Role Virtual tours play in real estate
Technological progress has changed the real estate sphere, in particular. If earlier, it was substantial enough to offer photos to people who look for estate, currently, it is necessary to suggest them exclusive immersive experience and there is hardly any better alternative for that than a virtual tour. Some people may think that it is a costly solution but you can find many opportunities to make these tours an affordable solution.
You know that a lot of surveys are conducted in the real estate sphere and they help to understand if a solution is worth introducing. According to Zillow, around 80% of people who plan to buy property look for it online and every third person admits that virtual staging or short videos are crucial for them. Moreover, these tours let buyers not only feel the atmosphere of a home for sale without visiting it but also look outstanding in comparison with other listings. The statistics show that 3D tours are viewed twice more often than customary listings.
Defining a virtual tour
Tours people known as virtual ones are also called 3D walkthroughs and are digital tours that take people inside and outside the home offered for sale to be able to evaluate it. A prospective buyer can select what room or direction he wants to look at and from what angle and it works similarly to the Street View offered by Google Maps. You may wonder why tours are better than videos?
The last ones do not provide buyers with flexibility and interactivity because they can’t look at some parts closer, return to the places of greater interest, and control the video flow in general. Some realtors supposed that 3D tours can substitute high-quality photos fully, but not nowadays. The majority of modern buyers can’t imagine listings without photos considering them their indispensable part. However, tours can be a powerful marketing approach that will boost interest in this property and attract special attention in comparison with traditional listings.
Why should you order a virtual tour for real estate?
Adding a 3D tour to the listing has many advantages. How often it happens that potential buyers get absolutely disappointed to see a reality that has nothing to do with photos in the listings! Despite the fact that photos represent reality accurately, they still often turn out to be misleading. With 3D tours, you will get rid of any doubts or misunderstandings since the feel of a home during it reminds the one you have on showing. Consequently, people who will attend actual showing after having a virtual tour real estate are probably your potential buyers. What other advantages will you get if you add a 3D tour to your listings? Many of them contribute to the marketing strategy and not only - look through the pros more precisely:
- Get more exposed and viewed: the listing will be not only opened and viewed more often than others but also will attract several offers which can even make the price grow.
- Save time on showings: even if potential buyers have difficulty in visualizing a floorplan, a 3D tour will remove this obstacle. If a person spots any property features that do not appeal to him, a chance to waste your time on showing decreases greatl
- Generate leads from other towns and suburbs: many people who live in a long distance from the home offered for sale have a tendency to look through the listings but rarely come to see it being afraid of time waste
- A 3D tour can be more convincing for them to undertake actions and even make a purchase decision if they do like what was seen.
- Fewer clients who are not ready to make an offer: there is a huge percentage of people who schedule showings out of interest only since this price is too high for them. 3D tours can decrease the number of these inquisitive personalities significantly.
What makes 3D tours more engaging?
If you decide to get a good 3D tour instead of filming a customary video used in real estate, consider the following hints:
Shoot a real property view and avoid rendering;
Opt for smooth navigation to be able to visit every room and view from any of 360 degrees;
Provide a walk-through possibility, let viewer return and freeze the shot;
Take pictures that are clear and have a high definition;
Ensure that images depict decluttered and free of personal items rooms;
Highlight the most advantageous property features;
Add not only indoor but also outdoor space and extra facilities;
Make this tour compatible with either desktop or mobile devices too.
Free virtual tours: is it possible?
Undoubtedly. Since 3D tours are considered a must-have of every good listing, there is nothing surprising that there is a big number of different applications and tools to create them. These apps are developed by popular real estate companies and you can find many free open-source tools to make up a good 3D tour. You might have heard of the Zillow platform that introduced its Zillow 3D Home app, but there is a sense to try free examples of tools such as Lapentor, OpenSpace3D, Marzipano, Vtility, and many others. Not only tools matter when you develop your video tour but also the equipment used. It is possible to start with a traditional smartphone for example to shoot videos, but you had better obtain a tripod with a head that can rotate and a device mount to enhance the quality of pictures. Some tools are compatible with modern cameras that will speed up the process and enhance the general quality of the tour.
Tips on making the first real estate virtual tour
No matter what tool or device you will choose for creating your virtual walkthrough, there are several things you should consider for a start:
Use a camera with a 360-degree view to speed up the process;
Set up the software or app to the device you will use for filming or connect it;
Try several tripod adjustments to see which works better;
Research your app before shooting to benefit the most from it;
Review your new panoramas each time to avoid rough mistakes;
Shoot in every room without exceptions;
Don’t hurry to make a tour immediately: look through your panoramas, edit, improve, and only then publish it;
Remember to hold the phone vertically if you use it for filming;
Try shooting from different angles to choose the best location;
Mark your shooting position on the printed floor plan version.
How to prepare for shooting
Though it seems that this process is simple and fast, it still requires detailed planning. Therefore, it is necessary to complete the following tasks prior to shooting and on this responsible day: Update the property: since you need to represent a home from its best side, you should complete renovations, cleaning, landscaping, decluttering, depersonalizing, and other important processes before you start making a tour.
Complete your staging: if you enhance your property for sale and want to increase its cost by staging it, you should ensure that this process has come to an end and the picture is full already. Create your tour the same day when photos are taken: it is a time and money-savvy solution to prevent extra preparations, cleaning, and be confident that everything is perfect on this day. Open curtains and blinds wide to let more natural light inside: it will add space and warmth. Have a walk around the home to check if everything is in their places: remove items that will look odd in the tour. Ask everyone to leave the property and take all pets with. Ensure that all doors inside the home are open to prevent interruptions. Clean the camera lens and adjust the tripod.
Is it possible to order a virtual tour of my home?
It only seems easy to create video tours but even putting much effort to make a good tour often results in disappointment. Therefore, it would be reasonable to save on professional equipment your precious time and turn to professionals for help. Our team has much experience in making professional virtual tours that guarantee a full immersion into the atmosphere of the property and attention to detail. Our company has the latest equipment and uses professional software that allows making high-quality virtual tours that run smoothly on all devices and contribute to the success of your listing.
