Virtual Ideas and Tips for Realtors

During the pandemic, we’ve had to think creatively to help our clients keep moving forward. For folks in real estate, it can feel especially challenging because the personal touch is so important in home sales. In the video below, we’re sharing what’s been working for our home builder and realtor clients.

The Virtual Walkthrough

It’s difficult to reach the same level of quality as a professional photographer or videographer with an iPhone. You’ll likely miss the dynamic areas of the house, making the tour feel incomplete.

One way to level up a video walkthrough is to have the realtor conduct a recorded Zoom walkthrough with the seller. The realtor can take time to explain what is being shown, as well as direct the seller what aspects of the home to focus on.

• After filming the walkthrough, we would suggest not posting it publicly for everyone to see.
• If the realtor has a curated list of buyers that are interested in certain properties, reach out to them.
• Set up a video call to show prospects a screen share of the pre-recorded guided tour, and guide them through that tour.

With some editing, the voice narration to the seller can be cut out. This will make the realtor and potential buyer feel more like they’re having a 1:1 conversation and walkthrough. We know its not the same as seeing the real thing, but it does prime the buyer for when they can visit in person.

Creating a 3D Tour

Zillow offers an application called Zillow 3D, where sellers can use an iPhone to create a virtual tour. The app gives a guided step by step walkthrough on how to capture a 3D guided tour and panoramas of your home.

With just an iPhone 7 or newer, any agent or seller has the ability to easily film and post one of these tours.

This is an easy, uncomplicated way to and a great alternative to an in-person tour. Again, it’s not the same quality but will help renters and buyers get a better understanding of the property.

Filming A Virtual Tour with a Matterport

Another virtual option for realtors is a Matterport 3D camera. The Matterport Pro2 is priced at $3,395, but is a great device to get professional, high-resolution images for real estate. The camera and app are super user friendly and allow you to create a digital version of your space that can be viewed from any angle.

• Getting started is easy – set up the camera on a tripod in the middle of the room and it will create a beautiful high-resolution 3D scan of the space.
• All the content is automatically uploaded to the cloud and is stitched together to create a beautiful, immersive tour.
• Another benefit of the Matterport is that you can export high resolution still images out of some of the 3D scans to use in your listing.

How To Use Matterport From a Safe Distance

• Ship or drop off the device to the seller, have them stage the house, and place the Matterport in the room.
• Follow the guided process on the Matterport app.
• Afterward, ask the seller to pack it up and leave it on the porch and the realtor can disinfect the camera.
• The end result is a beautifully scanned home without anyone else entering the home!

Everything we shared in this post are tools that have been available and will continue to be available to enhance the home buying experience. Whether you’re a real estate agent or seller, hopefully you can implement one or more of these tips!

We want to help everyone figure out better ways to navigate there times – check out our recommended gear here, browse more learning resources, or contact us!