Blog
How Virtual Reality Tours will be the new normal to promote the successful sales of real estate remotely
The novel COVID-19 virus outbreak has forced businesses across the world to embrace sudden changes. Owing to the lockdowns imposed by Governments across many countries globally, one can expect the situation to be similar even after the pandemic.
Change is inevitable and for continued growth and evolution, companies have to face such situations of uncertainty constructively.
The real estate industry is one such example. The physical presence of customers is necessary for real estate agents and architects to manage their business.
However, in the present times, people are more concerned about their health and prefer to stay inside. This poses a threat to realtors who cannot get in touch with their clients like before.
But, touchless technologies like Augmented Reality(AR) and Virtual Reality(VR) are proving to be lifesavers for the industry. Whether it is VR tours or virtual staging, the emerging technology is set to build a better environment for both realtors and customers.
Let’s dig deeper into how virtual Reality Tours can use VR/AR to help with the remote sales of the real estate space.
Virtual Reality Tours, what are they?
In the coming days, there is no doubt that online business will be the new normal. Real estate is one of the industries that will also operate its business remotely with the help of Virtual Tours. VR tours are powerful storytelling tools that help users explore every nook and corner of a property from the comfort of their homes. The main advantage of VR tours is that they reduce the costs involved tremendously for realtors. Also, students and working professionals who can’t visit properties because of time constraints or geographical barriers will find Virtual Touring very beneficial. All one needs to do is schedule a remote viewing of the property with the assistance of a sales agent. What’s more interesting is that VR tours offer a sense of feel and experience. They help potential clients to imagine their space and lifestyle even before they start living in that place. Not to mention that realtors can tease their customers through experiential marketing campaigns even before the actual opening of a property.
Potential of VR in Remote sales solutions
AR/VR has huge potential to transform the real estate industry in the next decade. In fact, remote sales will be the major source of income for businesses in the future. If you want to keep your customer base intact and enhance your customer relationships at the same time, start with offering your clients new tools letting them experience their properties seamlessly. A tailored approach including VR tools like 360-degree content, VR tours, and Virtual walkthroughs will allow them to check whatever they want inside a property irrespective of time and place. After all, who wouldn’t love getting what they want from their homes without moving n inch? Here is a list of VR tools that can promote remote sales.
Virtual walkthroughs
Virtual Reality walkthroughs offer a real-life property tour through a headset based on immersive technology.
Not only do clients have a complete picture of their future homes, but also they can swap furniture and redecorate the space as per their choice.
From modifying wall colours to experimenting with new decor items, VR staging or 3D walkthrough animation are advantageous in the following ways:
1. One can save a lot of money as there is no need to change every detail in a space; clients can reinvent it virtually.
2. Realtors can save a significant amount of time and increase the pace of their sales. Instead of wasting hours on planning a single property, they can advertise multiple houses to new clients in a shorter period.
AR-based Portals
Augmented Reality portals are a combination of VR tours and AR. The best part of portal tours is that they allow clients to be guided through a property on their own with no need for any headset or image-based markers. Simply put, AR portals are examples of perfection because they are open 24/7 and are completely accessible to the client. Real estate agents can use portal tours as a digital model with a hand-held device taking their customers on a virtual walkthrough of any property from any place. Clients can inspect surfaces, imagine opening doors or switch on lights in a room or even turn on the shower in the washroom. Portal tours also allow clients to watch the property repetitively through an app and reconnect with the realtors over video-cal if they have any queries or want to address concerns. They increase the chance of sales by keeping the clients interested in the tour even after the meeting with the realtor is over.
360-degree virtual tours
For 360-degree virtual touring, relators need to embed 360-degree panoramic videos in a web browser and share them on social media. There is no requirement for any goggles, apps, costly production houses, or camera crews. Being a web viewer solution, 360-degree photography will be the easiest way to create interactive tours of any property. They will be one of the most effective next-gen marketing tools for engaging clients to book rooms or rent an apartment.
Signing off…
AR/VR is not entirely new. According to recent news, tech giants like Facebook are also moving towards AR and VR for transforming the remote workspace. With a concept of “mixed reality”, the virtual workspace will likely involve floating displays and keyboards. Similarly, the real estate industry is constantly adopting these technologies to evolve with the changing landscape of the requirements of users. Virtual Reality Tours have the capacity to take customers to new places and experience a property differently, revolutionizing the way realtors do business, thereby boosting sales. The ability of VR to be able to emotionally engage with customers within a matter of minutes ensures that they remain interested, which eventually leads to an increase in sales. In a nutshell, AR/VR has immense potential in giving an edge to the realtors and is a blessing to the real estate industry. Are you also a realtor struggling to gain customers and keep the business going? It is high time to turn to AR and VR!