The COVID-19 pandemic has had an adverse effect on many different industries, and investors have also been affected. For some investors interested in online trading and other remote strategies, the process itself has been fine, but with some investments being more volatile due to uncertainty, it’s a tricky process.
However, looking at an investment strategy such as property investment specifically, technology is helping to bridge the gap between investor and investment, helping their portfolio to reach its full potential even when locked up indoors. Here’s some more information on the ‘virtual’ and ‘remote’ property investment process.
The property investment process
UK property investment company RWinvest is one of the few at the moment offering an efficient and secure way to view and explore prospective property investment options for the future, all from the comfort of an investor’s home. Of course, for international investors that have ‘hands-off’ portfolios, this method has been in place for a while now, but it is proving to be particularly useful during a time like this, where the pandemic restricts many from getting to a given city or area in order to do a viewing in person.
Here are some of the components of the ‘at-home’ investment process:
- Virtual Reality Viewing – Virtual reality is an exciting and emerging technology that’s mainly being used in the gaming industry at the moment, although its potential for other uses is huge. While investors might not be able to visit a property in person, they can get the next best thing through a virtual viewing experience, giving them a fully immersive first-person perspective that they wouldn’t be able to get from simple blueprints or photographs. This is great in helping investors that have trepidation make a better decision on their financial future, and it can also show investors what off-plan (in-progress) developments will look like when completed, something they wouldn’t have been able to view in the first place!
- Screensharing/Video calls – Of course, speaking to a consultant for more information, as well as friends, family, and perhaps a financial advisor is still an important step before going ahead with any investment decision, particularly a long-term one. In the same way that many are using video conferencing software such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype, and Google Hangouts in order to stay in contact with those that matter to them, investors can keep in touch with those that can help them towards success with their investment portfolio.
- Accompanying materials – Looking over the visuals and having a direct line of contact are both crucial steps in substitute of the face-to-face interaction, but it’s also important that you make sure you’re still basing an investment decision on some of the key statistics, too, such as where is the best area to invest in terms of rental yield income percentages, capital growth potential, and demand for the future.
Luckily for investors living at home, the internet has made it easier than ever to do thorough research across a wide scope of sources, and in many different forms. Whether investors prefer reading guides, listening to podcasts, or watching videos on different aspects of the property market, there’s a ton of content to consume, providing you with a well-rounded view before making an investment decision.