For many real estate agents, pivoting to a virtual space for marketing and selling properties feels scary and unnatural. As we continue to see a need for virtual marketing, our virtual open house guide remains a reliable resource for agents. Additionally, there are several tools you can use to successfully market listings virtually.
Below are 4 ways to crush your virtual open house marketing strategy:
360-Degree Panoramas
Using 360° HDReal® Panoramas in your listing will allow buyers to better visualize the space. Virtuance’s 360-degree panoramas are created by our professional photographers capturing and stitching together an image. The 360° HDReal® Panoramas work with the gyro sensors within smartphones for an even more powerful virtual impact. Additionally, our 360-degree pano images can be viewed within the Virtuance Marketing Suite or on Facebook as a post! Here are 10 samples of 360° HDReal® Panoramas.
Why we love 360° HDReal® Panoramas:
- Panoramic images put viewers at the center of an experience
- Viewers can easily change which part of the room they want to see
- The 360-degree panos are spatially accurate
- When staged, viewers can better visualize how to layout a room (vs a still image)
Zillow 3D Home Tours
Imagine buyers getting the chance to walk through your listing without actually physically being in the home. While not as ideal as an in-person tour, a virtual walkthrough is a convenient option if you cannot hold an open house or if the buyers cannot travel to a showing. Zillow 3D Tours is a tool that stitches multiple real estate images to provide one cohesive virtual experience. Similar to Google Maps Street View, Zillow 3D Tours allow viewers to click their way through the listing from their desktop or mobile device.
Did you know that 60% of prospective buyers report that viewing a floor plan was either “very” or “extremely” important when choosing a home? Zillow 3D Tours also include floor plans to give buyers a sense of the property without having to step inside the home. It only takes about 45 minutes on average to capture both a Zillow 3D tour and a floor plan.
Why we love Zillow 3D Tours:
- Buyers can tour your listing anytime, anywhere.
- Viewers receive an in-depth tour of your listing.
- Buyers can go at their own pace and easily revisit rooms.
- No hosting fees. Ever.
- The tours are dimensionally accurate and cover up to 10,000 square feet.
- Packages start at $99.
- Priority placement on Zillow and Trulia.
Facebook/Instagram Live
Social media platforms now offer live video streaming tools for users. Facebook Live and Instagram Live are two great options for hosting a virtual open house. When you do a live walkthrough, viewers will feel that real-time connection. A live social media video is a great place to speak to your audience while showing a listing. You can highlight property features and really dive into a home’s characteristics from an expert’s perspective.
Why we love Facebook and Instagram Live:
- Real estate professionals can engage with their audience
- Viewers get a walkthrough tour from a real estate professional
- Viewers can interact with the host and ask important questions
- Live videos provide a sense of togetherness and connectedness
To learn more about improving your social media strategies, read this article: Social Media For Real Estate, Strategies to Grow Your Brand Online.
Video Conferencing Platforms
An alternative to using social media platforms for live videos is to use a video conferencing platform. For example, Zoom is an excellent option for listing agents to host a virtual open house tour. You can send a Zoom meeting invite via email or social media and host a video room with up to 100 viewers. The fun thing about Zoom is the ability to add virtual backgrounds to your meeting. This is a good way to add some fun and color to your view before starting the virtual open house. We create a package of 10 free Zoom backgrounds for Realtors that you can download here.
Why we love video conferencing platforms:
- You can send out exclusive invites to serious buyers
- Zoom virtual backgrounds enhances your video meetings
- Viewers can interact directly with you through their own camera
- Buyers get an inside look of the listing from an industry expert
Taking your open house strategy virtual seems like a daunting task. Fortunately, a few real estate photography vendors and social media platforms help alleviate those difficulties with essential virtual products and tools. You can host a virtual open house in many ways, including 360-degree panoramas, Matterport 3D Tours, Facebook/Instagram Live videos, and Video Conferencing platforms, like Zoom.
To learn more about Virtuance’s virtual open house products, click here.
