Buying a home can be the most exciting and overwhelming time for your clients. According to our 2023 Real Estate Marketing Forecast, most home buyers begin their search online. It is essential your listings meet your target audience’s needs, including virtual tours.
Millennial and Gen Z home buyers are more likely to search for a virtual tour option before contacting an agent. NAR found that 47% of recent buyers first looked online, and 43% of all buyers found virtual tours to be “very useful” in their search. Keep reading to learn more about virtual tours and how to prepare for them as a real estate professional.
What is a virtual tour?
A virtual tour for real estate is a method for potential buyers to view a property online through 3D photos and videos, as opposed to an in-person tour. The photos can give different views of the home, such as the interior, exterior, and dollhouse, which allows clients to view the property from every angle from an outside perspective.
Additionally, virtual tours save travel costs and time if clients want to see homes in other states.
How do you do a virtual tour?
Agents conduct virtual tours in real estate for clients through online software. If the agents prepare properly, the clients will feel like they’re walking through the homes.
Are virtual tours and virtual showings the same?
While they are often used interchangeably, there is a difference between virtual tours and virtual showings.
Virtual tours give potential clients a complete home preview online, using software such as Matterport or Zillow 3D Home.
Virtual showings involve a real estate agent physically in the home and showing a home to a potential client virtually through a service such as Zoom.
How to prepare for a virtual tour
Clients can see everything they’d see in an in-person tour during a virtual one—and they can even go back and scrutinize the space further since the virtual tour can be accessed multiple times!
As an agent, you’ll need a prep checklist to set up your listing for a virtual tour, removing all distractions. Here are the best tips for preparing your property before a photographer arrives to capture it for your clients.
Review the exterior
The first set on a virtual tour is often the home’s exterior. Remove cars from the driveway. Review the landscaping and confirm the lawn has been mowed. Put any trash cans out of view.
Declutter and clean the interior
A good first step to prepare for the interior of a virtual tour is to remove all clutter and clean. While cleaning may seem obvious, you must be extremely thorough. Dust and wipe down surfaces. Remove any stained or damaged items from view.
People want to picture themselves living in the space; it’s hard to do if it’s dirty or random, personalized items are lying around.
Help clients focus by removing magnets from the fridge, putting away power cords, and making the beds.
Open/close blinds
If the space has a beautiful view, open the drapes or blinds. Make sure the blinds are all at the same angle. The consistent look will be appealing.
Check lights
You don’t want a light bulb to flicker or blow out while a photographer creates the virtual tour. Check the bulbs beforehand and replace them if necessary.
Stage the property
To give your client a better idea of how to utilize the space, stage it with interesting decor. Ensure all frames, lamps, pillows, and other accessories are straight. Turn off televisions and other electronics.
Perform a last minute walkthrough
Do one more check before the virtual tour by walking through the property, looking for any details you may have missed the first time. The extra effort you put in will be reflected in the deals you close from the virtual tours.
Take your virtual tour to another level with Virtuance
Using professional real estate photography is a must for a top-notch virtual tour. Virtuance’s Matterport 3D tour is an immersive virtual tour experience complete with dollhouse and inside views. Our high-quality virtual tours will lead to an increase in your leads, revenue, and referrals.
FAQ
You can conduct a virtual tour by having a professional photographer take photos of your property after properly prepping it. Then, potential clients can view the property through 3D photos and videos online.
You prepare for a virtual tour by prepping the property.
Prep for a virtual tour involves decluttering, cleaning, and staging to ensure clients can picture themselves living there.
