Virtual viewings - is this the future for lettings?

Will viewing homes remotely become the new normal? In the current climate, if you have an empty or soon-to-be-empty property you may well be worried about finding a new tenant and wondering what your letting agent is doing about it? At Life By Ringley we’ve got the solution to this problem. In the last few weeks, we have adapted quickly to virtual viewings and they are now on offer to all our clients.

In fact, we’re no strangers to the concept. As we’re located in Manchester city centre, we often work with potential tenants who are not from the UK, and to whom we show properties via video link before they travel to the country. So when the lockdown was announced we were a little ahead of the game as we had already made videos of most of our properties. However, like everyone else, we’re on a steep learning curve. The way in which we conduct today’s viewings compared to just three weeks ago is on another level! Our videos are now more like 3D virtual tours and that means we’re able to let properties in a traditional manner, but much more quickly. The virtual process means that we have eliminated the need to travel to and from the property and decisions can be made in an instant.

This, in turn, moves along the applications and the move-in process much more swiftly. All our viewings are conducted via video chat so that a relationship is still created between the potential tenant and the team member. Their questions can be answered there and then without having to allow clients time to watch a video link and then call them back to find out if they are interested in the property. The technology is flexible and easy to use and we are able to show multiple properties within minutes. The time saved at our end is astronomical and the viewer saves time too - which is what we all want. Despite the current health emergency, having mastered the basics of video viewings means we can continue with our day to day business.

Our next challenge is to make videos of the outside of the buildings we let so we can show our customers the exteriors as well as the common areas. That way they get to see the whole of the building. In the future we also plan to include shots of local restaurants, bars and other amenities close by, so that once those businesses are up and running again we can show the lifestyle that the residents could enjoy by living there. So if you do have an empty property to let, maybe think about obtaining your own video and using social media to push it out to the local community. Facebook ads are currently extremely affordable and are what is working best for us at the moment. We truly believe that virtual viewings are the way forward for renters. This technology is something that we will be taking very seriously in the future and investing both time and money to perfect.