The elusive 3D tour seems to have finally come into it’s own as the technology has meshed with user demands. Gone are the days of sluggish 3D tours that don’t load properly across all devices, and those “virtual tours” that are really just a photo slideshow with music that barely qualifies for that elevator playlist. So now that 3D tours are gaining popularity and have increased usability and functionality, are they truly the future of real estate marketing?
Before we get knee deep on if 3D tours should be a part of your marketing for all your real estate listings, you should really see how these things look if you haven’t already. Here is a recent 3D tour we did here at VRX Media for one of our real estate clients and their new listing:
As you can see there, the 3D tour is a complete game changer, so if you don’t have the time or patience to read any further, the obvious answer to the question is: Yes. 3D tours are the future of real estate marketing, and you better get on the bandwagon before you start losing listings to the realtors that are early adopters.
Without further ado, here are the three big reasons why 3D tours are the future of real estate marketing:
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Mobile is Becoming the King of Property Search
If you bought a home in the past year, think back to how and where you did most of your property searching. Was it on a desktop or even a laptop? Some of you might answer yes to that, but most of us, and the stats like these here , were searching on smartphones and tablets. As we know that more and more home buyers are doing their house hunting on mobile devices, the best way to reach potential buyers with your listings is to have mobile friendly marketing…and currently nothing is more effective on mobile than a responsive full 3D tour like the one above. In fact, if you aren’t reading this on a mobile device, now is the time to switch over and run through that 3D tour again. So much more empowering, right?
2. Social Sharing is Huge
Not only are these 3D tours very easy to embed on your website and into MLS, but they have the potential to do wonders for your social media pages. We have heard of agents in our markets creating Facebook posts and ads with their new listing’s 3D tour and getting huge responses. What is more effective than a typical “new listing” Facebook post with an image, price, and house specs like everyone else is doing? You already know the answer, don’t you? A 3D tour embedded in your social media post is of course more effective and literally puts your listing out there in ways that were once thought impossible. When people click into your post, they are instantly transported into another realm…your new listings interior. #SuperIncredible
3. Photos Are Cool but…
Here at VRX Media, we are real lovers of great interior/exterior photographs. In fact, that is one of the services we offer, along with amazing aerial stills as well. But as we see 3D tours becoming the real future of marketing in residential and commercial real estate, a huge tectonic shift is about to occur, and that is a lateral switch into 3D tours becoming the primary visual over images. Are we saying images are going the way of the T-Rex (whose adorable short arms would have made him a bad photographer by the way)? Absolutely not. The shift will be comparable to the one entertainment saw in the 1950’s as television become the primary in-home media over radio. Has radio completely disappeared? Of course not, but the television is the primary way people choose to view their favorite shows and sporting events. That is how we see 3D tours taking over in the coming months and years, as the 55 inch flat screen television to your satellite radio.
Have you tried a 3D tour for any of your listings? Where do you see 3D tours in your marketing plans into 2016? If you are a seller, would you demand a 3D tour on your listing? If you are a buyer, why are listings with 3D tours more attractive and get you to your perfect home faster? Let us hear about it in the comments!
Then be sure to check out VRX Media to see if we are providing affordable 3D Tours in your area.
