When Home Viewings Go Virtual
Home sellers are now able to post their own video tour listing for free on Ohmyhome’s platform, and conduct remote home viewings from the comfort and safety of their homes.
Although property viewings still cannot be done in person after circuit breaker formally ends, homeowners will be able to bring prospective buyers and tenants on a virtual walk-through of their home, thereby saving time. To support them, Ohmyhome offers tips to help make their virtual home tour impactful and attractive.
Prospective buyers will be better able to visualise the property and have a sense of inhabiting the space compared to static images. Not only do video tours benefit users by providing more information before they invest time into physical viewings or starting a conversation with the seller, but also enable buyers to purchase property without the need for traditional physical viewings.
Since the start of the circuit breaker, the company observed a threefold increase in users on its property portal. The surge is a result of sellers and buyers—including DIY users and the company’s in-house agents—turning to remote buying and selling as physical viewings are no longer possible. The technology platform began testing the feature in April, and the first successful transaction with only a virtual viewing happened in under eight days.
Beyond the circuit breaker period, virtual home tours will add value to users as it offers a viable alternative to physical viewings where it might be impractical or inconvenient such as if the user is currently residing overseas. Ohmyhome sees the increase in app usage as a sign that this is a valuable feature that users find helpful. As the world moves forward, virtual home tours are here to stay as it offers an online alternative for sellers to conduct viewings of their property.
Rhonda Wong, CEO and co-founder of Ohmyhome, said: “Many buyers and sellers who are currently looking to buy and sell have made plans since months ago, regardless of the restrictions on physical viewings during Covid-19, and we endeavour to make the process as seamless as possible for them. Ohmyhome will usher in a new era of virtual home showings.”