HomeDiary takes all the information about a listed home and puts it into one sleek location that appeals to buyers. Think of it as online dating - but for properties.
As agents, we understand that behind every home is a story. Today, I'm going to share a way to tell the story of a home in one place to potential buyers. It’s called HomeDiary.
HomeDiary is a virtual platform for the home, connecting you, the agent, to your client base so it’s your face they see whenever they look up the home. HomeDiary has tools for you as a listing agent to help market a property through a single website. You can update the site with photos, information and other things an interested buyer might want to see or know. In other words, it’s a great way to transfer information.
As a real estate agent, I've personally always struggled to find a good 3D rendering of the home and floor plan and combine everything with high-quality photos in one place. Home Diary makes all of this easy. On this one website, you can put up YouTube and Vimeo videos — whatever kind of content you already have — and also utilize a 3-Dimensional floor plan tool. There’s also an opportunity to turn photos into an automated slideshow!
According to CEO Kris Cone: “We're the only virtual tour company that I know of in the world really that has invested money into a floor plan tool because we view that as a key asset. So we've incorporated that where you can just point and click your way through the home.”
Now, let’s say a buyer is curious about what the home might look like with one wall taken out and a more open concept living space. HomeDiary’s virtual floor plans make it possible to take a peek and get an idea. All buyers have to do is click a wall, “hide” it, and it creates that open concept without the wall. And get this — it’s also possible to drag and drop furniture over the photos. It helps buyers essentially experience the home without setting foot into it.
Also, think about how popular HGTV has become in the last several years. According to NAR, 71% of millennials are highly influenced by HGTV. If you use HomeDiary, any listing for any home can have an HGTV-like floor plan tool. It’s also helpful for buyers who are relocating from out of state and wondering if their belongings will look right and fit into a certain space. These tools streamline the process, take away some of the stress and make it easier for both the buyer and the agent.
The price for HomeDiary is $300 annually. That gives you unlimited listings and the ability to invite your whole client base of sellers into HomeDiary. When they accept the invitation, you effectively become the home “sponsor” on their account. So, the goal of HomeDiary is to position you as “their” agent throughout the life cycle of the home. It's not just a tool for listings; it can help agents stay in touch throughout the ownership life cycle. I feel like that’s an important perk because a lot of times as agents, we forget to nurture our sphere, which can be an easy and organic source of listings.
And considering 10 percent to 15 percent of your client base is going to move every year, if you have a thousand contacts in your database, that's potentially 100-150 listings if you nurture those contacts and they choose you as their agent.