A few years ago, it didn’t seem likely that any strategy could replace open houses and real estate agent-guided home tours when it came to marketing a home.

Providing personal service typically involved touring several properties compatible with the buyers’ wish list of features, which was time-consuming and inefficient.

Even with real estate agents preparing visual portfolios of available properties, there was still a gaping need to create a better house hunting experience that would also be more effective in showcasing houses for sale.

Enter 3-D technology for photographs and videos.

Photos, video recording and diagrams have always been critical parts of the marketing plan for any property because these tools help with the visualization process. Although adoption of this technology is in the early stages, it is proving its value in the real estate sector.

Here are 10 reasons you should consider 3-D for your next listing.

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3-D photography can facilitate the decision-making process

Whether the client is able to make a physical tour or not, in the filtering stage, buyers can narrow down their choices by “experiencing” the property through 3-D tools.

A photo set showing the main features of the property such as curbside appearance, architectural style and footprint help buyers rank their choices.

Professional photos help keep buyers focused on key selection criteria

Realistic visuals of the property can guide the decision-making process as buyers prepare a shortlist or target a specific property. With a virtual tour, buyers get a better sense of proportion, traffic flow and space utilization.

Including 3-D visuals may eliminate the need for multiple tours

Professional visuals included in the presentation package may speed up the decision-making process. With 3-D tours, time-consuming traps such as multiple visits to the property may be eliminated.

Buyers have a better sense of how the space works to find answers to questions such as: “Will my heirloom dining set fit in that dining room?”

Out-of-town buyers have a better experience with viewing the property remotely

Some buyers may claim that they are comfortable with buying a house sight unseen. Virtual tours provide a realistic experience for anyone interested in the property.

These 3-D visuals can be viewed any time and from any where in the world. The content can be viewed multiple times and manipulated for magnification and alternate angles as needed to have a better idea of what the property is really like.

The 3-D experience is more engaging

Virtual reality through 3-D technology makes real estate listings more relevant to the needs of potential buyers. With 3-D photography, buyers establish an emotional connection with the property long before they even come within a few feet of the home’s main entrance.

The visuals are striking, providing interested parties with a better sense of the space, the interiors and the potential of the property.

Giving the 3-D treatment to special features in the home can enhance them and your marketing plan

Before staging the virtual tour, determine the special features that should become the focal point of the tour.

Select an interesting spot for positioning the avatar, and find the best spot in the room for a 360-degree swivel view. Remove clutter to give the space a sleek, clean look.

The 3-D presentation is flexible

With 3-D photography, you can opt for a bare-bones presentation, or you can choose a more elaborate 360-degree animated view with the dollhouse option.

A minimum of two spins is recommended for smaller spaces, but larger luxurious interiors should be explored with more passes.

More expensive properties should get the full treatment, but even mid-range homes will generate more eyeballs with a 3-D tour embedded in the online listing. 

There’s more than one way to create a 3-D tour

The technology is in its early stages, but several companies are available for full-service 3-D packages. This means that their photographers will stage the space for you, take the photos, create the collage and upload the content to websites at your direction.

However, you can also purchase the software. You can take high quality 2-D photographs with a digital camera; upload to the platform and process accordingly to generate the 3-D tours.

Listings with the necessary sizzle stand out among similar properties

It’s new technology, and listings with 3-D photography attract more attention and encourage potential clients to spend more time on your listings.

The 3-D features drive higher engagement due to the interactive nature of the virtual tour. Enhancing interest in the property will increase the chances of selling sooner.

Sellers are relieved of the stress of being open-house ready all the time

Selling a house is a stressful process for property owners who have to live in the home until it sells. Add young children and pets to the mix, and you have a very trying situation especially when multiple viewings have to be scheduled for interested buyers.

The virtual tour reduces the need for open house and actual tours. This is also an advantage for real estate agents who can now spend less time on exploratory tours with prospective buyers.

3-D photography is a valuable tool for the real estate sector, and it’s becoming even more relevant with wider adoption and innovations.

If you’re still on the fence about using 3-D photography for at least some of your listings, remember this: Today’s video gamers and social media consumers are tomorrow’s homebuyers. Virtual tours will be right up their alley.

Richard Wolff is the co-founder of eRealty Advisors in Westchester. Connect with eRealty on LinkedIn or Facebook.

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