Real estate agents are turning to iPhone apps instead of old fashioned gimmicks like sausage sizzles at open houses / File Source: AAP
REAL estate agents are turning to gimmicks and gadgetry like iPhone apps in an effort to lure buyers.
The tricks have gone from baking bread and brewing coffee just before the start of an open house or setting up a sausage sizzle at an on-site auction to music video clips, iPhone applications and Facebook pages.
George Hadgelias, of Ray White Paddington in Brisbane, said agents needed to be more creative and make full use of a home's features during open house inspections.
"If we are marketing a property with a home theatre or media room we will have live concert videos playing during our opens," he said.
Mr Hadgelias said video was crucial in property marketing.
"Many homes on our listings can be viewed via an online video tour," he said.Chris Hinds, 26, is Australia's youngest RE/MAX principal, setting up RE/MAX Everything Property in Brisbane's CBD. A Gen Y-er, he produces video clips on the properties he has for sale, providing more than a virtual tours.
He said the videos put the property into a "lifestyle setting", profiling not just it but local bars, shops and infrastructure.
"Inner city property is prestigious and should be marketed like fashion or cars," Mr Hinds said.
Technology also is continuing to develop to meet the demands of information-hungry house hunters.
LJ Hooker has introduced an iPhone application that lets potential buyers view property listings and photo galleries, see listings on Google maps and find their nearest LJ Hooker agent direct from their iPhone.
And in an Australian real estate industry first, it comes bundled with SunLocator, which can give potential buyers an insight into how sunny or shady their new home may be.
It lets buyers track the path that sunlight travels over the block on any given day - overlaid on the camera screen of their phone. Predicting a property's sun exposure can help to plan the position of outdoor rooms, clothes lines and even solar panels.
Ray White New Farm has also set up a Facebook page for residents at the luxury Cutters Landing development at Teneriffe in inner-city Brisbane.
"New owners and tenants have become friends of the page and they can post photos about Cutters Landing," Ray White New Farm principal Heatley Cush said.
But sometimes the key to making a sale is ensuring agents are at the top of their game.
Mr Cush said he also kept staff and agents on their toes by using "mystery shoppers" to evaluate performance and "ensure we are always offering the highest standards of service".
For more articles like this one checkout Buying A Rent Roll
No comments:
Post a Comment