SANTA CLARA, Calif.,
April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/
-- Realtor.com® today announced the availability of
Livestream Open Houses, enabling home shoppers to virtually attend
live open houses from the comfort of their own home. As COVID-19
continues to limit social interactions and group gatherings
including open houses, realtor.com® is working closely
with MLSs to enable listing agents to show homes safely while
practicing social distancing.
Just like traditional open houses, Livestream Open Houses allow
listing agents to show home shoppers around the property in real
time. Open house attendees will be able to drop in at any time
during the open house to hear about the listing and have a look
around. Unlike virtual tours, these events are scheduled in advance
and broadcasted live so consumers can interact with the agent, ask
questions and request to see specific home features up close.
"While virtual tours are a great resource for consumers, most
home shoppers still want the opportunity to walk through a home
with an agent and ask questions in real time," said Ryan Green, vice president, product management,
realtor.com®. "Especially during this time of social
distancing, realtor.com®'s Livestream Open Houses will
give agents the opportunity to showcase their properties, and will
allow consumers the ability to still explore a home through a live
online experience from the safety of their own homes."
A recent consumer survey from realtor.com® and Toluna
Insights found that with access to accurate listing data, detailed
photos, virtual and live video tours, 24 percent of people (and 29
percent of 18-34 year-olds) would be willing to buy a home without
seeing it in person. Further, 21 percent of people agree that
COVID-19 has made them more likely to move into a home without
stepping foot in it first.
At launch, Livestream Open Houses will support a number of video
platforms including Google Hangouts, Zoom, join.me and Zoho, with
additional platforms to be added over time. Real estate agents can
choose which video platform works best for their needs.
Livestream Open Houses are now available on
realtor.com®'s web and mobile web experiences in
available geographic areas. Home shoppers can select the time that
works best for their schedule and join via the Open House section
of a for sale property listing or by searching for properties with
upcoming open houses.
Realtor.com® is dedicated to supporting the community
and helping to ease the home transaction process as much as
possible during COVID-19. To learn more, visit:
https://www.realtor.com/covid-19/
About realtor.com®
Realtor.com®
makes buying, selling and living in homes easier and more rewarding
for everyone. Realtor.com® pioneered the world of
digital real estate 20 years ago, and today through its website and
mobile apps is a trusted source for the information, tools and
professional expertise that help people move confidently through
every step of their home journey. Using proprietary data science
and machine learning technology, realtor.com® pairs
buyers and sellers with local agents in their market, helping take
the guesswork out of buying and selling a home. For professionals,
realtor.com® is a trusted provider of consumer
connections and branding solutions that help them succeed in
today's on-demand world. Realtor.com® is operated by
News Corp [Nasdaq: NWS, NWSA] [ASX: NWS, NWSLV] subsidiary Move,
Inc. under a perpetual license from the National Association of
REALTORS®. For more information, visit
realtor.com®.
Media Contact:
Nicole
Murphy, nicole.murphy@move.com
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SOURCE realtor.com