The Benefits of a VR Tour for Real Estate

If you aren’t already utilizing VR tours for your real estate business, now is the time. Virtual reality is becoming increasingly popular in society, and the real estate industry is no exception. However, VR is more than just the latest trend. It’s also a reliable way to increase sales by attracting new customers, improving the real estate purchasing experience, and saving everyone time.

Virtual reality can help you reach more customers and make faster sales. Here’s how (and why) you should use VR tours to grow your business.

VR is Becoming More Important for the Real Estate Industry

If you think virtual reality is way off in the future, think again. A growing number of Americans are comfortable using virtual reality. In fact, experts predict that nearly 59 million Americans will utilize some form of virtual reality content in 2021. The technology is also relevant when it comes to real estate. In 2018, a Coldwell Banker real estate study revealed that 77% of Americans appreciate VR tours when shopping for homes.

It’s clear that virtual reality is no longer science fiction; it’s an actionable way to immerse people in physical spaces from the comfort of their own homes. For the real estate industry, that means removing the barriers of space and time that impact the right time to show an apartment, condo, or home.

Nowadays, potential buyers and lessees can make critical real estate decisions from anywhere, including their mobile phones. Since 85% of American households own a smartphone, it’s easy to see how mobile-optimized virtual reality can be extremely useful in the real estate space.

How important is this technology for the real estate industry? At this point, it’s nearly essential. In addition to making it easier for people to view properties, virtual reality property viewing also helps effectively stage homes. Instead of showing what is, create what could be with virtual staging. Staging is not a new concept. In fact, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported that 82% of buyer’s agents said staging made the process easier for their buyers.

Recreating an in-person experience is only one aspect. Virtual staging can also help buyers visualize properties, customize surfaces, and design landscapes.

How a VR Tour Helps Increase Your Sales

How can you translate this technology into sales for your agency? The first step is creating VR tours for your properties. When you establish your agency as a virtual reality real estate company, one that utilizes this technology to provide the best possible experience for your customers, you stand apart in a very competitive market.

VR tours make it easy to present the most flattering view of a property and create a memorable experience for potential buyers, but it’s not just about creating walkthroughs for specific properties. When you create VR tours, you create a service for your customers. Having VR tours online increases the visibility of your brand. Offering a real estate VR tour means you’re willing to meet customers where they are at.

Your VR tour includes not only information about the property but also information about the agency. That means every VR tour potentially increases visits to your website, thereby increasing leads for future purchases. Virtual reality property viewing also makes it easy to show a properties’ value, especially when you utilize virtual staging techniques.

To summarize, a 360 VR tour for real estate can dramatically increase your sales by creating a better experience for your customers while simultaneously growing your brand and leads.

The Benefits of a VR Tour

A VR tour provides a useful experience for prospective buyers, but its benefits are greater than convenience. In fact, real estate VR tours benefit everyone involved. Here’s how those involved in the real estate process benefit from virtual reality tours.

For Agents: Save time and money while increasing your reach. In the non-virtual world, there are limits to how many people you show homes to and how many people you can reach. VR real estate removes these barriers, making your efforts more effective.

For Sellers: Remove the stress of preparing a home for selling and continue to utilize your property. When you use virtual technology, you create an image of a staged home instead of maintaining a staged home until sold.

For Buyers: See what you are buying from the comforts of your own home. Take notes and review details as often as you like. Ask the agent questions without feeling rushed. A VR tour makes it easy to get the answers you need without wasting time.

Why You Should Choose RICOH360 Tours

Creating a VR Tour for your real estate business is easy to do when you start with the right tools. RICOH360 Tours’ suite of software simplifies the process of creating VR tours for everyday businesses. Our all-in-one mobile solution works with both iOS and Android phones, utilizing RICOH THETA to create immersive experiences for real estate customers.

Help your business stand apart with:

High-Quality Images: Our RICOH THETA 360 degree camera for real estate delivers the highest quality images that help simulate the effect of actually being there.

Simple & Easy-to-use: Use your smartphone to post VR tours to your website or social profiles in minutes – no technical skills required.

Fast Setup: Create a VR tour and grow your business in three simple steps.
1. Connect your RICOH THETA camera with the app.
2. Capture and label your photos.
3. Share your tours online.

Smart Technology: Automatic upgrades, AI image enhancement and video creation, and auto image cropping make your smartphone as powerful as a high-end digital camera.

RICOH360 Tours is not only a high-quality solution for virtual reality tours; it’s also one of the best.

VR tours are a practical way to support and grow your real estate agency, and nowadays, they are easier than ever to create. Rely on RICOH for business-proven solutions with high accessibility and even greater returns. RICOH 360 Tours builds upon the industry-leading RICOH THETA to capture and share visually stunning VR tours that help you sell properties faster.

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