What is a virtual tour and why is it important for Bakersfield real estate agents in 2021?
Everyone has their own idea of what a "virtual tour" is. This word is used to cover a variety of different products, such as a real estate video walkthrough, a Matterport tour, a Zillow 3D tour, or even a property website. Although we provide all of these services, only two of them are considered a virtual tour. So what is it really? When we say "Virtual Tour", we mean a tour created by using a 360 camera that allows potential buyers to "walk through" a property at their own pace in the comfort of their own home. With COVID-19 taking the world by storm, it is more important than ever to provide marketing material that potential buyers can view without having to go out and see the property in person. This will cut down on unnecessary showings and ensure that if someone is setting an appointment to view your listing, they are seriously thinking of purchasing it.
Illuminate Real Estate Photography offers two different types of virtual tours; they are Matterport and Zillow 3D tours. There are some similarities between these products, but there are also some really big differences. Let's look at the two different virtual tours side by side.
Matterport Tour // Starting at $150
Matterport is the king when it comes to virtual tours. Potential buyers not only get to move through the property at their own pace, but also experience the "dollhouse effect", which means they see the property from a top down view and jump to different parts of the property. This is important because it allows you to see the layout of the home and see how the different areas are connected. The dollhouse effect is stunning, and your sellers and potential buyers will love it. You will receive a branded version as well as an MLS compliant non branded link. Creating Matterport Tours is time intensive and a hosting fee is involved which makes this a more costly choice.
Dollhouse effect using Matterport.
Zillow 3D // Starting at $50
Zillow 3D is another great option for agents looking to add more marketing tools for potential buyers. Just like Matterport, buyers are able to walk through the space at their own pace using nodes that point to different areas of the property. Zillow 3D is not as flashy as Matterport, but it makes up for that by automatically being uploaded straight to your Zillow listing. Not only is it automatically added to Zillow, but it gives your new listing a boost in Zillow search results for the first 7 days! You will receive a Branded and unbranded MLS link. Creating a Zillow 3D tour is a much faster process and with no hosting fee it makes it the more economical choice.
Examples of Zillow 3D nodes
Virtual tours are a great way to show potential buyers your new listing. Don't miss out on this opportunity to provide value for your clients and also show them you care about their safety. Add a virtual tour to your next real estate photography booking!