Post by
As technology evolves and unexpected events continue to alter the daily lives of people around the globe, the housing market has been left with a problem which has negatively affected the market over the past year: in-person tours. Tours are vital for prospective tenants to truly be infatuated with the new place they are about to call home. They occur to prove that the space measures up to what it looks like online in terms of layout, colors, sizing of the rooms and, in some cases, the outline of the amenities the community has to offer. In short, tours give you the feeling of “how would I feel if I lived here?” without moving in!
With that being said, now that in-person tours are not nearly as common nor wanted as they used to be, online realty resources have improved, and they’re here to stay. What I mean by that is, virtually touring.
There are a few different options when it comes to virtually touring a new home, and all have their values that make them an effective replacement rather than seeing a property in person.
3D Floor Plans
The most effective choice, in my mind, is 3D floor plans. They offer a level of “big picture” style that other forms aren’t able to provide. You’re able to see the whole space of the property, whether it be a house, townhome, or apartment with nearly exact dimensional accuracy, all based solely off of the original blueprint of the space. That’s just the surface – with details or photos provided of the property, exact matches of colors and materials are detailed in the final product. Furniture is also added to spice up the floor plan with various options to confidently display the final product for prospective residents. This gives them an idea of the type of furniture that would fit with the space upon move-in, as well as that first “home” feeling they would get before relocating.
Matterport
The closest thing to an actual tour is a Matterport. This incredible service offers a third-person experience in which you click your way through the property, room by room. They’re made with specialized 360-degree cameras, which are able to accurately depict the space as if the prospect is actually there, giving you the ability to rotate your view and see all angles from where you are standing. Then, just click on a different space, and you’ll be moved to that location – it’s that simple. In order to make Matterports reach their highest level of effectiveness, staging furniture would be suggested, otherwise the user will be walking through an empty, uninteresting house.
Video Walkthrough
An easy and helpful way to provide an alternative for in-person tours is by providing a video walkthrough of the property. In comparison to 3D floor plans or a Matterport, video walkthroughs don’t provide the same sense of freedom as you aren’t able to explore on your own terms, rather the terms of the person who recorded it. There could also be lighting or clarity issues that aren’t detected until brought up by a prospect, but by that time it may be too late! Don’t get me wrong, video walkthroughs are great if you’re looking for a cheaper and quicker option to give prospects a feel of the space they’re interested in; however, they don’t possess the same amount of patience that finding a new home needs.
While these methods can certainly be applied to residential properties, they hold the same value for commercial properties as well! With plenty of options in mind, be sure to think of them while effectively marketing your property online, as you’ll be sure to get more traction.
