How Virtual Reality Can Help Sell Your Home

Posted by Dave Kotler on Tuesday, August 8th, 2023 at 2:06pm.

The Future Is Now: Virtual Reality Creates Home-Buying ExcitementWhether you fully embrace technology or would favour a return to more traditional home-selling strategies, there is no doubt that high-tech improvements have impacted real estate marketing.

While a virtual tour may not ever fully replace an actual property visit, it represents a dynamic way for buyers to preview properties of interest without spending undue time, effort or dollars on actual travel. The benefits stretch to real estate agents and sellers, however, as well as to buyers. Professional photography has long been recommended to boost the chances of a quick sale; then came virtual tours, a kind of moving picture that highlighted home features. Now virtual reality tours take it a step further, and an increasing number of real estate professionals use technology to great advantage, envisioning even greater benefits with options yet to be developed.

Benefits to Buyers and Seller Alike

By donning a headset or using a specialty viewer, prospective buyers not only see pictures of a home but also enjoy the experience of actually moving through the rooms and walking around the exterior. It's a kind of participatory journey that has dramatically altered the paradigm for showing properties.

It allows out-of-town buyers the opportunity to experience a home without leaving their home city. According to real estate professionals, it is not only a selling tool but it's embraced by sellers who want to ensure the best possible exposure for a property. Savvy agents who employ virtual tours as part of their home marketing plan find that virtual reality is a proven way to increase listing percentages. Not only is virtual reality a tool that impresses potential buyers, but it is an option that helps to energize clients and allows agents to maximize their own time and efficiency.

Although a special viewer or wearable headset is a requirement, it's not an issue for those who find the prospect of virtual home tours as exciting as the actual search for a new home. The added convenience offsets any initial hesitation.

Best Practices for Using Virtual Reality

While jumping on board with any new technology can be tempting, it's still important to do it right. If you're a seller looking to use VR in your home's marketing, there are a couple of key things to keep in mind. First, you'll want to make sure you're using high-quality images. Buyers won't care about the VR experience if the images are pixelated, and they'll come away with a less favourable view of your home. Similarly, the programs used to make the tour (or whatever else you're using the VR for) and the headset itself should be able to handle the top quality.

The other key point is to specify if any parts of the VR experience show only the potential of a home or room. You don't want to mislead buyers and have them think the home already looks a certain way. 

The Future of Virtual Reality

Future high-tech possibilities will allow the option of demonstrating, through virtual and augmented reality, how a room would appear with different furnishings, a new colour scheme, or at various times of day and night. Buyers can explore the grounds, perhaps experiment with landscaping possibilities, add a pool to the backyard, or paint a home's exterior—all without lifting a finger, signing a contract, or spending any money. Architects and designers already use virtual reality and mobile apps to show clients the effects of architectural renovations and different decor. The advantage of a virtual tour is that there is no limitation on time or space. Viewers can spend as much or as little time as they choose in a room and move freely throughout the space.

Used in conjunction with a photographic tour of the neighbourhood and a printed or online overview of the community, agents, buyers and sellers have a comprehensive package available that makes the evaluation and comparison of properties easy.

For professionals who want to maximize the real estate experience for potential clients, virtual reality tours should be high on the list of must-haves. Some futurists also predict that the senses of touch and smell may someday be incorporated into virtual reality, making a home search a total sensory experience. Whether that becomes reality or not, there is no ignoring the fact that technology is, virtually, all around us.

Dave Kotler

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