HomeDiary Helps when Disaster Strikes

by Kris Cone | Sep 3, 2021 | Real Estate Info

Wild Fires. Hurricanes. Tornados. Floods.

These are every year occurrences, and it seems like they are getting more prevalent with global warming. This has a direct impact on you and your clients, so how can you (and we) help?

Give the gift of HomeDiary.

HomeDiary is FloorPlanOnline’s homeowner management app that lets people plan and document what’s in their home and what they have done with it. Snap a few photos of each room via the app, and you have a visual record of what is in the home. It only takes a few minutes, but it can save hours, if not days, of work if something should happen and your client loses their home to a disaster. This is a perfect opportunity to coach your clients on how to use technology, and our free app, to document their home. It’s safe, private and secure and the best part is, it is free for them to use, compliments of you!

HomeDiary also includes our 3D Designer, the 2D/3D space planning tool that is included with our virtual tours, so your buyers and sellers can claim the home and get the photos and the 2D/3D floor plans automatically copied into their own private HomeDiary account. It’s a great keepsake for your seller, and it’s a great management tool for your buyer. Even if you did not work with the buyer, they can claim the home from the tour.

FREE Sponsorships!

HomeDiary can also be used by any homeowner. And you can invite all of your clients via your free HomeDiary invite code. It is part of your FloorPlanOnline account and it takes just a few seconds to sync your profile and get your invite code. HomeDiary is free for your clients, and it is free for you to use as well. When they sign up using your special invite code, you also become the sponsor on their HomeDiary account.

The sponsorship is on both our web version as well as our iOS app that works on iPhones and iPads (which makes up about 70% of mobile Internet users. Android users can use our web app via an browser.

As homeowners log the Who Did What, Where, When and for How Much, you will be there, front and center as their site sponsor.

We make it easy to get started:

Just login to your FloorPlanOnline account and go to the Main menu
Select HomeDiary Sponsorship
If you have not already created a HomeDiary account, select Sync Profile – this will sync your profile from FloorPlanOnline over into HomeDiary. You are creating a HomeDiary account through this process, so you can not only use it for the sponsorship, you can use it on your own home too.

Sync your profile to get your personal invite code!

You can even use the invite code and post it to Facebook. If you have a Facebook business page for you as a real estate agent (which you should – it is free and lets you advertise your services on Facebook), you can just click the Facebook share icon and it will pop a share window like you see below. Add some text and post it to your Facebook business page. Once it is posted, Boost the Post and create an ad for a target market area. When people click and sign up, you become their sponsor! Our initial tests created sponsored leads for around $3 a person. So look at what your customer acquisition costs are and leverage the tool to get in front or more people as they manage their home.

With our free sponsorship, you are proving a multi-million home management app to your clients and prospective clients for free. No other tour or home management platform has the robust tools we have, and it is yours, just for being part of the FloorPlanOnline family.

Zillow’s Consumer Report for 2021 Summary

by Kris Cone | Sep 3, 2021 | Listing Tools, Real Estate Info

Zillow just released an update to their consumer report they do annually in the first part of September of 2021. Here is a quick summary as it related to products and services FloorPlanOnline provides.

81% of buyers were more likely to view a listing if it had a floor plan they liked
56% stated they wasted their time with a floor plan layout of the home they did not like
74% think dynamic floor plans (interactive plans like what we offer where you click to see the photo of the space) helps buyers screen homes.
68% think 3D tours help them get a better feel for the space.
61% wish more listings had 3D tours
38% even said they prefer 3D tours over in-person visits and
up to 59% would buy sight unseen. This closely matches what 1000Watt found with the Millennial buyer at 64% willing to buy sight unseen.

With covid, providing as much content as possible online really is in the best interests for your sellers as it is less hassle but more importantly, it is the safest way to show a home, and it can increase the demand pool, and therefore the price (by up to 9% more than market average according to Matterport). Matterport has done their own research – 88% of sellers want to work with agents that offer 3D tours, and 82% would switch agents.

Zillow in past research also found that 84% of buyers think having floor plans as part of an online listing is more important than photos and a video, by almost a 2 to 1 margin. This is why Zillow is pushing their 3D Home app as it attracts more and more users to their site. Redfin understands this as well. So, if you want to compete, you really need a 3D Walkthrough Tour, and you need to make sure it is on your website!

