What Do 360° Virtual Property Tours Actually Deliver?

The concept of 360° virtual property tours involves taking an online tour of a property room-by-room via the internet using virtually any device. In practical application, this format provides three main advantages, namely serious inquiries, fewer unnecessary visits, and access to potential clients who cannot come for a personal visit. However, it does not serve as a replacement for the physical visit or a cure for poor listing. When applied properly, such tours help to save time. This guide covers what is expected from the tour, its limitations, cost, and software/services to consider. It is designed for developers, brokers, property managers, and business owners contemplating the creation of a 360 virtual tour for real estate.

What is a 360° Virtual Property Tour?

A 360° virtual property tour is a tour conducted via the Internet and created using either panoramic photographs or, sometimes, 360° videos. The photographs are linked to one another and allow viewers to navigate throughout the rooms of the tour and view them from all directions. Additional features include floor plans, information tags, and contact options.

You can initiate a tour either on your mobile device, laptop, or VR headset. Usually, there is no need to install anything. The client opens a link and starts the tour.

Benefits of 360° Virtual Property Tours 

Let us talk about some of the advantages of the tours in the field of property marketing.

More Qualified Enquiries

When a person has visited a house online, he/she gets familiar with the layout, size, and design of the property. Therefore, when contacting an agent, potential buyers have more knowledge about the property. It allows the sales team to reduce the time spent on dealing with uninterested clients.

Less Unnecessary House Visits

Not all property viewings turn into sales. Occasionally, buyers will attend a viewing and discover that the property isn't quite right for them. A virtual reality tour can give them a closer look and determine if they want to view it in person. It allows agents to concentrate on people interested in the property. It works especially well in cases of big developments when every visit requires a lot of time.

Beyond Your Local Market

For overseas clients, moving clients, or busy individuals, visiting a property may not be possible. They will use the tour to narrow down their choices even from a distance. In case the property is yet to be completed or is off-plan, you can provide a visual representation of what the finished product looks like.

Same Presentation of Property by Everyone

In case of a traditional listing, different agents will describe the property differently. A virtual tour ensures that all parties see the exact picture, ensuring consistency of the brand experience.

Easy Communication

The sales team can just send a link to the potential client without having to forward different pictures and descriptions. The potential client can also forward the link to their parents, spouses, or partners.

Limitations of 360° Virtual Property Tours 

There are several drawbacks of using 360° virtual tours that you should be aware of before spending your money.

• The tour does not provide a complete experience, as there is no possibility of listening to any sounds, smelling anything, or feeling the neighborhood conditions.
• Photos that are of poor quality cannot be used in the tours.
• If the property has changed after the last update, the tour will be misleading for the potential buyer.
• There will still be the need to arrange a personal viewing for a buyer.
• Tours might take too much time to load if the buyer has a slow connection to the Internet.

Do not believe any company when they promise a doubled number of sales just because of a tour. There are other factors such as the price of the property, location, and promotion.

Which Properties Benefit Most from Virtual Tours?

They are advantageous for properties that are difficult or costly to visit. These cases include:

• Undelivered and under-construction property: A visualization of the proposed property will give the buyer insight into what they can buy before construction begins.
• Luxury property: The high-end buyer may need to select several properties from afar and require a comprehensive virtual tour.
• Multiple-property project: With many units on offer, the virtual tour will assist a buyer to make preliminary decisions.
• Business property: An office, a showroom, warehouse, or hotel that must be assessed by an executive based in a different city.

A cheap and uncomplicated property in a busy local real estate market may gain little from a virtual tour. High-quality photos and a floor plan might be sufficient for such a listing.

Features to Look for in a 360 Virtual Tour for Real Estate 

There are different types of virtual tours available. Here are the must-have requirements when selecting a 360 virtual tour for real estate that can help a buyer enjoy the home viewing experience:

• Navigate easily: provide arrows and clickable hotspots to easily move from room to room. If possible, try to provide visitors with a plan of the property so they can see the room locations and the overall layout.
• Clear images: opt for images with high resolution, even lighting, and true-to-life coloration.
• Room specifications: labels including room measurements and more information that may be helpful when selling a house.
• Mobile responsive: Ensure your tour is fast and can be accessed on desktop computers, tablets, and smartphones.
• Custom branding: Select a solution that will allow you to put your own branding on it instead of just running the third-party provider's branding.

In large-scale projects, additional features like unit selections and CRM integration could be required by the teams.

How to Choose the Right 360 Virtual Tour Software 

Every business requires something else, and therefore there is no universal tool suitable for everyone. The choice of 360 virtual tour software will be determined by your portfolio of properties, budget, requirements, and the degree of control over it.

• Out-of-the-box solutions: These solutions are relatively easy to implement and normally have a subscription-based fee structure. Such solutions may fit agents working with a limited number of properties. There are ready-to-use platforms focused on specific camera ecosystems or supporting photos from various camera models.
• Camera-specific software: Certain camera brands have created their own software to be used with their equipment. This can facilitate the capture and processing of 360-degree images, but may be less portable if you decide to use another camera system at a later date.
• Custom-developed software: The development team develops software with all the necessary functions for viewing your panoramas based on your company's branding and workflow.

Factors to Consider When Choosing Virtual Tour Software 

1. Is it easy to use on mobile devices?
2. Can you customize the platform with your own branding?
3. Does it integrate with your CRM/website?
4. Who owns the tour data files?
5. What would happen if you cancel the subscription?
6. How fast does the tour load?

Go for an option that will work well for your property portfolio, budget, and level of control over content.

How Much Does a 360° Virtual Property Tour Cost? 

The price depends on the property being filmed, the shooting technique, and the requirements. One universal price doesn’t exist. When getting an estimate, take into account:

• The size of the property and the number of its rooms.
• The camera and shooting technique:  professional equipment and on-site photography may cost more than a basic one with smartphone-based capture.
• Work with the pictures, colour correction, and stitching.
• The additional options you would like to include: floor plans, informational tags, branded introductions, and other elements.
• Hosting: some platforms offer subscription fees to host tours.
• Custom development: a branded viewer or full-fledged virtual tour platform will be costlier than a single tour.
• Maintenance: reshooting and editing in case there are any changes to the property.

One tour of a property entails one-off costs per property. The customized platform for an organization handling several projects will obviously require a higher amount of money. Ask for a detailed estimate showing exactly what will be provided, then evaluate the proposals point-by-point.

When Should You Hire a 360 Virtual Tour Company?

For one or two listings, it might suffice to prepare a virtual tour on your own using the necessary equipment. You may consider using the services of a 360 virtual tour company in the following situations:

• You operate many properties requiring consistent quality of virtual tours.
• You are marketing expensive or high-class property.
• You require a branded viewer or need CRM integration.
• You are marketing off-plan units and need realistic visuals.
• Your team has no time to prepare tours.

A 360 virtual property tours development company may add features that are not available in standard platforms, such as a custom viewer, booking process, and property sales dashboard integration.

How to Choose a 360 Virtual Tour Company 

Here are questions to ask before hiring a virtual tour company to ensure they are capable of covering your needs:

• Are there any samples of tours created for similar properties?
• How much time will it take from shooting to completion?
• What is included in the price, and what is paid additionally?
• Who owns the files?
• How will the updates be conducted?
• Is it mobile-friendly and fast-loading enough?
• Is there a possibility of further technical support?

Try to examine the tours, not only the presentation made by a salesman. Try the tour from your mobile device to see if the transition between rooms is smooth and fast. If it doesn't seem user-friendly from your end, your clients will experience the same thing.