Those in the real estate industry are seeing a decline in in-person showings and open houses. There are even some cities that are not allowing open houses at all. This is a good opportunity for real estate agents to take advantage of using virtual tours to market their listings. We expect to see more buyers viewing listings virtually versus in person. 

This guide will help you learn how to take your listings and marketing efforts virtual in order to stand out in today’s changing industry. Below are seven ways to freshen up your listing promotion strategy with virtual tours and more: 

Virtual Open House

Now is a good time to learn how to host open houses virtually. There are a number of platforms you can use to host your open house. You can consider using one of your social media channels, especially if you have a large following. For instance, consider hosting your virtual open house on Facebook Live or Instagram Live. If you decide to post on one of those, you can cross-promote your open house – that’s because Facebook owns Instagram. A live YouTube video is another worthy option. 

If social media isn’t your thing (we can help you here), take a look at virtual meeting platforms like Zoom and Google Hangouts. 

A quick how-to guide on virtual open houses: 

1. Decide on which virtual video sharing platform you will use
2. Promote your upcoming open house on social media and through email
3. Choose your listing’s most important features
4. Do a quick rehearsal/practice run (but keep it authentic and genuine) 
5. Host your open house
6. Promote on social media after you finish

Virtual Staging

Virtual staging is a beneficial alternative to actual staging. With virtual staging, you have the ability to choose whichever interior design style you want. It’s an effective and affordable way to market your listings online. 

Virtual staging is especially effective if your listing has oddly shaped rooms that make it difficult for buyers to visualize the space. You may also want to use virtual staging if you feel that the buyer pool is mostly out of state or unable to view the listing in person. There are plenty of circumstances where buyers may have to see your listing only online before they put in an offer. 

Matterport 3D Tours

For buyers who can’t physically walk through a listing, a 3D Matterport Tour is the best solution. This technology allows viewers to virtually tour the listing through a series of still images. The real estate images are stitched together to give a seamless and complete visual of the property. 

Matterport technology provides an immersive experience with three different viewing options: dollhouse, inside, and floorplan. With Matterport, no buyer is too far away. 

360-Degree HDReal® Panoramas

Using 360-degree panorama images is another option to create a virtual tour. Buyers can easily view panoramas with their smartphones, which deploy gyro sensors for an experience similar to actually being in the home. Here is an example of a 360-degree pano.

Real Estate Image Updates & Retouching

If your listing isn’t getting the attention online that you expected, consider having a professional photographer reshoot your listing. Studies show that listings promoted with professional real estate images stand out more than those that are not professional. Furthermore, specific professional photography providers capture attention faster and hold visual attention longer than others. This is why it is important to find the right photographer for your listings. 

If your listing already has wonderful professional real estate images, consider reviving those images. You can add in a blue sky or greener grass to the exterior photos. A twilight photography shoot is also a great option to help your listing stand out online. Twilight images provide a different experience for viewers with warm tones and brilliant sunsets. 

Aerial Photography & Videos

Allow buyers to tour your listing from the skies! If the property is larger and offers incredible views, you’ll want to have aerial photography and an aerial video of your listing. Aerial photos and video gives buyers a great opportunity to get a sense of the space the property provides. 

There are some professional real estate photography vendors that offer aerial photography services. These providers should be FAA compliant in order to actively shoot property images and videos. To learn more about aerial drone photography for real estate, take a look at this article: https://www.virtuance.com/member/blog/aerial-drone-photography-legal-real-estate/

Single Property Websites

Lastly, to refresh your listings online, you should market your listing on a Single Property Website. With a Single Property Website, you can highlight your listing in the best light with a high-quality virtual tour slideshow, a well-written listing description, an interactive map and more. 

To learn more about the power of single property websites, check out this page: www.virtuance.com/try-vms 

There are a number of ways Realtors can continue to keep their real estate marketing active. With the ability to easily host virtual tours across multiple social media platforms, and the use of professional photography and aerial videos, the possibilities to gain buyer exposure is higher than ever.