Tech Trends: Using Video Security When Selling Your House

If you’re selling your home, you may be concerned that potential homebuyers will lift some of your valuables while they’re looking at the space. It’s not uncommon, and many real estate agents suggest taking reasonable precautions such as hiding jewelry or securing financial documents.Increasingly, homeowners are protecting their homes by using Wi-Fi outdoor home security camera systems to monitor their outdoor spaces. So, if a family heirloom does go missing, you can review video footage to help you recover it.However, video and audio monitoring technology has had additional benefits. It’s providing homeowners with key insights into the true opinions of the potential homebuyer. For example, did the buyers swoon over your newly updated kitchen only to play hardball during negotiations? Footage from a security camera can give you insight into how much leverage you actually have when making a counteroffer.

Advancements in Video and Audio Monitoring

Citing a NerdWallet survey conducted by Harris Poll, USA Today said that 15 percent of home sellers have already used security cameras to monitor potential homebuyers, and 67 percent of home sellers would use security cameras during a house sale if the equipment were already installed.Home sellers may be deterred by the perception that it’s difficult or expensive to add security monitoring to a home. This may have been true when the only option was hard-wired cameras with long-term service contracts, but the technology that’s currently on the market has made video security both accessible and flexible. In fact, it’s so easy to install video security that people are adding cameras to their hotel rooms while they’re traveling.

Gathering Intelligence About Your Home

In addition to learning about a potential buyer’s true opinion, the information gained from video monitoring can offer strategic intelligence for those who are facing a particularly difficult market or for houses that have been listed for a long time.By seeing how a newcomer interacts with a space that you’ve grown accustomed to, you’ll be able to accurately identify your home’s weaknesses.Many home staging professionals will be able to advise you about reducing clutter or other ways to maximize buyer appeal. However, video monitoring can provide you with real buyer reactions so you can make informed decisions about investing in home modifications. For example, potential homebuyers could be repeatedly distracted by a light fixture instead of focusing on a room’s recent updates.

Is It Legal to Use Video Monitoring?

The Wi-Fi-enabled smart security cameras of today weren’t even on the market five years ago, so there are still gray areas about what’s legal and what’s polite regarding video monitoring. Some real estate agents are increasingly recommending that sellers disclose monitoring devices, either by posting a notice in the house or by informing brokers.The laws vary by state, and to help homesellers know what’s permitted, the National Association of Realtors has compiled a state-by-state summary of video and audio monitoring laws.Read more home security articles here.