Last year ended with Realtors pointing the finger of blame to the “Polar Vortex,” a historical relationship between abnormal weather and housing, for the drop in housing sales and rentals. However, in 2015, according to Trulia, “January’s unusually cold weather probably had only a marginal effect on the housing market.”
The housing market has been shifting out of rapid recovery and into a more stable phase that economists are calling the new normal, and this could be partially due to the increase in millennial homebuyers.
Ideally, we’d like to keep it this way. By staying up-to-date with the latest trends in technology, the likelihood is increased that you will be on top of your selling game. After scouring the Web, I have found four top apps that will aid in the selling and renting of homes in the era of the millennials.
Selling
Just because home prices are still recovering from the previous years and interest rates are still low, it doesn’t mean sellers are in the driver’s seat entirely. Today’s homeowners are a picky, recession-scarred bunch, and they want to get value for their money. Sellers have to tend to those needs and prepare their homes for the process, with the help of the latest apps, of course, and you can be the one to recommend that time-saving app.
1. MagicPlan
Potential homebuyers often arrive at a showing and are unable to envision its full potential, especially if they desire to renovate or do a few touch-ups here and there. The app, MagicPlan, does all the heavy lifting for you by creating a floor plan of the house.
Although not everyone feels the need to buy a house, tear it up and puzzle-piece it back together again, as an agent you can utilize the app to create a layout close at hand. Instead of whipping out a tape measure to measure the spaces, you’ll have what you need in one place.
The app takes a photo as you walk through the home and automatically maps out each room based on the images and produces a quality floor plan for you. Let’s not forget how impressed your customers will be when you have done all the “dirty” work for them.
2. Houzz
When trying to sell a home, real estate experts will often advise that in order to grab onto the attention of your buyers you need to give a little, to get a lot. In other words, by making a few renovations, you will increase the value of your client’s home.
Imagine walking into a house for sale and rooms are dimly lit, or there are cracks in the bathroom tiles. Small details will turn any prospects away, as first impressions count immensely in the decision of the homebuyers. Many of us are not gifted with the finesse of interior design, but there are apps that can help to spruce up your humble abode.
Houzz, for example, helps to see what a home could look like with a little effort before putting it on the market. The app becomes a source of inspirations as it provides the latest trends and ideas to your fingertips.
Renting
When renting out your home, your clients want their guests to feel as comfortable as possible, and more and more homeowners who rent out their places are concerned with how “Airbnb-able” a potential property might be. Many of them might take lengthy vacations or buy a second home.
Larger real estate investors will look at getting in the short-term rental market versus the traditional long-term rental market. Taking all this into account, there are some advanced apps that ensure your clients’ home occupants are content and comfortable, no matter how short-lived their stay, and your clients know what’s happening at home.
1. Nest Thermostat
Landlords or homeowners, who are often away and not able to monitor temperatures at the home, can use the Nest to monitor and control the climate at home, to make sure that their tenants are warm enough or not using too much electricity.
Especially if the renters come when you are out of town, you can regulate the temperature, so there is no stale air lingering around. The Nest programs itself to set optimal temperatures, or you can manually adjust things from your smartphone and save energy for homeowners by up to 20 percent per month
2. SkyBell
The key priority of any landlord or Airbnb host is security. At any time, a complete stranger could approach your home — thankfully, there are several home security options. Take, for example, SkyBell, a “smart” doorbell and security camera via a smartphone app.
The homeowner can instantly watch a video feed of the guest at the door via a smartphone app, and also speak back at them with a greeting. SkyBell also has a motion sensor so that you can view who’s in front of your house without them having to push the doorbell button.
These apps provided are just a taste of what is out there, it’s up to you to get ahead of the times and take advantage of all these stepping stones in the selling and rental markets.
Amiad Soto is the CEO and co-founder of Guesty. He loves traveling, extreme sports and working on cool ideas.