The question on every home seller’s mind is, "What do I need to do to sell my home?"
While the home selling process may seem straightforward, it requires finesse in today's fast-paced real estate market.
Having an online presence is crucial to catching the eye of potential buyers. With most house hunters beginning their search online, a high-quality virtual home tour is no longer just a bonus; it's a necessity. Creating a standout tour can give home sellers a competitive edge, attract more viewers, and lead to a quicker sale.
Why Virtual Tours Are Essential for Sellers
Homebuyers are increasingly turning to the internet to guide their property search. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), 44% of recent homebuyers used online tools to look for properties. Among those, 50% found virtual tours to be a helpful feature. With 77% of buyers using online listings to search for properties, it's a good idea to include more than a few photos in your listing to capture attention.
Including a virtual tour in your home listing offers several key advantages:
Broader reach: Virtual tours allow more buyers to see your listing, including military homebuyers who may be at a duty station across the country and unable to visit the property in person. Listings with high-quality photos and virtual tours receive significantly more clicks than those without. The convenience of remotely touring a home can lead to more serious inquiries and faster decisions.
Increased engagement: Listings with virtual tours are more engaging and encourage potential buyers to spend more time exploring your property. This increased engagement translates to a higher likelihood of offers.
Better decision-making: Buyers are more likely to make informed decisions when they have access to a virtual tour, as it gives them an accurate understanding of the property’s features and layout, leading to fewer in-person showings that end in disappointment.
Virtual tours offer an interactive and engaging experience that provides far more detail than static images, giving buyers a sense of what it is like to live in the home. And it’s one of the best ways to increase your property's visibility and appeal.
What to Include in Your Virtual Home Tour
What exactly should you include to make your virtual tour stand out? Here are the elements that will ensure your tour is both captivating and informative.
1. High-Quality Photography
The foundation of any effective virtual tour is high-quality photos. You want buyers to experience the home in its best light, literally and figuratively. High-resolution images that capture each room are essential.
Poor lighting or blurry photos can turn potential buyers away, even if the home has potential. Consider hiring a professional real estate photographer to provide crisp, bright, and accurate images.
2. 360-Degree Interactive Views
A key feature of a successful virtual home tour is its interactivity. A 360-degree view lets potential buyers navigate through the space on their own. Allowing viewers to control the tour and explore rooms from every angle gives them a more immersive experience.
Photo by SHVETS production from Pexels via Canva.com
3. Floor Plans and Layouts
Adding floor plans to your virtual tour is another must-have. They offer a better sense of the home’s flow and help buyers see how rooms connect and understand the dimensions of the space. Many buyers have a tough time visualizing the layout of a home from photos alone, so floor plans bridge that gap.
4. Detailed Narration or Descriptions
Photos and interactive features are important, but add context to the virtual tour with voice-over narration or descriptions of each space. Highlight the unique features of each room, such as high-end appliances, custom finishes, or energy-efficient upgrades. Additional details about the neighborhood, such as proximity to schools, parks, or public transportation, are also great to include.
5. Staging
While physical staging is effective, it can be costly. Virtual staging can be a more cost-efficient alternative. The process digitally furnishes empty rooms, makes them look more inviting, and help buyers visualize how to use the space. It's useful for homes that are vacant or have outdated furnishings.
6. Video Walkthroughs
Video walkthroughs guide buyers through a home, showcasing key areas and providing a sense of the layout. It offers a more dynamic perspective, conveying the ambiance and showing how natural light flows through rooms. It's the ultimate storytelling tool, helping buyers connect emotionally with the space.
A virtual home tour is essential in today’s real estate market, offering significant advantages to buyers and sellers. To ensure your virtual tour stands out, include high-quality photography, interactive 360-degree views, detailed floor plans, and thoughtful descriptions. These key elements will help your listing attract more views and create a more immersive and engaging experience for buyers.
Find more home selling tips in our free guide below.
