You should understand, as the proprietor of a rental property, the significance of marketing when it comes to locating ideal tenants. You’re losing out on a fantastic opportunity if you still haven’t used virtual tours! Providing prospective tenants with the opportunity to virtually explore your rental properties can serve as an effective means of acquainting them with the features of the establishment prior to their physical visit. We shall expound upon the advantages of virtual tours in relation to the marketing of rental properties and explicate why each proprietor of such properties ought to capitalize on them in the subsequent paragraphs.
Virtual Tour Basics
A virtual tour is a computer-generated model of a rental home that allows prospective tenants to virtually explore the area. Virtual tours offer an immersive and comprehensive view of each room, in contrast to photographs that display the property from a restricted vantage point. Virtual tours also provide potential tenants with the ability to estimate the size of rooms and other sections of the house and see how their furniture will fit in.
Virtual tours of rental properties are favored by a significant number of tenants, according to recent research. According to data compiled by Zumper, more than 70% of tenants said they would be open to renting an apartment without physically seeing it as long as they could view it via a three-dimensional virtual tour.
Types of Virtual Tours
Virtual tours offer potential tenants an immersive experience by enabling them to examine your rental homes from any location without physically being there. Before they see the property, they will be able to assess whether the place meets their demands and grasp it. 360-degree virtual tours, 3D virtual tours, and virtual reality tours are the three primary varieties of virtual excursions available.
1. 360-degree Virtual Tour: By piecing together multiple photos to generate a single panoramic image, 360-degree virtual tours are produced. These images provide prospective tenants with a comprehensive view of a room in a single panorama, enabling them to navigate by clicking and dragging. For rental property proprietors who are new to the world of virtual tours, 360-degree virtual tours are an outstanding choice due to their inexpensiveness and are simple to create.
2. 3D Virtual Tour: Potential tenants can explore the property as if they were physically present via a three-dimensional (or “true”) virtual tour, which offers a more immersive experience than a 360-degree virtual tour. A rental home is photographed extensively in order to make these tours, which are then assembled using specialized software. 3D virtual tours are usually reserved for luxury rental properties due to the time and work involved in producing results that are up to par.
3. Virtual Reality Tour: The newest and most entertaining way to view homes is through virtual reality (VR) tours. Potential tenants are afforded the opportunity to virtually traverse the premises, investigating each room, by donning a virtual reality (VR) headset. VR tours, which were once uncommon, are now becoming more prevalent due to the increased accessibility of VR technology.
The Benefits of Using Virtual Tours
Consider some of the advantages of utilizing virtual tours for the purpose of marketing your rental property, now that we’ve covered the fundamentals.
• Convenience. Considerable convenience is the most significant advantage of virtual tours. You can show your rental properties to potential tenants without requiring them to leave their homes or work schedules. Particularly advantageous is this service for international or out-of-state renters who need to schedule a visit to personally inspect the premises.
• 24/7 Availability. Virtual excursions are accessible around-the-clock and every day of the week. This implies that prospective renters won’t have to accommodate your availability; instead, they can visit your rental units on their own time.
• Increased Online Engagement. Also shown to boost engagement are virtual tours. Search engine optimization, or SEO, for your rental property can be enhanced with virtual tours. Incorporating a virtual tour into your property listing is an excellent method to enhance your search engine position as Google favors new and original material.
How to Optimize Your Virtual Tours
Now that you are aware of the advantages of virtual tours, the following advice will assist you in maximizing their use:
• Quality Matters. It’s better to use high-quality images and videos as grainy or low-resolution images are bad for virtual tours. Utilize high-quality virtual tour content to increase prospective tenants’ awareness of your rental properties.
• Include a Call to Action. Towards the end of your virtual tour, incorporate a call to action (CTA). Potential tenants are encouraged to take the next action, such as scheduling a showing or contacting you for more information, via a CTA, which can take the form of a statement or icon. A CTA encourages potential tenants to take action and get one step closer to signing a lease.
With virtual tours, you can give prospective tenants a taste of your rental homes without requiring them to come in person. The time is now to begin utilizing virtual tours in your rental property marketing if you haven’t already. Contact your local Real Property Management office today to learn more about incorporating virtual tours into your rental property marketing.
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