertise is the winning formula for a successful sale. The real estate agent can use the virtual visit as a pre-selection tool, to show the property to a wider audience and generate interest. Subsequently, he can arrange a physical visit to allow interested parties to touch the property and clarify any doubts.

 

The Future of Real Estate Sales is Hybrid

There is no definitive answer as to what the best method of is selling a home; while virtual visits break down the distances, visits with a real estate agent and Open Houses allow for a more complete experience.

 

At Interimmobili, we prefer Open Houses because we believe in the value of the physical, personal experience. The Open House allows potential buyers to fully immerse themselves in the property, perceiving spaces, light and atmosphere in a direct way, something no technology can replace. In addition, face-to-face interaction with our team of professionals builds trust and facilitates faster negotiations. This approach allows us to create a sense of urgency, increasing offers and reducing sales time.no geographic barriers and increase accessibility