The real estate industry has significantly evolved in the recent years. It seems like driving around different neighbourhoods to look for houses with “For Sale” signs are now replaced by browsing through online listings. We cannot deny the convenience this brings. It definitely saves you time if you could look for houses while you’re home and resting.
But what does it mean for sellers? A couple of years ago, beautifully-taken photos might have be enough to catch the attention of potential buyers. Nowadays, however, most real estate agents would agree that if you want your property to stand out in the thousands of houses shown online, you do really need an excellent virtual tour ready for your buyers.
Virtual tours, when done correctly and for the right reasons, can make all the difference for the buyers to decide if whether or not they will push through with a purchase. Virtual tours rank high with baby boomers compared to millennials. This should not bother sellers because the people who are clicking and watching your virtual tours are the same ones who are more likely to actually buy a property.
Virtual tours may take two forms: video and 3D. You can’t really say that one is better than the other; this is a case-to-case basis. It depends more on how well-made your presentation is and more importantly, how it showcases your property. Remember that the visual tour is the modern take of a drive-by. The only difference is that the latter only gives you a view of the exterior. The visual tour is the only way a buyer can actually see the interiors of the house without having to actually visit the house.
As mentioned, videos and 3D tours are the two options that sellers and their agents have. These technologies can definitely be played to their advantage, if they know how to use them. Target market is very important in deciding which of the two will be used. For example, a property that would be more appealing to millenials will do better with a 3D virtual tour. This allows the potential buyer the experience of stepping inside the house and inspecting its features up-close. An older market, perhaps one that might find navigating through 3D images quite a challenge, will prefer a relaxing experience through a narrative video.
Whichever you end up choosing, be reminded that your main purpose is to make your property stand out from the rest. And while interactive features can be fun to use, a serious buyer will still look more at the property itself. So make sure that you don’t get lost in the process of producing your virtual tour and stay true to its purpose – to give a potential buyer a chance to see what you have to offer and why they should choose to buy your property. For more advices on the matter, consult Cheryl Devenney.
