Table of Contents
- What Is a Virtual House Tour?
- Are Virtual House Tours Worth It for Agents? (5 Considerations)
- AgentUp – Your Source for Easy, Effective Virtual House Tours!
Virtual house tours are now a standard part of real estate marketing. These interactive, immersive tours give buyers the feeling of being in a new home.
However, there are still many real estate sales agents who remain unsure about the value of virtual house tours and wonder if the tours are worth it when it comes to selling a listing.
In this blog post, we’ll explore if virtual house tours are worth it for agents. But first, let’s take a closer look at what a virtual house tour is.
What Is a Virtual House Tour?
The real estate industry witnessed many impacts due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lockdowns and the need for social distancing required the industry to develop innovative solutions to address the challenges of this uneasy period.
Among these innovative solutions, virtual house tours emerged as a popular example.
Employing high-quality video and virtual reality technology, sales agents enabled prospective buyers to immerse themselves fully in a realistic home viewing experience from the safety and comfort of their living rooms.
Using the tour, the buyers could view every room and space from any perspective. Hot spots are used to provide in-depth information about the home’s features.
Even as the pandemic ended and life gradually returned to normal, it was evident that virtual tours were here to stay in the real estate landscape. In fact, they have evolved into a marketing gold standard in the industry.
A recent study revealed that nearly half of potential buyers would consider making an offer on a property without physically visiting it, provided a virtual home tour was accessible.
Therefore, it’s not just a matter of potential buyers appreciating virtual house tours; it’s a fundamental expectation. Prospective buyers have come to rely on this essential marketing tool to inform and guide their decision-making process.
Now, let’s talk about 5 reasons why virtual house tours are definitely worth it for real estate sales agents.
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Are Virtual House Tours Worth It for Agents? (5 Considerations)
The value of virtual house tours is that they are cost-effective and offer an immersive, informative, and visually appealing experience of a listing.
To explain this further, here are 5 powerful reasons why virtual house tours are definitely worth it for real estate agents.
1. Virtual House Tours Are Informative
High-quality listing photos have always been pivotal in online real estate sales. Stunning images cannot be emphasized enough when it comes to capturing the attention of prospective buyers from the outset.
However, while these photos undeniably capture initial interest, they fall short of providing a comprehensive portrayal of a property.
For instance, consider the following:
- The photos alone are incapable of conveying the complete layout and fluidity of a home as one moves from room to room
- Certain angles and perspectives of rooms can’t always be seen in static photos
This is where virtual house tours come into play. These tours offer a holistic view of every facet of a property, something that proves challenging with photos alone.
Additionally, virtual house tours can go further by incorporating interactive floor plans, doubling the tour’s effectiveness by conveying even more valuable information to potential buyers.
In essence, if a picture is worth a thousand words, then virtual house tours are invaluable, providing insights that are truly worth millions!
2. The Next Best Thing to In-Person Showings
Experienced real estate professionals understand that home buying is filled with powerful emotions. For this reason, prospective buyers need to establish an emotional bond with a property before they’re willing to make an offer.
Consider the following advantages of virtual house tours:
- Buyers can virtually explore the house with 360-degree freedom of movement
- They can examine each room from a multitude of angles and perspectives, replicating the experience of being physically present
- A well-executed virtual tour, when complemented by a detailed floor plan, equips sellers with comprehensive information for making informed decisions
Additionally, integrating interactive virtual staging within these tours can ignite buyers’ imaginations and stimulate greater interest in the listing.
Virtual tours provide a tailored, immersive experience, facilitating a deep emotional connection between buyers and the property.
3. Reach More Potential Buyers
A virtual house tour makes reaching a larger pool of potential buyers easier. And as we know, the greater exposure to the market, the higher the sale price for a property tends to be.
How do virtual house tours expand your potential buyer pool? In the following ways:
- Millennial buyers rely on technology to help them sort through listings from the comfort of their home
- Virtual home tours allow those with limited mobility or health issues to have the same access to the home as any other buyer
- You’re providing access to the home to buyers who live far away or even overseas
- Moreover, virtual tours are a low-risk first step for potential home buyers who may not want to commit yet to in-person showings
Increased access expands the pool of potential buyers and the type of buyers you attract. Further, a larger pool of qualified buyers is a definite advantage that will likely help the sale go more quickly.
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4. Virtual Tours Help Buyers Make Up Their Mind
Conventional in-person property showings usually last 30 minutes to an hour. In contrast, virtual tours grant buyers unrestricted, around-the-clock access to properties that have piqued their interest.
Consider the following aspects:
- When prospective buyers visit a property in person, they often experience the pressure of others waiting to explore the house
- Buyers’ agents tend to push for swift decisions regarding the property
Virtual home tours allow buyers to explore a property at their convenience, alleviating concerns related to work schedules, family obligations, or even adverse weather conditions.
With a virtual tour, buyers can proceed leisurely and examine every intricate detail.
It’s akin to having a 24-hour open house, ensuring maximum flexibility for potential buyers.
Next, let me share a personal story about the value of virtual house tours.
5. Virtual House Tours in Action – A True Story
Earlier this year, I worked with a couple looking to buy a bigger home. They had just had a baby and needed more space for their growing family.
They quickly found a house they loved, but offers were due in two days, leaving us little time to see the home in person.
The listing had a virtual house tour, which attracted my buyers to the home in the first place. Having a virtual tour made a significant difference for the following reasons:
- My clients already knew if their furniture would fit and work in the new home before we even saw it
- They were able to show and explain the home to their two older children using the tour
- Even after we went to see the property in person, they were able to use the virtual tour to keep exploring the listing
Despite the limited amount of time to see the home, my clients were able to reach an informed decision about making an offer, thanks to the virtual tour.
I’m happy to tell you that our offer was accepted, and the family loves their new home. But I can honestly say it was the virtual house tour that clinched the sale.
So, if you ask me, I’ll tell you that virtual house tours are definitely worth it for sales agents.
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AgentUp – Your Source for Easy, Effective Virtual House Tours!
AgentUp partners with its sister site, PhotoUp, to empower you to effortlessly create a high-quality virtual tours that will inform and inspire potential buyers.
With AgentUp, creating a tour is fast and easy. Our process for producing a professional and captivating virtual tour is streamlined and swift, taking just 5 minutes:
- No specialized camera is necessary; you can use any 360 camera that captures JPEGs
- We use the power of AI enhancements to improve and blend your photo edges seamlessly
- Customize your tour with ease, employing straightforward image pinning for each scene
- You retain control over spotlighting the property – effectively showcasing its amenities, updates, and unique features
- Our virtual tours are readily adaptable for white-labeling, offering a premium viewing experience
You can even build your first 360 tour for free!
Moreover, you can add to your virtual tour using persuasive features like floor plans or 3D virtual stagings.
So, do yourself a favor. Take the first step toward quicker and better sales right now.
Sign up for an AgentUp today, and start using virtual house tours today!
Thank you for reading. We hope you’ve enjoyed reading this post on whether virtual house tours are worth it for agents. Before you go, you may also want to check out the following resources:
