Hands up if you’ve been guilty of peeking at the property marketing materials for a neighbour/ex/collegue’s home?
No need to be shy – online property peeking is becoming something of a national pastime, and spending a lot of time getting to know the market in and around your area can stand you in great stead when the time comes to buy or sell.
So if you’ve just raised a hand you know are not alone – a survey last year actually revealed that one person in three admits to accessing property marketing materials out of curiosity about a the sellers home and lifestyle.
Want to Keep Real Estate Marketing Materials Private?
And while a harmless peek at an acquaintance’s home listing might be just that, harmless, there are situations in which sellers may wish to limit access to some or all of their property marketing materials.
While having property photography, virtual tours and floor plans online is usually a great way to allow potential buyers to familiarise themselves with your home for sale, for some sellers offering this level of access to information about their personal space is uncomfortable.
Celebrity Home Listings Examined
For example, in the case of celebrity homes, where marketing is often quickly picked up by the entertainments press with property photography and listing details spread across the gossip pages for all to see – we’ve even done it ourselves here at Photoplan because who can resist the urge to see how the other half lives?!
While this level of exposure could be seen by some as free marketing, it is unlikely that many of the consumers the articles using the property marketing materials are connecting with have the wherewithal to actually purchase these properties, while buyers with a serious interest in the prime end of the market could be easily put off by a home’s over exposure
Prime Property Targeted by Thieves
Another problem with offering free access to prime property marketing materials is that these can provide a level of detail on the home’s layout that may be undesireable for both the current an future owners, as wealthier homeowners can be targets for con artists, thieves and scammers.
With this in mind, New Zealand property marketing company Open2view.com have developed a home selling system that allows sellers and their agents to exercise complete control over who can see their property marketing materials.
New System Protects Sellers’ Privacy
Called Private Viewing , the system has been developed to ensure that legitimate buyers can be given easy access to interior images, virtual tours and other information, while still protecting the sellers privacy.
The company’s MD Chris Bates explained: “Private Viewing is ideal for agents with sensitive clients who do not wish for their property to be viewed by the wider public. This means they can still have professional photos, Floor Plans, videos and more, while having ultimate control over who gets to see the listing.”
