360-degree virtual tours are now considered to be one of the most effective ways to attract prospective buyers. An interactive 3D tours give the clients or viewers a seamless tour experience, which may also lessen in-person showings; thus, more time is saved. It also allows the clients to navigate around the property in detail and at their own pacing. Nowadays, real estate agents tend to invest in 360-degree and 3D tour technology to enhance and deepen their sense of connections to clients. Also, it can provide them with benefits like more traffic directed to their website and a reduced number of physical open house events.
Scroll down to strengthen your knowledge about what a virtual house tour can do!
What is a 360° Virtual House Tour?
It is a simulation of a real estate property using a sequence of panoramic or 360-degree images. Features such as text, audio description, or graphic overlays can make the tour more engaging and captivating. This is highly accessible because prospective buyers are not required to view the property in person anymore. Your potential buyer will get to experience the house without actually going there. Moreover, interactive 360-degree virtual tours help clients imagine themselves in the place, thus, developing their sense of ownership.
How to Make a 360° Virtual Tour of Your House
Here are the key steps on how to make a 360-degree virtual tour of your house!
Step 1: Choosing the right equipment and software
Creating virtual real estate tours starts with choosing the right equipment and software. A panoramic or 360-degree camera would do, no need for professional cameras, as long as your camera guarantees a perfect image quality. Next is choosing the right virtual tour software provider because they might be offering a package that includes a camera and lenses.
Step 2: Planning your shots
Planning is a critical step since one wrong move, and the outcome may turn out disappointing. It would be best to study the angle of each room, so you will get to know which area you should place your camera in. The location of your camera must highlight the room’s best features. Mark the spot with a tape.
Step 3: Staging the room
Of course, you would not want to present a messy room. Staging the room so it will look perfect is necessary since you are convincing your clients here. Make sure that anything distracting in the room is removed. Remember that less is more. Also, check if the room’s lighting is enough; if not, adjust the lighting.
Step 4: Leveling the tripod
To produce high-quality, seamless virtual tours, your camera must be adequately leveled on the tripod. It must be applied to any panoramic photo you are going to take, or else, the images may not appear straight or uniform. You can download a leveling tool app on your smartphone if your tripod does not come with a built-in bubble level.
Step 5: Taking test shots
Test shots are necessary because there will still be some adjustments to make. Taking test shots will allow you to correct camera settings and adjust the lighting of the room. You can also redo the room staging if it seems off in your photo. Moreover, mirrors are overlooked when taking panoramic images, but you must be looking out for them. The camera must not be seen as a reflection.
Step 6: Capturing time
If you are done with the adjustments, you may now proceed with taking the photos. Take all the time you need to take pictures on your image list, and take as much as possible. It’s better to have more choices than too few. Always check the images first before moving forward.
Step 7: Creating the virtual tour
You may now upload the images to the software. Your chosen software will stitch the static images to generate 3D virtual tours. There will also be different features available depending on the software you are using. For example, you can add hotspots, music, or text to your tour, making it more engaging and fun to use.
Factors to Consider When Creating a Virtual House Tour
Interactive 360-degree virtual tours are no joke, and they require attention and effort. So, before proceeding to create your virtual house tour, you might want to think about these three factors first.
Goal
What results do you want the 360-degree tours to achieve? Why do you need it for your business? These are the essential questions you should ask yourself before taking action. You can be aiming for increased sales or faster sales. However, answering the questions can set the foundation for whether or not you need the virtual tour.
Budget
After determining your goal, you can check if you have enough budget to fund the 360-degree tours. There are two different categories, 360-degree photography and CGI. How much are you willing to spend on your tour?
For 360-degree photography, this is more affordable than CGI. However, the project must be existing, so 360-degree tour photos can be taken.
On the other hand, for CGI tours, there are no limitations. All the virtual tour creator needs are the floorplans. However, they are more expensive than the first option. It is costly since the artist has to create a 3D model of everything you want to see in your tour.
Time frame
Lastly, the time frame. Of course, no art can be created in just one snap. You have to determine how soon you need the virtual tour. For a 360-degree photographer, it could likely take a week to create, but it takes a bit longer for a CGI tour to be ready. Making sure of the timeframe first before deciding to go for a virtual tour is necessary, so there won’t be rushed results.
Why go for a 360° Virtual House Tour?
The 360-degree virtual house tour is very different from video walk-throughs because you get to explore the property independently. Investing in high-resolution virtual tours can make you save a lot of money because it will be a permanent open house. It will be accessible anytime and anywhere in the world. It is beneficial, especially when showcasing a property in a rural area or if your client lives far away. Also, it is a new way to get ahead of your competitors since 360-degree tours are new and innovative.
Moreover, it can also be another way to filter out potential buyers. If the clients contact you after touring virtually, they are interested in the property, and there might be a higher chance of them buying the deal. Also, with 360-degree tours, you won’t have to do the staging again and again because it is permanent on the internet.
Read More: 7 Benefits of 3D Virtual Tours for Your Real Estate Business
Tips to Remember When Making Realistic Virtual Tours of Houses
Of course, you have to exert your best when it comes to things like this since this can make you seal the deal. Here are some tips you must remember to make an informative tour experience.
Equipment checking
It is essential to check your equipment, its battery life, and its quality. Your panoramic camera lens is responsible for how the results would turn out; however, a low-cost camera does not mean low-quality results. Those cameras are keeping up with the technology.
Shooting time
You should choose the perfect shooting time. A perfect shot with ideal lighting can save you more time in the post-production process.
Shutter speed
It would also be best to manually adjust your shutter speed. When there is more light coming in, make sure that your shutter speed is lower. A higher shutter speed is a recommended setting when taking a photo in a dark room.
Clean up
It would also be best to manually adjust your shutter speed. When there is more light coming in, make sure that Always be aware of the surroundings, and keep your attention to detail. Make sure that you are taking a photo of an area that is well cleaned and has no distractions. In addition, you must also get rid of unnecessary furniture and decorations. Remember, less is more.
Get more lighting
Lighting is very needed when it comes to any type of photography. Get as much light as you can to make the home feel warmer.
Beware of mirrors
A reflection of yourself or the camera may show in a mirror. So if there’s any, make sure to place the camera where there is no reflection. Reflective windows can also show reflection.
Take a lot of photos.
A refleIt is better to take more photos than less, and you will have many options to choose from. You may also choose to hire a real estate photographer for guaranteed high-quality results.
Create engaging and realistic 360° House Tours with Viewtech3D
Make Viewtech3D your partner when it comes to innovative and creative solutions for your real estate business. Turn your imagination into a 3D visualisation by getting in touch with the leading 360 house tour services provider!
