Four 'must haves' for a virtual tour

Did you know that virtual reality tours are a great way to showcase your premises?

In fact, nearly 200 million people used virtual tours last year, and that number is only going to grow. With so many people using virtual tours to find their next home or rental property, showcase their office and allow people to take an immersive walkthrough of their premises, this is the perfect time for you to get started on yours.

Virtual tours are an excellent way to help people see the potential in your property or location without having to take time out of their busy days for a personal tour. They’re also much more convenient than a real-life tour, which means they’ll be able to return to your listing again and again if they find something they like.

If you’re thinking about creating a virtual tour, there's definitely a few things that you want to think about (aside of the cost) so here's a few pointers of things to look out for - but first...

What is a Virtual Tour?

A virtual tour is the act of using 360-degree photos, videos and models to give people a tour of your premises without ever having to leave their computers or mobile device. A good tour will allow people to look in every direction and see everything that’s important about your property, which means they’ll be able to see everything they need to in order to make a decision about a potential rental or purchase, take a visit or just understand more about your business..

Virtual tours have been around for years and have become much more advanced over time. Today, they are available in many different formats, including a desktop tour, an app tour, and a walkthrough tour.

Four 'must-haves' for your virtual tour

To ensure that your virtual tour is as effective as possible, you’ll want to make sure it has a few key components.

Here are four must-haves for your virtual tour.

A visible walkthrough and 3D model: Your tour should have the capacity to provide a walkthrough so people can see where they can go. This will help them get a real sense of the property and know where they can find everything they need.  If it has the option to provide this as an automated walkthrough option that's even better.  In addition, providing a 3D model is helpful for users to orientate themselves and get an overall sense of the property.

High Quality Detailed visuals: We've all seen the 'virtual tour' where someone is simply walking around their premises filming on their mobile phone - what rubbish!  Virtual tours can be so much more immersive and professional and you want to make sure you’re including plenty of visuals, like photographs or professional-quality images too. These will help people see the potential in your property and make a decision based on their experience with it. 

360-degree images: To make your tour as immersive as possible, you’ll want to include 360-degree images. These will allow people to see what’s around them in every direction, which will help them feel like they’re actually there. In addition, you can use audio to add even more to the experience. 

An interactive tour: An interactive tour will allow people to control their experience. They can choose which rooms or areas they want to see first and go at their own pace. This will make the tour even more immersive.

Virtual tours are a great way to help people get a better sense of what your property looks like before they ever set foot in it.

People rely heavily on reviews and visuals when they’re trying to decide where to stay, visit or buy, so creating a virtual tour can help you stand out from the crowd. Your tour can come in many different formats, including an app, website, or desktop tour.

As with all things there's always different routes to follow but we hope the above 'must haves' provide you with a few helpful pointers on things that you need to consider when thinking about the best route to take with your own virtual tour.