Due to advances in technology, the global pandemic, and the changing preferences of younger generations, homebuying is moving online. 

This involves various aspects of the homebuying process, from searching for suitable homes to touring properties virtually.

While real estate virtual tours aren’t anything new, they’ve become a mainstay in the Canadian homebuying experience.

Let’s explore further why virtual tours are growing in popularity and how they can provide significant advantages to real estate agents, property managers, and building developers alike. 

Homebuyers are Moving Online, Thanks to COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated an already growing trend in Canadian real estate: online homebuying. As a result, more and more people use their smartphones, tablets, and computers throughout each step of the homebuying process.

In fact, in spring 2021, Google searches asking, “Should I buy a house?” hit a record high. But not only are potential homebuyers asking search engines whether buying a home is a good idea, but they’re also using online searches to:

● Search for available properties

● “Experience” the properties

● Conducting virtual tours instead of in-person visits to sales centres or open houses

The capabilities of technology allow buyers to purchase homes without ever having to visit the house in person. 

And the pandemic has driven this trend further and further. For example, due to the pandemic, open houses began to close because sellers had to constantly clean, sanitize, and disinfect homes. 

Trying to sanitize in-between showings, making appointments shorter, and potentially exposing themselves to the virus all became inconveniences for both buyers and sellers. So, it made sense just to close down in-person home real estate operations. 

As a result, virtual viewings–which have been around in real estate for a while–have become even more popular. This option has also made it easier for prospective buyers to determine if they should visit or even buy a property.

A Different Kind of House Viewing 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and changing consumer preferences, more people choose to buy a home or plot of land without physically visiting the property. 

 And in addition to virtual tours, real estate agents can showcase homes via video chat. A 360-degree virtual tour can provide a three-dimensional view of a property and space. This allows people to get a look and feel for the property without visiting it in person. 

What is a Virtual Tour?

A virtual tour is a digital recreation of physical space. Specialized cameras can shoot still and 360 videos. These cameras have multiple lenses that can capture a wide area. Stitching still images and video together into one spherical view can create clients’ experience being there in person, getting a feel for the property as if they really were there. 

Virtual tours give clients the ability to tour a home in high-resolution 3D, with graphics that provide navigation.

How Do Virtual Tours Work?

Real estate agents can use 3D VIrtual Tour (Matterport) in the early stages of the buying or leasing process to help buyers view properties online from the comfort of their homes. 

 Real estate HDR photography allows realtors to show prospective buyers stunning photographs of a property, allowing for an excellent first impression. 

3D floorplans help buyers get a sense of a property’s layout. Also, with drone videography, buyers can view a property from a bird’s perspective, also known as a bird’s eye view. 

Using 3D virtual tours, real estate agents can also host virtual walkthroughs using live video chat. This option gives buyers free rein to navigate the house at their own convenience and freely explore every part of it. 

Advantages of Real Estate Virtual Tours for Agents, Managers, and Developers

There are many benefits to using virtual tours to attract home real estate buyers. Whether you’re a real estate agent, property manager, or building developer, you can use virtual tours as an effective real estate market strategy. 

Below are the many benefits virtual tours have to offer:

●      Offer an interactive experience: Real estate virtual tours are interactive by design. They create an immersive experience for home buyers. They also allow clients to investigate and interact with a realistic digital environment. Plus, they can visit each room and take in various details such as lighting fixtures, flooring, and cabinet finishes, all from their device. 

●      Let buyers experience an instant sense of ownership: Virtual tours allow clients to independently tour a property at their own pace, on their own time. This helps to create a sense of autonomy because they can show themselves around without the help of an agent. 

●      Get a permanent open house: There’s nothing like meeting with clients in person and showing them a property. But unfortunately, organizing open houses take time. Scheduling, staging, keeping track of notes, and spending long hours on-site can take a toll. Virtual tours allow you to cut out a lot of this work by digitizing this part of the process. 

●      Stand out from the crowd: Virtual house tours can give you a competitive edge and make your business stand out. They have the power to add that “wow’ factor to your listings. By embedding a virtual tour into your website, you can capture visitors’ attention. As a result, they’re more likely to stay on your site longer. 

●      Help customers visualize your project: For building developers with a product that isn’t yet finished, 3D virtual tours can give clients a detailed plan instead of simple sketches of the property. 

Why Outsource 360° Virtual Tour Services to Restudio?

Are you ready to shift your real estate business to the next gear? Get the local, experienced help you need by working with Restudio in Toronto GTA. 

We can help you create virtual tours and HDR photos to promote properties and plan construction projects. 

We genuinely believe that there’s excellent ROI in 3D virtual tours, and we can show you. Get a free consultation today to see how we can help you sell homes faster for more money.