Open houses have been a popular part of the real estate industry. Way before the digital era began, this is how available properties were shown to the market of home buyers and renters.
Property managers, landlords, and real estate agents used to conduct open houses for the properties they are marketing. Home hunters are welcome to enter the property and see it up close. If they like to buy or rent it, they will make an offer. If they don’t, they’ll just leave and probably wait for the next open house. It’s so simple.
However, times have changed and a lot of things have evolved since the rise of technology. Traditional ways now have digital alternatives.
In the real estate industry, property owners and managers have expanded their marketing online because that’s where their target market is. With an easier way of finding properties with just a few clicks on a computer or smartphone, open houses are facing a threat of obsolescence.
Here are a few reasons why open houses might no longer be a landlord’s best option:
It’s inconvenient
An open house takes a lot of time and effort for both landlords and clients.
The landlord would have to spruce up the place, prepare refreshments, print out signage and leaflets, entertain visitors, and clean up afterward.
Attendees, on the other hand, would have to drive all the way to a property with minimal idea on what the property is like.
This wasn’t much of an issue back when there were no digital alternatives like virtual tours or online listings that detail the basic information and photographs of the property.
It’s a safety risk
Opening a property to strangers could lead to criminal acts towards a property, the host landlord, and even open house attendees.
There have been cases where there were stolen possessions from small decors to jewelry and medicine. If caught in the act, it could lead to the thief hurting the host and even the guests.
Other than the possibility of crime, open houses are now a threat to health as well. With the coronavirus pandemic, having a lot of different people in one enclosed area has a high-risk of transmission.
Related article: What Landlords Can Do in the time of COVID-19
Going digital is a more feasible option
Open houses were already becoming outdated though it wasn’t obsolete yet, but when the health crisis hit, it just might completely become a thing of the past.
Going digital is, therefore, a more feasible and more effective marketing move for players in the housing industry:
- Promote your listings where your target market is. Upload visually appealing and informative online listings to platforms like Padleads so that it can extend its reach to the site visitors of high-traffic rental sites.
- Prepare virtual tours, and limit property showings to private and scheduled walkthroughs for strong applicants.
- Perform screening process by utilizing online documents and virtual interviews and verification.