Millennial Renters and Homeownership

by Kris Cone | Sep 1, 2021 | Real Estate Info

We are subscribers to 1000Watts’ Inside Real Estate service and they have provided several research pieces, the most recent one being a report on a survey of 600 Millennial renters and what they want as part of home ownership. While we can’t provide the whole report, here is a summary of some of the key findings.

9 out of 10 Millennials want to own their own home, which has only been cemented deeper during the pandemic
Millennial renters watch the market by watching homes online – 60% do this more than once per week
57% are able to work remotely, 40% are willing to relocate to find an affordable home
31% would buy a home without seeing it, another 34% might buy sight unseen if there was no a way to see it in person. In total, 64% would buy sight unseen under the right circumstances!
Climate change impacts about half of how a buyer things about buying a home too

So the largest buying group (over 60% of buyers are Millennials) have high intent that is portable and not subject to a physical property visit. It sounds like virtual selling tools can work wonderfully here, both for the potential buyer, and for you as the real estate agent that is waiting to be found by these people.

In terms of how often they search, over half search for a new home several times per week.

The report also revealed what features Millennial buyers are looking for, and surprisingly an office space is not at the top of their list:

When it comes time to hiring an agent, a feeling of trust is most important, but other factors include:

Finally social media is important, and the newest, shiniest platform, TikTok, is an opportunity for those that are ready to engage there. Anecdotally, we have heard from a large online media provider that TikTok is killing it for leads as well.

Appointment Dates in Manage Tours

by Kris Cone | Sep 1, 2021 | Real Estate Info, Service Provider

Now your confirmed appointment date and time will show up under Tour Status on the Manage Tours page. In the past, it was only sent via email, and often, people could not find it. When you place an order, your provider will call you to confirm a time and date. If you have a specific time in mind when you place an order, you can add that time by selecting Other and then entering in the exact time for that day.

This goes to the service provider as part of their work order, so they know exactly when you want the appointment. This is not a Confirmed Time until the service provider contacts you to confirm your desired time. Note, we also fixed a bug that did not display the time right on the work order, so we apologize for any past miscommunications as this was recently discovered!

When you and your service provider agree on the exact time and date, the service provider puts that info into our system and it now shows up on the Manage Tours page under Tour Status.If you have a change to the time, it is best to just forward the confirmation email back to support@floorplanonline.com and we can coordinate changes with the service provider. Just provide your new desired time and date and reason for change. Note, changes need to be made outside of 24 hrs of the confirmed appointment to avoid any change fees. At times there may be different things to juggle around and just changing it in the system can be problematic so please reach out to care for changes. .

Spotlight Tour- Week #114

by Christine Cox | Aug 30, 2021 | Spotlight Tours, WA

A True Gem!!!!!

Sammamish, WA

See The Story of This Home

A true gem in scenic Aldarra Estates! Impeccably cared for by original owners, this gorgeous Buchan sits on a unique lot with no neighbors in front or behind. Featuring an amazing floor plan with extensive millwork, coffered & tiered ceilings, stately pillars, Brazilian cherry flrs, & phenomenal main floor guest suite! Primary boasts its own private deck with beautiful Cascade views and sitting area with fireplace. Ensuite with newer frameless shower & a Kerdi system for water proofing. Completely private & beautifully landscaped level back yard with large patio. Dream garage with new epoxy flooring & parking for 3 large vehicles plus 4th bay enhanced with tons of beautiful built-ins & real safe room. New exterior paint in 2020. 2 community parks, one across the street!

Professional HDR photography by Christine C.

If you are interested in listing your home or have questions, please contact:

Leslie Hancock

Windermere Real Estate

14405 SE 36th Street, Suite 10, Bellevue, WA 98006

direct:206-909-4663

office:425-643-5500

425-562-9525

Leslie@TeamHancockRE.com

Spotlight Tour- Week #113

by Christine Cox | Aug 18, 2021 | Spotlight Tours, WA

Tudor Beachfront Chateau!!

Normandy Park, WA

See The Story of This Home

Historic French Normandy style Tudor beachfront chateau greets you with front row panoramic views of the Puget Sound. Built by C. S. Hughett, “This house was considered to be the first built in 1929 according to the plans of the developers.” – While retaining it’s timeless charm, enjoy refurbished master craftsmen details, cobblestone driveway, copper gutters, coved ceilings, slate patio and impressive fireplace. Dine in the sunroom and experience year-round sunsets on your very own shoreline, or around your beachfront fire-pit and take in sights of whales waving and eagles soaring. Unmatched serenity and elegance.

Professional HDR photography by Orhun U.

If you are interested in listing your home or have questions, please contact: