Here\u2019s what you need to know about touring a home remotely.<\/p>\n To take part in a remote home tour, all you need is an agent local to the area where you would like to buy and the ability to communicate through an online platform.<\/p>\n To enable you to see the home, your agent will walk through the house for you with a cell phone, using FaceTime, Zoom, Skype, or another video chat service, showing you the house one-on-one. The National Association of Realtors<\/a> says that software like Immoviewer<\/a>, which offers video tours, and BombBomb<\/a>, which offers video check-ins, are also becoming popular options for remote home tours.<\/p>\n As you remotely tour the home, you\u2019ll be able to ask your agent questions, and your agent will be your eyes and ears, checking all the nooks and crannies of the home so you can gather the information you need to decide whether you want to move forward with a purchase.<\/p>\n Because you won\u2019t be able to tour the home in person, it\u2019s extremely important to have an agent you trust \u2014 and whose opinion you value. It\u2019s also a great idea to work with an agent who knows the area where you want to move intimately because an agent with in-depth knowledge of the area will know certain things about the neighborhood you won\u2019t be able to gather during a remote home tour, like if the home is in a noisy flight path or located near a busy road.<\/p>\n Before you settle on an agent, you\u2019ll want to make sure that they have a strong idea of what you\u2019re looking for in a home. Has your agent listened closely enough to know that having a fenced-in yard for your dog is much more important to you than having a second full bath, for example?<\/p>\n \u201cI do a detailed needs analysis with all of my buyers, whether they are buying remotely or not,\u201d says Linda Devlin<\/a>, a top real estate agent in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen your agent does an analysis upfront, she can dial in on the parameters that are important to you and make the best use of everyone\u2019s time.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Your agent will be your boots on the ground, helping you figure out which home is right for you, and that means they need to be dedicated to finding the perfect fit.<\/p>\n When you\u2019re ready to begin your online home search<\/a>, your agent will get you access to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS<\/a>), which has all the most up-to-date information about homes currently for sale. \u201cWe send virtual buyers the portal ahead of time so they can review the property,\u201d explains Mike Sobh<\/a>, an experienced real estate agent in Wayne County, Michigan.<\/p>\n As you review the MLS<\/a>, look carefully at listings. You\u2019ll want to read the descriptions, study all the photos and videos, familiarize yourself with the home\u2019s features and attributes, and ask your agent to pull comparable listings (comps<\/a>) for the homes you like best so you can get a sense of what they are selling for right now.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve decided on one or more homes to tour remotely, get your hands on the floor plans, if possible; they\u2019ll help you navigate these remote tours more effectively. \u201cThe biggest thing about virtually touring<\/a> a home is to do your homework on the property,\u201d says Sobh.<\/p>\n Devlin says she likes to make sure her clients are prepared by sending them all the disclosures that are available for the property. \u201cThat way buyers are armed with information about important aspects of the property, like the kind of heating and cooling system it has.\u201d<\/p>\n Before you decide to have your agent walk through the home while virtually showing it to you, see if you can first attend the home\u2019s virtual open house. Listing agents will sometimes offer this service, and it can give you the opportunity to walk through a house remotely.<\/p>\n This won\u2019t be the same as a remote home tour; you\u2019ll be part of an audience with other buyers instead of one-on-one \u2014 but it\u2019s still a great chance to get a peek at the home and see if you want to pursue it further.<\/p>\n If you can\u2019t catch the live virtual open house, see if it\u2019s recorded and posted online, such as on the listing agent\u2019s Facebook page (often, they\u2019re recorded as Facebook Live events that can be viewed later) or directly on the MLS listing.<\/p>\n While you attend the virtual open house, pay attention and take notes so you can talk to your agent about whether the house is a good fit for you.<\/p>\n If you like the house and want to learn more, schedule a remote home tour with your agent. \u201cIf a client is interested in a specific property, we will then set up a virtual tour through an online platform like Facetime, Zoom, or even Facebook Messenger,\u201d says Sobh. Devlin adds that the platform through which you participate in the virtual home tour is \u201cthe client\u2019s choice.\u201d<\/p>\n Typically, your agent will be the one walking you through the house \u2014 and ideally, they won\u2019t be accompanied by anybody else, including the seller or listing agent, just like if you were attending the home tour in person.<\/p>\n And just like an in-person tour, the same rules apply during a remote home tour: show up on time so you\u2019re not wasting the agent\u2019s or seller\u2019s time \u2014 or yours.<\/p>\n Your agent can give you more details about the house, but this is one of your best opportunities to learn everything you can about the home. During your virtual tour, ask your agent to open cabinets and drawers, give you feedback on whether the floors squeak, how it smells, and whether you can hear street noise from inside the house.<\/p>\n \u201cI make sure to point out all the little things that are wrong<\/a>, so when they have their inspection, they know what to pinpoint and what questions to ask,\u201d says Sobh. He says he absolutely makes sure to point out any make-or-break issues, such as \u201ccracks in the foundation, mold under the sinks, cracks in the ceiling, or shingles on the roof that appear raised.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy job is to be forthcoming about what I am noticing,\u201d says Devlin. \u201cI show them all aspects of the home. I make sure they can see the floors and walls and get a glimpse of the roof. I show them the windows and let them know if they\u2019re easy to open. I show them the appliances and let them know if they are included.<\/p>\n \u201cMy job isn\u2019t as an inspector, but I can highlight things that they should be aware of and advise on what they should get a professional to look at in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n You will want to make sure you\u2019re following up on any questions or concerns you have after remotely touring the house, and if you\u2019re on a tour for 30 minutes or more (which is distinctly possible), you might forget some of the questions that arose during the beginning of the tour \u2014 so take notes.<\/p>\n You may even consider recording the call or asking your agent to take videos of certain parts of the house so you can study them later. \u201cOne great thing about a virtual tour is you can always refer back to it later,\u201d Sobh points out.<\/p>\n You might decide that the house is perfect, but you\u2019ll want to make sure that the neighborhood is a good fit for you, too. Researching some aspects of the neighborhood can easily be done online, such as checking crime rates or your state\u2019s sex offender registry to see if any offenders live nearby.<\/p>\n Other issues are harder to pinpoint online, and that\u2019s where your agent comes in. Do the neighbors have a barking dog? Is there an unsightly building down the street? You can check Google Street View<\/a>, but that can\u2019t replace the value of having your agent scope out the neighborhood in person. \u201cI always drive around the neighborhood for my clients,\u201d says Sobh.<\/p>\n Devlin says that one of the lenders she works with provides a report with detailed information on the property, including its walkability factor and the amenities in the area. \u201cIt\u2019s a nice report that we can provide to our clients to give them a written outline of what is local.\u201d<\/p>\n She adds, \u201cif they want something more in-depth, I\u2019ll go into the area and highlight what is nearby.\u201d<\/p>\n After you\u2019ve toured the home remotely and done your due diligence on the neighborhood, follow up with your agent to talk about whether you think this house will be a fit for you (it\u2019s probably best not to discuss this during the home tour itself).<\/p>\n![\"Figure](\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/remote-home-tours-how-to-666x381.png\")
<\/a>How a remote home tour works<\/h2>\n
Work with a qualified agent<\/h3>\n
Research homes in advance<\/h2>\n
![\"Go](\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/remote-home-tours-open-house-666x381.png\")
<\/a>Attend a virtual open house if you can<\/h2>\n
Schedule your remote home tour<\/h2>\n
![\"Make](\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/remote-home-tours-pay-attention-666x381.png\")
<\/a>Pay close attention<\/h2>\n
Take notes while you tour<\/h2>\n
![\"Check](\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/remote-home-tours-neighborhood-666x381.png\")
<\/a>Have your agent show you the neighborhood, too<\/h2>\n
After the virtual tour, follow up<\/h2>\n