The time of posting real estate listings with still 2D images is coming to an end. Offering a virtual tour or a walkthrough experience for your property will become mandatory in the near future. But they offer significant advantages over listings that don’t have them. So before you go looking for the best real estate agent online you might want to check out and visit eXp before you read this article…
What are Virtual Tours and Virtual Walkthroughs?
These terms are often used interchangeably but have slightly different meanings. A virtual tour is like a video through the property. You can use music and voiceovers to explain certain aspects, use animations to show functions, etc. Virtual tours can use a mix of real pictures or videos and computer-generated images.
Virtual walkthroughs allow the user to explore the house from their computer. Virtual tours could just be an arrangement of pictures, simulating walking through the house. Or it could be a fully 3D generated version of the house, allowing full freedom to the user. They are more interactive than tours but offer fewer opportunities to explain details.
Saves Time
Virtual tours save time for everyone, buyers and agents alike. It takes about 25 viewings for a property to sell at the moment. Many buyers know within the first few minutes of viewing a property in person that it isn’t for them. A virtual walkthrough is likely to show features that are a deal-breaker for potential buyers. By offering these services, the number of viewings that don’t result in a sale will be reduced. The extra time could be spent finding new clients or maintaining relations with existing clients, or organizing an open house.
Available at All Times
Finding time for viewings is a struggle for many, but an online tour is available 24/7. This increase in accessibility can generate more interest.
It also opens up a global market. People moving long-distance don’t have the option of in-person viewing without major time and or financial investment. By having a better online viewing experience, potential buyers can narrow down their choices. Buyers will specifically seek agents and listings that offer virtual tours and won’t consider offers without them.
Encourages Communication
Virtual tours encourage communication since buyers get a better view of the property. They will spot more features they are curious about and inquire about them. Opening communications with a potential buyer is always an opportunity. It can be used to increase interest in the property or to point toward other available properties.
Increased Traffic
Virtual tours are also likely to increase traffic to your website. It’s all too easy to close a tab that’s only text and pictures. But by having more engaging content, people are likely to spend more time on your website. The reduction in bounce rate will help with boosting your website in the search engine algorithm and increase traffic to your site.
Allow Buyers to Decorate
Virtual tours can even allow potential buyers to decorate and furnish their potential homes. A struggle many homebuyers face is visualizing what their home will look like furnished. An empty home can often look uninviting and cold. Using showcase furniture in the wrong style can also have a negative effect. Giving people the option to decorate a house in their own style allows them to truly connect with the home.
People are also very likely to share their creations on social media. Which will generate even more traffic to your site.
But this requires more investment than a regular virtual tour and might not be worth it for all properties.
Take Advantage of What You Have
Properties in development already utilize 3D software to create images of their vision. But all too often, they then miss an opportunity by only showing still images instead of allowing interested buyers and investors to explore everything on their terms.
Build for the Future
Younger generations are almost entirely in favour of this new trend. While right now, you might still be able to attract enough interest in your listing by sticking to the old ways, the future doesn’t look bright. Virtual Reality is the next big technology that will become part of our daily lives. Adapting early to this trend will give significant advantages over people who fall behind and will have to catch up.
In-person viewings will always stay a crucial part of the real estate market. But virtual tours are a new tool used to generate interest. A tool that is beneficial to the buyer and seller. By adapting early to this trend, agents can gain an advantage over those who fail to do so. But those who wait too long to adapt will be left behind.