GOING VIRTUAL: Remote Home Searching Made Simple

What began as a pandemic phenomenon is here to stay. Experts share advice on how to make it work for you.

by Shaun Tolson

EAL ESTATE transactions evolved during the 2020 lockdown. Buyers relocating to new cities couldn’t travel to see the listings that interested them, so they had to rely on video tours to evaluate prospective homes and often make purchases without ever setting foot in them.

While many aspects of daily life have returned to normal since then, the tools and tactics that supported remote home buying at the height of the pandemic are here to stay. When used effectively, they can streamline your real estate journey, particularly if you’re buying a property far from your current address. Here’s what you need to know.

Long before you virtually tour prospective homes in an out-of-town market, your first step should be to find a knowledgeable agent. “Look for someone with at least 10 years of experience in an area. That way they’ll know all the neighborhoods and the nuances,” advises Kristin Halton, a licensed real estate salesperson for Douglas Elliman and founder of The Halton Group in Newport Beach, California. It’s also wise to find out how many homes they typically sell in a year, she says. “You want someone who’s busy and stirring the pot and making things happen every single day.”

“When you’re buying in a specific neighborhood, you’re also buying a particular lifestyle, so you need and want local knowledge,” says David Siddons, founding sales associate for the David Siddons Group at Douglas Elliman in Coral Gables, Florida. “Otherwise you’ll have someone who doesn’t understand the subtle nuances or the demographic.”

Out-of-town buyers often rely on nationwide reports about the overall state of the market to make their decisions, says Siddons, but such general information can be misleading. News suggesting that the real estate market in a city is softening may not apply to every neighborhood—and putting in a low offer for a thriving area is likely to backfire. “You’ll lose a property that you love just because you didn’t get good counsel,” he says.

Vip Virtual Tour

Arrange a video call via FaceTime, Zoom, or Microsoft Teams with potential agents you’re considering, suggests Halton. “You want to see who you’re working with. It’s important to make sure that your agent really understands you and what you want. You want to establish a rapport and connection. That’s number one.”

You’ll use the same video-driven approach for remote home tours led by your agent. Halton usually begins remote tours for her clients with a video driving and/ or walking tour of neighborhoods they’re considering if prospective buyers aren’t already familiar with them. If they like what they see, she sets up a FaceTime tour of properties in the neighborhood. She recalls a recent tour she gave of a home in a gated community where she started outside the gates. “I actually got in my car and had my phone with me as I drove through the gate. They had never been in the neighborhood before, and once they saw it, they agreed that it was perfect. But they wouldn’t have known that if I hadn’t ‘driven’ them through first.”

It’s also vital to have your representing agent conduct a thorough walk-through tour using video. Don’t rely on pre-produced video tours embedded on a listing’s website, Halton cautions. “When you look at the video walk-through that’s been previously produced, it’s only showing you the best of the best,” she says.

Such videos are usually enhanced by special filters and wide-angle lenses, which can misrepresent the look and feel of a home, according to Siddons. “We live in a world where misdirection is commonplace in videos,” he says.

“It’s the Instagram effect.”

A FaceTime tour led by an experienced agent will depict the features and character of a home honestly and accurately. It allows for close-up views of finishes and details, gives buyers a realistic sense of how the residence flows, and reveals the quality of the natural light. (Make a note of which direction it comes from.) Equally important, it lets a potential buyer ask questions along the way.

“When video tours are done by someone who understands what a buyer is looking for, they’re much more personalized and detailed about what a buyer wants,” says Keren Ringler, a licensed associate real estate broker with Douglas Elliman in New York City. “It brings more value to us as agents because we can really personalize the way we represent the clients and can service them better.”

Hybrid Model

While the entire home-buying process was often remote out of necessity two years ago, options are more flexible today. Many agents encourage prospective buyers to use a hybrid approach: Start your search remotely. Have your agent conduct FaceTime or Zoom tours of properties that pique your interest. Then, when you think you’ve found the right home, see it in person if possible, even if

Siddons says. “For a one-million-dollar house, you’ll want to offer 10 percent.”

Attending the inspection is part of a buyer’s due diligence, according to Huang. “It’s important that the inspector talks to the buyers. Don’t skip that step” and don’t plan to send your agent in your stead, she advises.

“A home is one of the most important and personal purchases you’re ever going to make,” Halton points out. She likens it to choosing the right life partner. If you’re an out-of-towner looking for a new property remotely, your real estate agent is essentially an extension of you as the buyer, guiding you to the right choices. This means that aligning yourself with the right person—an experienced professional who knows the local market and understands your needs—is arguably even more important than it might be for a local transaction. That’s the key to finding a home you’ll love and a happy ending to your real estate journey.