Virtual reality is making the world of real estate a smaller place for international buyers looking for home across the globe. VR visionary, Miami Coldwell Banker agent Nick Quay, shows us how.
What if the best buyer for your home lives across the globe? For many markets, like the Miami area where Coldwell Banker agent Nick Quay lives and works, this is often the reality. So, Nick considers the global buyer as an integral part of the marketing program for every home he lists. But, he takes catering to a global buyer to the next level using 3D Virtual Tours, allowing buyers from around the world to visit his client’s properties without any of the travel.
Most recently, Nick used a 3D Virtual Tour to sell a penthouse property on Williams Island to a buyer from France. We asked Nick to share his secrets for attracting global buyers and why a mystery man named Matteo is his right-hand man. Here’s what Nick said:
On Matteo, the 3D Wingman
I named my 3D Virtual Tour camera system Matteo because he’s become such a huge part of my business and how I create a buzz for my properties. I was the first agent I know of in Miami to own a Matterport camera, which is a 3D camera that can scan an area and allow a viewer to experience it in virtual reality, so they feel as though they’re actually standing in the penthouse of a Miami hi-rise instead of their home in Europe. Being able to provide an open house experience on the fly to anyone literally anywhere in the world has drastically improved my potential buyer pool over the last few years. This, coupled with high end professional photography and modern promo videos, enable me to sell my listings for higher per square foot prices and much faster than other local agents.
It’s always interesting to see how people react when I show up to a listing presentation with a military grade hard case with large loud snaps on it. When they ask what’s in the box sometimes I say “ohh this? It’s just Matteo” just to get a laugh and break the ice a bit.
Making the Global Sale
Matteo played a big role in the sale of a penthouse property last week on Williams Island in South Florida. The cash buyer from France was able to bring his family, designer, and contractor into the unit to experience it for themselves by simply sharing a link to the 3D virtual tour of the home. Being able to understand the space, walk around the corners, view the marina and pool area, and even experience the gorgeous Miami sunsets were all crucial elements of the decision-making process. I was even able to provide new floor plans with measurements so the buyer knew what furniture or art would fit nicely in the home. I think it’s awesome technology and create 3D Virtual Tours for all of my listings.
Why Virtual Reality?
The fun for me is in the storytelling process and how I’m able to kick it up several levels by adding information into the experience that will hopefully create an emotional bond for the buyer. My sellers love it. But, even better, I attribute virtual reality to sight-unseen offers from out of town and foreign buyers. With VR, not only am I able to show buyers both locally and from afar, but I can also showcase the demand for the property by showing a seller analytics on view trends of a particular home’s virtual tour.
Virtual reality is playing a bigger and bigger role in global real estate, bringing buyers inside their new home an ocean away. Consider speaking to your local real estate agent about creating a 3D Virtual Tour of your home to help attract international buyers.