It’s a fun new way to tour multiple properties or your entire city in one afternoon!

If you’ve continued to look for a property in recent weeks, you’ve probably self-toured some homes in 360 degrees and watched some agent-guided video walk-throughs. Neither of these qualifies as a Live Virtual Open House. Both, however, can be included as part of the event (which is the operative word).

Live Virtual Open Houses are scheduled events. They start at specific times. They can be added to -- and launched from – your online calendar. They get streamed via ZOOM (or another platform) and feature a host who is live on location. The host presents the property to multiple remote viewers whose cameras are usually off and mics muted. This is so everyone sees only the host and the home. Viewers ask questions via Chat. The host walks through the home, answers questions and can cut to slideshows and video segments.

Live Virtual Open Houses are brand new to most of us, although they’ve been used to sell luxury properties across oceans and continents for a few years. Who knows what they’ll look like in the months to come!

Good staging can help sell your home faster for a higher price! Check out these eight tips we researched on how to stage your backyard for the best return when selling.

1. Stage it so they linger
Set up your backyard and deck as you would to entertain visitors: Clean, cozy and inviting! Don’t clutter it, but keep some comfortable, stylish patio furniture in place so prospects can relax for a moment here. You want them to linger.

2. Paint!
Fresh paint on your deck and fence are going to pay dividends! Even if the new owners prefer other colours, it doesn’t matter. Brand new paint is the cleanest, most up-to-date statement you can make in your backyard. Anything else says “we’re not ready to sell.”

3. Zone it
Remove everything from your yard. Yes, everything. Next, put your best outdoor furniture and accessories back out there, but create several zones for suggestive lifestyle vignettes.

4. Grow something
Buy some plants and flowers to suit your space and get them out on display. Flowers add colour and plants -- more than anything else -- bring vitality to outdoor spaces.

5. Cover the patio
Those patio lanterns! In attached homes, you’re often staging a small patio space not a full-size yard. Optimize it for romantic sunset dinners or casual entertaining. A roof-style cover can add intimacy and define a comfortable space.

6. De-clutter the balcony
The best balconies are about the view. Don’t get in the way with too much staging. Help buyers imagine themselves relaxing on a lounge chair with a book or sharing a bottle of wine across a small table for two. If the view is amazing, show off the balcony as much as possible from inside.

7. Install new lighting
During late evening showings, your backyard can look spectacular with the right lighting. During the day, it won’t shine so bright, but brand new, contemporary lighting fixtures are still going to impress buyers and show off the yard.

8. Stage for active lifestyles
If you’re moving somewhere you can use it, buy a high-end BBQ and stage a gleaming outdoor kitchen concept with the grill, a food prep island and a bar. Or, if your ideal buyers are certain to be young families with kids, leave swings in place or set up a brand new volleyball net.

Seemingly overnight, the world has changed. Some people are still meeting with agents and attending showings in person, but many aren’t.

If you want to sell your home or buy a new property right now, check out these new tech-powered ways to

1) stay safely connected and

2) list and tour properties virtually.

Connect with your agent live, online!
If you’re serious about buying or selling, please reach out to us! We send you this email newsletter every month to keep you on top of what’s happening. For conversations about listing and viewing properties, try video conferencing! On your computer or smartphone, go to Facebook Live, Skype, WhatsApp, Zoom or Teams and you’ll find easy instructions to get started. It’s the new normal for most real estate agents.

Once we’ve had a chance to chat, it’s easy for us to send you links to property listings and contact information for other professionals like mortgage brokers and lawyers. They, too, are staying connected online. And, yes, it’s all e-documents and sign-offs now to get the deal done when the time is right. Let’s stay safely connected. Please don’t hesitate to ask for assistance.

Tour properties virtually in cyberspace
The pandemic has increased the popularity of virtual tours exponentially and there probably won’t be any turning back. That’s because

1) They let you view many properties online (virtual tours are becoming standard) before you zero in on the very best ones to visit in person (cutting down on driving time) and,

2) They’re getting better and better in terms of quality.

Basic 360s shot on smartphones look ok, but not great (lighting is often an issue and the views can seem weirdly stretched and distorted), but they can give you an idea of a space.

Virtual tours using more advanced software from companies like Matterport and RoOomy offer a premium user experience that’s entertaining and even addictive. Using advanced 3D modelling, the very best online tours now feature “virtual staging” where you can see how the same property might look with several different interior designs, furniture and accessories.

In some cases today, you can even click to buy the latest furnishings via e-commerce! With high resolution imagery and even background music, the best of the virtual tours really have become the future of real estate.