TikTok! 25-second virtual tours launched by Purplebricks

British homebuyers take an average of 25 seconds to decide whether a house is right for them, according to Purplebricks.

As a result the controversial agency is piloting a new innovation - 25 second property videos on social media platform TikTok.

A study by Purplebricks says that while location was the single key factor persuading prospective buyers, some 47 per cent nonetheless said the lead picture or thumbnail on an online listing could quickly put them off a property, and one in five said dated décor would speed them along to the next listing.

The research of 2,000 adults by the agency revealed that the three most important rooms for buyers were, respectively, the kitchen then the lounge and then the bedrooms. 

Over a third said that they would be swayed by a property if it were ‘social media ready’ and a property they’d be proud to show off on TikTok or Instagram.

Purplebricks says the research suggests that snappy ‘gut’ decisions continue when it comes to viewing a property in person - over a quarter of those surveyed said that they would make a judgement on a property within seconds of entering the home. One in 20 admitted that they make their mind up as soon as they arrive outside the front door.

Psychotherapist Lucy Beresford, who works alongside Purplebricks to analyse the research, says: “The study confirms that gut feelings are key in the initial stages of selecting a property that is right for you. We are hard-wired to make gut decisions around our sense of security, which is why our bodies spring into action when looking for a home as this is the place we plan on building a future”.

In response to the findings, Purplebricks is launching a new high-speed 'brochure' on short-form content platform TikTok.

The service provides a 25 second virtual tour of properties highlighting key features and rooms in bite-sized videos. Sellers interested in taking up the initiative will be given a how-to guide to enable them to make the most effective TikTok videos. Anna Richardson is giving her top tips to sellers on how to create the perfect TikTok home sales pitch.

She says: “I’ve recently moved into a new property so I can definitely relate to that gut-feel emotion we all deal with when it comes to making those all-important decisions, however that gut-feel intuition can make the process of selling your home a little harder. There are so many things we can do to make our homes more enticing so I've teamed up with Purplebricks on their 'How to Guide for 25 second tours' - a useful guide that highlights how we can use apps like TikTok to get our houses sold”.

And Ben Carter, chief marketing officer at the agency, adds: “Following a year where we have seen the property market running hot and property sales moving faster than ever, we are launching 25 second high-speed house brochure tours to make the initial listings search quick, easy, and entertaining. We know that people are short on time and that wading through property listings can be stressful and all-consuming. 

“We are launching our 25 -second virtual tours, to help home-hunters make one of the most special decisions of their lives, however it’s clear that buyers follow their hearts when they’re looking for a home and our advice is to listen to the head too. It’s really important that people take the time to think really carefully before they make the final commitment”.