House Hunting in Ottawa
While live-stream open houses have been the new way in which home buyers have been viewing homes of interest over the past year and a half, in-person open houses are beginning to make their long-awaited comeback and we could not be more excited! Despite the unpredictability that the last 18 months held, Real Estate in Ottawa not only remained essential, it thrived. It took a hot minute to adapt to the circumstances, but our TEAM at Royal LePage Team Realty managed the new world order with exemplary proficiency.
As we feel things begin to level out again, we are so excited to be able to see our buyers attend Sunday afternoon open houses this fall. Open houses are an excellent marketing tool that allows potential buyers to view homes they have interest in purchasing. As we know that not everyone is ready to return to in-person showings, and as a measure to ensure that everyone has accessible options available to view houses, virtual open houses and 3D tours will remain. Here is an updated list of ways in which you can safely view houses for sale in Ottawa once again.
Getting back to in-person open houses is an exciting time for us all, but it will come with its own set of guidelines to follow. Attendees will be required to wear a mask, perform regular hand hygiene, enter one at a time, sign in, and remain socially distanced. Contact the agent to ensure you book your time-slot appropriately, and be respectful of the agent and other prospective buyers looking to view the property. While there will definitely be some muscle memory that our team will be working off of, adapting to the changes can be difficult at times.
As a response to the provincial restrictions, Royal LePage Team Realty introduced Virtual Open Houses in the spring of 2020. As the health and safety of our clients, communities, families and friends is of concern, we wanted to ensure the safest possible ways to buy and sell houses was available to meet the unprecedented demand on the Ottawa Real Estate market. Our REALTORS®, photographers, and stagers continue to collaborate to showcase homes virtually with the innovative game-changing technologies available to them.
By live-streaming your open house, viewers have the option to ask questions during the viewing, or request to take a different angle to view certain areas of the home. Just as with in-person open houses, a time is agreed upon by the selling agent and their client. The REALTOR ® will enter the home to engage with prospective buyers and their representatives, all online, giving out any and all information needed to move forward.
Working alongside professional photographers and videographers, we pre-record a high-quality video tour to showcase your home. With this method, we are sure to highlight the exceptional features of your home, giving potential buyers a captivating view of what the home has to offer. The home would be staged similarly to how we would a traditional open house, ensuring the lighting is optimal and possessions are tucked and stored away. The pre-recorded open house allows buyers to view your home multiple times and at their own convenience.
Having your agent set up an interactive 3D walk-through tour will allow buyers an immersive experience as they move through the home at their own pace, taking measurements and visually inspecting the home. With a detailed floor plan, buyers can view the home as if they are inside. This feature compliments in-person, live streamed, and pre-recorded open houses as a take-home visual to refer back to at any given time.
While we are so excited to get back into conducting in-person open houses, the virtual options have opened the market up to buyers all over the world and won’t be going away any time soon. Buying a home is easier than it has ever been with all the tools and technology streamlining the process. For a list of open houses on Ottawa MLS, use the search function and explore as many homes as you want in an afternoon. For any questions or further information on listings that stand out to you, reach out to your Royal LePage Team Realty agent today.