Virtual tours are one of the most groundbreaking tools of recent times in the real estate industry. Based on virtual reality technology, these tours are a set virtual renderings of a house complete with all furnishings and details that give viewers full control of examining a property. They showcase 360-degree photo-realistic views of properties, creating a life-like image for the viewer, no matter where they may be.
These tours are gaining traction very fast too. According to Realtor.com, listings that feature a virtual tour get up to 87 percent more views than those which do not. They help marketers gain a better and ultimately make more sales, which is the ultimate goal of creating and marketing listings. In an industry as competitive as real estate, these tours can be a great asset to any marketer. Here are 5 ways in which adding virtual tours to listings can help them stand out from the others:
#1. Virtual Tours Are Interactive
Even at their best, photos and introductory videos that use physical staging eventually fail to fully retain the attention of customers. The main reason behind this is that they relegate the customer to being a passive viewer. In this way, having to view a property online from what can best be described as an “outsider’s perspective” becomes a turn-off. A virtual tour, on the other hand, is much more interactive and engages the viewers’ attention actively.
A 360 virtual tour offers a comprehensive view of all the areas of the house (and even the immediate outdoors). This allows customers to see every space in real-time and have nothing left to their imagination. When virtually touring the house, customers can easily navigate from one room to another, check everything from the floors to ceiling, and view every detail – all on their own. They can also take this tour as often as they like. This gives them a sense of ownership upgrades their perspective from being a passive content consumer to an active participant.
#2. Virtual Tours Help Set Websites and Profiles Apart From The Crowd
Given that 51 percent of homebuyers are now shopping for homes online, it is not surprising that every homebuyer browses through at least a few hundred listings before they even narrow down to their best choices, let alone come to a conclusion. Needless to say, going through that many listings in a short span of time can get pretty tedious and tiring, even for the most enthusiastic of customers.
This is where a virtual tour can be instrumental. One of the biggest advantages of a virtual tour is that despite its likeability, it is still a relatively new technology. Not all real estate agents have as yet adapted to it. This offers a great competitive edge to those who do. Adding a 360 camera virtual tour will immediately attract the attention of the customer who has been through hundreds of others that have the same features.
#3. Virtual Tours Help With Cross-Marketing and Cross-Promotions
When it comes to real estate, the smarter the marketing, the more the sales and revenue figures. This can be tricky to achieve, given that most realtors need to be at the best of their marketing ability within limited time and resources. In fact, according to NAR, the area where real estate agents need the most help is with marketing their properties. A virtual tour can help achieve this by helping realtors promote their properties better without demanding anything extra.
Virtual tours can be easily integrated, which makes it easy to upload and feature them on listing pages and social media platforms alike. This helps realtors to create listings and share them across their social media pages faster. Virtual tours also consist of value-added features such as information tags, which offer details on the various featured furniture and accessories. This can come very handy in case of marketing for areas such as luxury real estate. For example, if a customer likes a wine cellar in a luxury homes 360 virtual tour, they can use the information tag feature to find out more about the model.
#4. Virtual Tours Helps Reduce Empty Showings
In the real estate industry, it is a known fact that the number of actual sales is always less than the number of inquiries. This is because of a large percentage of people who make these inquiries check out multiple properties but choose only one. In this way, every time a realtor spends time behind following up on inquiries and conducts physical tours that do not end up being closed, they end up losing vital time, money and resources.
Adding a virtual tour to listings can help reduce this guesswork to a great extent. Virtual tours offer a three-dimensional 360-degree view of the house in the same way as though the customer was actually there. Customers can see the entire property, along with all of its finest details and its periphery without even having to contact the realtor to visit the house. This way, when they do make an inquiry, the chances of them buying the house will be much higher, since they have already crossed the stage of exploring the house.
#5. Virtual Tours Make Listings Look More Reliable
The general idea among homebuyers is that a house never looks the same in reality as it does in the pictures. This is not a completely unfounded claim – physical photography, no matter how good it is, comes with its set of limitations. Even a slight deviation in lighting can create an effect that can ruin even the best staged home. When such discrepancies come to the attention of the customer, it automatically creates distrust towards the listing (and in many cases, the realtor who created them).
Adding a virtual tour to real estate listings take this element of distrust out of the equation. They are next to the real thing not just in terms of imagery, but with the details too. Therefore, any buyer who views such a property online will develop a genuine interest in the property without pausing to think if there are any discrepancies between the image and reality. In this way, they will find listings with virtual tours more reliable than those without it.
Indeed, a virtual tour is one of the best ways to make a property stand out. It is virtually staged, is much more interactive than physically staged photos or videos, is more versatile and gives viewers a sense of ownership. This, in turn, boosts marketing, which increases the number of views, and subsequently, the number of sales. Needless to say, the more the technology grows, the more the benefits it will have for real estate agents at large.
Looking to give your real estate marketing a boost and close more deals through high-end graphics and realistic visuals? Reach out, and our team of dedicated professionals will help you get the best virtual staging services for your website and listings.
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