Every weekend, real estate agents across America dutifully advertise, set up and host Open Houses for their clients; and every weekend, an average of only 5 to 10 people, few of whom are even interested in buying these homes, show up. It’s an incredibly inefficient process, but no real alternative has existed; until now.
www.openhousebroadcast.com is about to dramatically change the way real estate is marketed, by “opening” the Open House to interested buyers across the country, and even around the world.
Created by Washington state-based Naval Officer and Realtor® Dominique Ramirez, www.openhousebroadcast.com moves the Open House from the neighborhood into cyberspace, allowing potential buyers anywhere on earth to tour any and every room in a home, ask questions of the agent and see everything as if they were visiting the house in person.
“According to the NAR®‘2007 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers,’ 48 percent of prospective buyers use Open Houses as a source of information and 57 percent of sellers reported that their Realtor® used an Open House to market their property. However, less than 1 percent of Open Houses actually result in a sale,” explains Ramirez. “By conducting the Open House over the internet, the Realtor® can specifically target interested buyers, substantially increase the ‘virtual foot traffic’ that an Open House creates, and increase the percentage of Open Houses that result in a sale.”
The technology necessary to conduct an Open House Broadcast is amazingly simple. The agent only needs a broadband internet connection, wireless router, laptop, and a webcam. They might have an assistant carry the computer and camera as they walk visitors through the house and describe its features, but this is not necessary.
The process is equally simple for prospective buyers. After logging onto the website and entering search parameters for their ideal home, they will receive a list of Open Houses including the time zone, time, and date. At the appointed time, they log in again and “attend” each Broadcast that interests them from the comfort of their own home or office.
Of course, Open Houses are about more than selling a specific home – quite often they are about giving exposure to Realtors® and allowing them to network with potential clients. www.openhousebroadcast.com serves that need as well, providing real estate professionals with a worldwide showcase for their talents. Would-be sellers anywhere in the world can see them in action and ask them questions, just as they would at a traditional Open House. Would-be buyers can ask to be shown similar properties in the area. Additionally, buyers and sellers can request one on one live video Home Tours of properties they are interested in or even watch previously recorded Open Houses that they missed.
With 84 percent of home buyers using the internet to search for homes, the time is right for the Open House to make the move to cyberspace. www.openhousebroadcast.com promises to bring the tired, inefficient “house tour” into the 21st century, revolutionizing the Real Estate industry, and the customer’s house shopping experience.
Contacts:
Dominique A. Ramirez, 425-377-5242
dominique@domusinnovations.com
