Digital House Hunting

The coronavirus pandemic has dramatically changed the way we live and work. Therefore, the real estate industry also adopted digital solutions that facilitate property buying and selling. Thanks to technological advancement, customers can now search for homes virtually while sitting at home. Also, prospective buyers can visit many properties online in a short period of time without even leaving their homes.

An Overview of Digital House Hunting

Digital house hunting involves using technology to search for and view properties online. One of its most popular technologies is 360-degree walkthroughs. Using this technology, you can take a virtual tour of the property - a three-dimensional, 360-degree walkthrough that gives you a sense of the property's size and space. Ideally, clients should use a virtual reality (VR) headset for such tours. 

Today, agents, individual home sellers, buyers, landlords, tenants, and even vacation renters (for long staycations) are all opting for an online tour experience of the properties.

Benefits of Digital House Hunting

Convenience

Digital house hunting is far more convenient than in-house visits. This is because you don't need to travel to different places to look for properties. Thus, it saves you time, effort, transportation costs, etc. Also, digital house hunting is available 24/7, so you can search for properties anytime. This is especially beneficial if you have a busy schedule and can't take time off during regular business hours to view properties. ​

Time-Saving

As mentioned, digital house hunting saves time. When you search for properties online, you can quickly and easily narrow down your search based on your specific criteria. This allows you to focus on properties that meet your needs.

For example, if you're looking for a two-bedroom apartment in Bangalore, you can search for properties that meet those requirements. You can also specify other details like the budget, amenities, etc. Only properties that match your criteria will show in the search results, thus saving you time and making it easier to find the right property.

Wide Selection 

Digital house hunting gives you a wider range of properties to choose from. You can access listings from multiple sources, including real estate websites, online classifieds, and social media platforms. In addition, you can check out properties from different regions, cities, and even countries.

Digital house hunting also provides access to properties that may not be available through traditional means. For example, properties that are listed online and not advertised through newspapers or real estate agents.

Easy Comparison

Digital house hunting allows you to compare different properties easily. You can open multiple listings in different tabs and compare the details and features of each property side-by-side. This makes it much easier to identify the properties that best meet your needs and preferences.

In addition, many websites also allow you to save your favourite properties or create a shortlist of properties to compare later. This can be especially useful if you're looking at many different properties and must consult your partner or family before deciding.

Access to Real Estate Professionals

Digital house hunting provides easy access to real estate professionals who can help you find a property. Many real estate websites have chatbots, online forums, or customer service representatives who can answer your questions and provide information about specific properties.

You can also connect with real estate agents directly and send them messages, schedule phone calls, or arrange virtual meetings to discuss the buying or renting process.

Challenges in Digital House Hunting

• It's difficult to understand the natural light or ventilation in the house.
  
• One cannot check the quality of furniture and fixtures in a resale apartment or a furnished house online.
  
• One cannot get a sense of the neighbourhood using virtual mediums. Buyers usually interact with neighbours to learn about them and gather information about the building, which helps in decision-making.
  
• The entire transaction cannot be completed online because the buyer must still visit the website and interact with the sales and customer service teams and the seller. 
  

Although it's easier to view the house virtually, it's best to physically visit the place before finalising the property. Also, when it comes to payments or financial transactions of large amounts, always prefer to meet the person face to face.

Dos and Don'ts of Digital House Hunting

• Always request a live virtual tour rather than a pre-recorded version. Check the kitchen, floorings, bathrooms, and walls for cracks, leakages, etc.
  
• Rely on reputed property websites. Do thorough research on the location and the estimated price of properties in that area.
  
• Check the area's connectivity, distance to your workplace, transportation availability, amenities such as hospitals, schools, shops, etc  and safety, especially at night.
  
• Consider a virtual tour as a first step of home-buying but make your final decision only after a physical inspection of the property.
  
• Check the legal documents of the property.
  

Platforms that Facilitate Digital House Hunting in India

There are several platforms available in India that facilitate digital house hunting. Here are a few popular ones: 

• MagicBricks 
  
• 99acres 
  
• Housing.com 
  
• CommonFloor 
  
• PropTiger 
  
• NoBroker 
  
• NestAway 
  
• Makaan 
  
• Square Yards 
  
• RoofandFloor  
  

It's always a good idea to research multiple platforms to find the one that best fits your needs.

Final Words

Digital house hunting has revolutionised the way we search for and buy homes. The growing popularity of online platforms has made home buying easier and more convenient than ever. However, digital house hunting has a few potential drawbacks, like the risk of fake or inaccurate listings, the inability to truly experience the neighbourhood, and the lack of a personal touch. Therefore homebuyers need to be aware of these potential issues and take the necessary precautions when using such platforms

About PropertyAngel

PropertyAngel is a leading O2O (online-to-offline) second landlord platform. We are a Bangalore-based property management company offering professional property management for individual apartments, houses, and villas. Contact us at (91-80-47095974) or (91-7406484455) if you need guidance on how to invest in the right property in Bangalore.