VIRTUAL WORLD OF REAL ESTATE - THE IMMERSIVE 3D TOURS
Any successful real estate agent will agree that a real estate listing must include professional real estate photography, ideally with some aerial photos or video, a floor plan, and perhaps even a nice cinematic video. These elements create an emotional reaction in potential buyers, making them more likely to request a visit and see the property in person. Such media are extremely effective in promoting listings to local buyers, but what about those out of state?
During the COVID-19 era, virtual tours gained immense popularity because they allowed buyers to tour homes without human interaction and from the safety of their own space. As we have emerged from the pandemic and are free from human interaction restrictions, the demand for 3D tour services has decreased, and realtors are less inclined to include them in their listings. However, there might be a new purpose for these tours as more people relocate to other states, especially professionals working remotely who are trying to escape high-cost living areas. Studies show that remote workers relocating to relatively low-cost living cities is a trend that has been constantly growing since the peak of the pandemic.
This trend presents a great opportunity for real estate markets like Tulsa, Oklahoma, to capitalize on it by making it easier for out-of-state buyers to purchase homes without traveling, using 3D virtual tours. Zillow's study claims that a 3D Home tour makes homes sell, on average, 14% faster than listings without this feature. To promote this feature, Zillow even offers premium placement on Zillow and Trulia for real estate listings with Zillow 3D Home.
If you are not a fan of Zillow and still want to benefit from 3D tour perks, Matterport provides high-quality virtual tours that include the popular "dollhouse" view. Matterport tours are also accepted on Zillow's site.
Whichever 3D tour you choose to incorporate into your listing, they will certainly contribute to faster sales. As technology progresses, these services have become very affordable, making them a smart investment for real estate agents.
