Why Your Real Estate Marketing Plan is Incomplete Without 3D Virtual Tours

Rahul Agrawal

June 2, 2021

Co-founder and Chief Business Officer at Styldod

A 3D virtual tour, also known as a 360° virtual tour, is a dynamic virtual representation of a property that takes the viewer through the entire space without them having to make an in-person visit. It allows the buyer to explore each room with 360-degree movement and understand everything from room connectivity to space layout.

SeekBeak published a Virtual Tour Statistics Round-up that shares some note-worthy data that proves that 3D virtual tours have transformed the real estate market. Let’s take a look at some of the statistics from there:

According to some findings by the National Association of Realtors, 50% of real estate buyers find virtual tours very helpful in making a decision.
According to a study by realtor.com, property listings with virtual tours receive 87% more views than those without virtual tours.
According to the trend study by Planet Home, 75% of buyers and potential customers consider virtual tours as a major decision-making tool when buying a property.
As per TIG Global, businesses that used virtual tours experienced a 16% to 67% rise in conversions.

In this day and age, most real estate buyers begin their search online. They shortlist properties based on their preferences in terms of square footage, location, neighborhood, district schools, etc., and visit only the ones that catch their eye. This is why 360° virtual tours, which were earlier just an add-on feature, have now become a necessary real estate marketing tool.

If you run a real estate business or are looking forward to selling a home, adding a virtual tour of your property to the listing is something you just can’t overlook. Here’s why:

Boost in Sales – A house or apartment listing with an engaging and detailed virtual tour clearly grabs more attention than the one with just a floor plan and selective photographs. Virtual tours allow buyers to connect with the listed property on an intimate level and give them the confidence to make a booking without even seeing it in person, which is especially true in the case of international bookings. And this means a direct boost in sales.
Qualified Leads – When you arrange a viewing, there’s no guarantee that you’re going to meet a potential buyer since anything from the lack of spaciousness to an undesirable placement of windows can put them off. But with a panoramic virtual tour, you can help your potential buyer scan the property thoroughly so they can make an informed decision before planning a visit. This means that when a potential buyer who has done a virtual tour of your listing requests a meeting or a viewing, they are genuinely interested in buying.
Global Reach – Since virtual tours are available 24/7 online, they save long-distance travel and attract international investors. Moreover, a 360° virtual tour can bring out the aesthetic appeal of a property by highlighting the finer details that are difficult to capture in pictures, which can also help your property go viral if you choose to do real estate marketing on social media. And a higher social media reach also means more traffic to your website.
Pre-Sales and Pre-Lets – The use of photo-realistic CGI (computer generated imagery) in virtual tours give sellers and real estate agents the advantage of securing pre-sales and pre-lets long before the construction is completed. If the property is planned, you can get an immersive and realistic tour created that is an accurate representation of what’s in the works. This gives you a head-start in marketing and selling your listing.
Minimized Bounce Rates – If visitors leave your website quickly, it affects its visibility and lowers its ranking on search engines. But with the help of 3D virtual tours, you can turn that around. With interactive and compelling virtual home tours, you can better engage your website visitors, making them stay for longer, which would inevitably boost the performance and ranking of your website.
Focus on Property Features – Homes are no more just about the required square footage and a good location. Details such as amenities, floor design, wall colors, doorknobs, faucets, etc., play a huge role in decision-making. And by integrating 360° virtual tours on your website with the listing, you can give your potential buyers exactly what they are looking for. A detailed house tour focusing on key selling points is a clear differentiator and helps your property stand out from the crowd.
High ROI – At a minimal investment in virtual tours, you can not only get huge returns through increased sales, but you can also save on other marketing costs.

Here’s why investing in virtual tours can be highly profitable for you:

With virtual tours, you can skip hiring contractors for creating blueprints, unit plans, HDR images, etc., and save a significant amount.
Graphic virtual tours save you the cost of traditional furniture staging and still make the entire setup look entirely realistic to help potential buyers visualize their future home.
Attractive and detailed virtual tours help you get more leads organically instead of spending thousands on paid real estate marketing.
Aesthetic virtual tours help you showcase the best version of your property, which can help you sell it at a better price.

Related article: How To Make Effective 360 Virtual Tours For Real Estate Listings?

Real estate virtual tours are the need of the hour. Therefore, if you’re in the real estate business, it’s only wise to partner with an established company that can cater to all your demands, from virtual furniture staging to 360° virtual tours.

At Styldod, our experienced team of professionals understands your marketing needs and creates the most sophisticated real estate visual assets that are sure to impress your clients.