A virtual walkthrough in real estate is one of the most valuable assets in selling a home. It helps buyers envision themselves in a space so they show up prepared to seriously evaluate your home. For sellers, this helps them identify serious buyers.
Most buyers scroll endlessly through a sea of available homes, clicking but never scheduling a time to actually see the property. For buyers, casual browsing is normal, but for motivated sellers and their agents, this can quickly lead to frustration and fatigue. A week goes by -- and then a month -- and you have maybe a handful of showings on your home, if that.
The most common question sellers have at this moment is simple: What's our next move?
The best agents understand the value of a virtual walkthrough, making sure their clients' homes have one ready to go. They help prospective buyers feel at home in your potential house, helping your home sell faster.
Do Virtual Tours Help Sell Houses?
Yes, and they do this before a prospective buyer even sets foot in an available home. Virtual walkthroughs let interested buyers explore a house from virtually anywhere. Whether they're at home or work, any time a buyer wants to see an available listing, it's a click away.
Virtual walkthroughs aren't just about convenience. They let buyers see the layout of a house, envisioning their personal belongings and home decor in a new space.
From there, they can decide whether the home has the proper square footage and is a good fit. This can entice them to come see a home in person and, in some situations, weed out any buyers who may have been on the fence about a specific property.
Although listings typically have numerous pictures, they don't often help a person determine if there's enough closet space or what the layout of a master bedroom looks like. Instead, these virtual walkthroughs make buyers feel as if they're physically seeing your home, especially if they find it at 10 p.m. on a Saturday night when it's too late to call the listing agent.
Why Photos Aren't Enough to Sell a Home
Photos are great, but they're only part of the equation. The issue with photos is that some are taken with wide-angle lenses, which look great, but can distort the actual size of a room. Even with exceptional photos, a buyer may still wonder about the actual layout or how the kitchen extends into the dining room.
Photos make it difficult to see:
Where rooms connect
An awkward layout
How closets are spread throughout a house
For many buyers, understanding a layout is key, especially if they're looking for something specific, like an open floor plan or separate office space when working from home, or dedicated playrooms for children. Understanding how rooms connect ahead of time saves buyers, sellers, and agents time and energy.
When you include virtual property showings, it's easier for prospective buyers to understand the flow of a house or how natural light highlights certain spots in the home. When they show up for an actual in-person visit, they're not starting from scratch, wondering what's around every corner. This means the conversation may be more centered on negotiations than on someone trying to understand where the bathrooms are.
Virtual Walkthroughs Help Your Listing Stand Out
According to the National Association of Realtors, an average of 16,530 existing homes and 2,000 new homes are sold every single day in the United States.
A serious buyer might scroll through dozens of homes in an afternoon, which means your property needs to stand out. Listings with virtual walkthroughs tend to feel more welcoming and interactive.
Buyers can send links with virtual walkthroughs to partners and family members, essentially touring your home together. A photo gallery can't offer that type of engagement and interaction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are People Still Buying Virtual Real Estate?
Absolutely. Whether someone is looking to relocate for work or to be closer to family and friends, some buyers might defer to virtual shopping. They may also be in the market for vacation homes or interested in an investment property in an area they don't live close to. For these types of buyers, virtual real estate investment tours offer an immersive real estate experience from just about anywhere.
Are Virtual Walkthroughs Easier for Sellers?
Showing a home can be stressful for sellers. It can be uncomfortable having strangers walk through your home or dealing with last-minute scheduling.
There's also the need to keep children and pets out of the way, which can quickly become exhausting. 3D virtual tours help interested buyers skip this part, so by the time buyers visit a home, they're more likely to present a serious offer.
Do Virtual Walkthroughs Build Confidence and Trust?
When you're unsure about what a house actually looks like -- or worse, wondering if sellers are trying to hide something in photos -- it can quickly erode trust. When buyers explore a house virtually and then walk into a home to see that it looks exactly as it did in the video, it helps them feel more secure in the seller they're potentially working with.
Buyers know that listing photos can be photoshopped. When they have advanced access to virtual walkthroughs and the latest property viewing technology, they're able to explore the parts of a home that they care about the most.
Why You Can't Overlook a Virtual Walkthrough in Real Estate
The real estate market is constantly moving, with agents and sellers working across a variety of platforms. Whether it's social media, email, or mobile apps, buyers and sellers alike have more access to real estate today than ever before. A virtual walkthrough in real estate is a natural addition, with sellers sharing these listings with family and friends with ease.
If you've ever tried to manage listings across a variety of markets, you know how quickly it turns into a full-time job. That's where InvestorBootz steps in, handling everything from walkthroughs to photos, lockboxes, and notarizations.
You can focus on what matters -- securing your clients the best deals possible while we focus on coordination. Get started today.
