Do you want to be able to market your listing even more effectively? It is important to stay ahead of your competition when it comes to dazzling buyers with a beautiful presentation of your listing. One way to create an impact is through virtual luxury home tours. 

These tours are an interactive way for buyers to tour listings without needing to be there in person. They will be able to get a better sense of the size of each room as well as the layout of the property. Out-of-state buyers will be far more likely to put in an offer if they feel confident in the virtual tour. 

Moreover, you will not have to waste your time with buyers who request a walkthrough but are immediately turned off by the layout of the home. 

With this in mind, read on to learn everything you need to know about virtual tours as well as the benefits you can enjoy for luxury homes! 

What Are Virtual Home Tours? 

First, it is important that you understand what a virtual tour is before we can explain all its benefits. Virtual tours enable buyers to interact with panoramic images, giving them a better feel for a space.

This is because as they click around the image and drag it in order to move forward and around, they can get a better idea of the home's layout and how rooms link together. 

These tours can also be called a luxury home 3D tour or a 360 tour, though there are a number of differences. 

3D Tours

3D tours are almost exclusively created by the Matterport camera as well as the website. This provides a "dollhouse" view of the house that shows the entire layout of the home on one screen. Buyers can then zoom in on each part of the house and take a look around by clicking the image. 

This gives homeowners a very accurate perception of the space without needing to be there. Because of the quality of the images and the dollhouse view, this is the perfect option for a luxury real estate tour. 

Companies like Hommati incorporate this technology into their listings and have capitalized on this service since the beginning of Covid-19 and social distancing.

360 Tours

The terms "3D tour" and "360 tour" are often used interchangeably, but 360 tours typically lack the dollhouse view that Matterport provides. These are usually created by photographers through their DSLRs or 360 cameras. Buyers are still able to interact with the images and walk through the house virtually. 

However, they will not be able to enjoy a dollhouse view that shows the entire layout of the home. 

Drone Aerial Videos

Last but not least, drone aerial videos are another kind of content that may be called "virtual tours" by professionals. Buyers are not able to interact with the video the same way they do with 3D tours and 360 tours. Instead, they will watch a short video that shows viewers the entire exterior of the house from every different angle. 

How is a Virtual Home Tour Created? 

When it comes to luxury home virtual tours, we recommend opting for a 3D virtual home tour. The images produced by Matterport cameras are bright, sharp, and vibrant. Buyers can also benefit from the dollhouse view the Matterport platform is able to provide. 

Here is a quick overview of how a company like Hommati is able to create your virtual tour. 

Capturing the Images

Your virtual tour is created either through a Matterport camera or a 360 camera. The photographer places the camera on a sturdy tripod and connects it to their phone. Once connected, they begin to scan the space around them. 

During the scanning process, everyone is required to leave the general area as the camera will rotate a complete 360-degrees. After the scan, the photographer moves the camera five to eight feet and scans again. 

Reviewing Images

After the scans are completed, the photographers take a look at the images captured and ensure that they are ready for upload. They may need to use a trim tool in order to cut out scan data that is unnecessary. They will also mark all windows and mirrors. 

Uploading the Images

Photographers upload their images to the Matterport platform for processing. Once they are completed, they are emailed a link that can be shared with you and linked to the MLS listing.

This process may sound simple enough to do on your own, but it requires a lot of training and money to get the equipment and to know how to properly use it. That is why it is best to leave it to professional companies like Hommati.

What Are the Benefits of a Luxury Real Estate Tour? 

Now that you know what it takes to create virtual home tours, what are the benefits of this process? You already know that the interactive nature of virtual tours gives buyers a better idea of the home's layout, especially if they are browsing from outside the city or state.

Here are a few more benefits that you and your buyers can enjoy: 

Increased Marketing Potential 

As a realtor, it is important that you are able to stand out from the dense competition in your local area. One way you can do this is to show potential clients that you are on the leading edge when it comes to marketing properties. By showcasing previous virtual tours that you have had created, clients will feel more confident that you'll be able to market their home effectively. 

Some realtors fail to even have professional photos taken. With both professional photos and a virtual 3D tour, you will be able to show that you go the extra mile for your clients. 

Qualified Leads

One of the issues of failing to provide a virtual tour of the property is wasting your time and buyers' time with open houses. Although photos can pique buyers' interests on real estate websites, some may find that they immediately dislike the property because of the layout or because the photos did not properly translate the size of each room. 

Virtual tours can help cut down on these open houses. Buyers will have the ability to gain an understanding of a home's layout without needing to be there. You will find that the people who ask to view the property in person are more prepared to put in an offer. 

SEO Potential

A benefit that realtors do not consider is that virtual tours provide a boost in SEO. By posting your virtual tours on your website, you will enjoy increased traffic from home buyers. Since virtual tours are interactive, buyers are more likely to stay on your website for minutes at a time, which looks great for the Google algorithm. This is important because users usually leave within 10 seconds or less.

Even better, the interactive nature of virtual tours makes buyers more likely to interact with other aspects of your website. Placing an email list sign-up link right below your virtual tours is an easy way to boost and build your email campaigns. 

Social Media Exposure

Virtual tours are still a novel experience for many home buyers. This means that if they find a virtual tour that they like, they are far more likely to share it on their social media pages for friends and family to view it as well. If your virtual tour is posted on your website, this means that you will be receiving dozens of links back to your website, boosting both your SEO as well as your traffic. 

Even better, the friends and family of clients are far more likely to work with you with this social media endorsement of the services you provide! 

Virtual Luxury Home Tours for High-Quality Listings

Investing in virtual luxury home tours is great for your brand as well as your listings. Interested buyers are far more likely to take a look at the property you are selling if it includes a virtual home tour, especially out-of-state buyers that need to have a better idea of the home's size and layout. 

Even better, investing in 3D virtual tours shows clients that you take their property marketing seriously. Many realtors fail to invest in photography or even video for their listings, choosing instead to use their cell phone cameras. Although this saves them some money for the short-term, in the long-term they fail to stand out from competitors and can even make a property look worse in photos. 

By using these virtual services, you are enhancing the chance of success for your listing. All you need to do is to ensure that the property is clean and tidy before the photographer arrives so that you can showcase it in its best light! 

Ready to sell listings fast through innovative technologies that include virtual tours? Enroll with us today in order to enjoy our free agent resources!