Contactless real estate showings

All over the world, people are sharing images that we never thought we’d see. In New York City, an empty Times Square. In cities like London, Rome, Paris, and Beijing, the streets which are usually filled with thousands of locals and tourists every day are now empty.

There’s a shift in daily practices. With the closing of non-essential businesses in cities across the United States, there’s an increased demand for delivery workers, online order fulfilment, and video conferencing tools. There’s also a need for a new way to manage an age-old practice: real estate showings.

They don’t usually stop for anything. There are always people in need of a home, and now is no exception. So real estate agents, renters, and buyers are all facing the same question; how do we safely continue showing homes to the people that need them?

Some are resorting to a fully digital solution, virtual showings. Companies like Zillow offer virtual home touring solutions built-in.

But there’s another solution that’s growing in popularity - solo tours. These tours help cut down on unnecessary costs associated with conventional home showings and let real estate agents and brokers maximise the number of showings in a day.

More than ever, people are going to visit properties in isolation. The most important component to reducing the transmission of COVID-19 is decreasing the interaction between people. For the safety of both agents and buyers, continuing to have showings with multiple people is not an option.

So, to flatten the curve, people are turning to the technology that can make a real-life showing possible: smart locks.

Here’s how:

No installation woes

The igloohome Keybox 3 is designed for hassle-free property showings and leasing. It comes with all the benefits of a smart lock coupled with the mobility of a lockbox.

The Keybox 3 comes with dual shackles for increased versatility, and can easily be moved to a different location whenever needed.

Grant remote access

The most obvious advantage to using a smart lock is that access can be granted to clients from anywhere. There's no need for an in-person key exchange prior to a showing.

You can do on-the-go sharing of access for different people for immediate & scheduled viewings.

The igloohome app lets you generate time-sensitive PIN codes for different clients anytime you need to. You can send these PIN codes via text, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and more. You won't need to be next to the lock to do so, neither will your clients need to download an additional app just to receive access to the property.

Enhanced security

So what, you say, I can put a regular lockbox out there and share the code. True, you can technically do this.

Buyers and renters can open the lockbox and enter the property alone. However, this solution poses a serious security risk.

Once one person has the code, they can unlock the property until the code is manually changed. That would require a trip out to the lockbox. We want to avoid all that.

With a one-time PIN, you can share access that works once. When the buyer leaves the house, they can’t enter it again.

Know who stopped by

Want to know if Sally actually came by? Agents and property owners can see all that with the activity log in the igloohome app. Know which codes were used and when.

This puts property owners at ease, and also allows agents to have a comprehensive view of all visits.

The touch-free keypad

Houses have many high touch surfaces, and the movement of multiple people in a property can pose a risk. In addition to ensuring surfaces are disinfected, potential buyers should wear gloves and a cloth mask in public.

To reduce touchpoints, clients can be issued Bluetooth keys to unlock the Keybox 3 or smart lock with their smartphones. Not only does this lower their interaction with surfaces, it's also a convenient way to gain access to the property.

Of course, all igloohome keypads work while wearing gloves too. There's absolutely no need for direct contact with the lock.

Here’s a disclaimer: Always listen to medical professionals. If you have been advised not to leave your home for any reason, please be sure to stay home. Solo tours are only possible for people who are able to safely leave their homes for essential items.

The CDC now recommends wearing a cloth face covering while in public. Do not purchase surgical masks, which are reserved for healthcare workers on the front lines.