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As we’ve seen in Victoria over the past 4 months, the housing market never stops, even under challenging conditions. While 2020 has undoubtedly created a turbulent climate for buyers and sellers alike, with a little creativity and a solid understanding of buyer needs it is possible to sell your home under any circumstance.

Just ask David Wood of Belle Property Albert Park, the selling agent behind The Block contestants Daniel and Jade’s Brighton, Victoria home this season.

“As digital transformation and COVID-19 shapes the way we interact with all facets of our lives, the importance of a compelling virtual listing campaign has never been greater,” he says.

Although the experience of an in-person open home can’t be replicated, 2020’s limitations on house inspections and social distancing requirements have demonstrated the need to diversify the toolkit sellers rely on to capture the attention, hearts and minds of prospective buyers through mobile channels.

“Just like in a regular home inspection, one of the most important considerations in a virtual sales campaign is complementing emotion with practicality. Structural, technical, and functional considerations like surface finishes or heating and cooling systems are how a buyer can ‘move themselves in’ but the emotional resonance that comes from the character of the home and the appeal of the surrounding area is typically what makes the buyer want to live there in the first place. One is rarely achievable without the other,” says David.

Here are some of the key selling points you can use to sell homes outside of the physical inspection:

Listing video

A great listing video should capture the attention of the viewer straight away, delivering a powerful, emotional cue while also showcasing the character of the home. During the Domain listing challenge on The Block, the judges specified three key criteria that they sought for an exceptional listing video:

• Whet the appetite of potential buyers and make them want to walk through the door
• Establish an emotional connection – something that makes the buyers want to live in the home you’re presenting
• Capture attention for your listings and stand out amongst the competition

South Australian couple Daniel and Jade’s listing video exemplified this, drawing on local shots of the Brighton beaches and aerial views of the leafy suburb to capture the tone of the area, a strong emotional message about the centrality of family to the design, and a montage of room shots that backed up this family friendly message.

Agent David Wood says, “The video did a great job of capturing the heart of the home while also clearly demonstrating its functional liveability – from the subtle kitchen appliance detail shots and a pan-through of the open plan living space to capture the easy flow of the design, to the tranquillity of the parents retreat and truly authentic and emotive voice-overs.”

“I think it was a smart decision to keep Daniel and Jade out of the walk-through shots and instead leave the house to speak for itself – it makes it easier for a prospective buyer to insert themselves into the picture,” adds David.

Floorplan

With home inspections restricted, a solid floorplan is the key to unlocking the potential of a home to prospective buyers. Dimensions, door arcs, installed appliances and even minor details like light fittings or power-points are vital inclusions that allow buyers to plan their own lives within the home.

Particularly now, syncing the floorplan in virtual listings with corresponding room shots can create a sense of scale, light, and design within the simplistic floorplan layout.

On this, David comments, “one of the standout features that elevated Daniel and Jade’s The Block listing challenge video entry above the competition was their inclusion of a floorplan. This is a clever way to bridge the functional and the emotional by placing walkthrough footage and room shots in the context of the structural design.”

Interactive layouts

Belle Property extensively use floorplans as the foundation for novel listing features that bring life to a home.

This includes the ‘Furnishing’ platform through partner, Diakrit, which allows viewers to select and place items of furniture – to scale – across the floorplan to give a sense of how their own furniture could fit within the space.

Additionally, Belle Property offers a 3D render of the floorplan which can further elevate the perception of the home and give it a sense of scale and texture.

Panoramic shots

Through advances in VR and mobile technology, sellers can recreate their home through 360^o VR tours of their home through panoramic photography. Much like the street view function of Google Maps, this allows viewers to navigate themselves through rooms and inspect every corner of a property from the comfort of their own home.

“Given the context of this season of The Block, taking place during intense Victorian lockdowns thatmay well limit the number of inspections that take place, Daniel and Jade would be wise to use a360^o panoramic photography service to capture each of their rooms once the property is completed and showcase them online.”

More advice and tips on getting ready to sell, head to our blog or reach out to a local Belle property expert to discuss your property needs.