Ninety-seven percent of buyers used the internet to search for homes while 51% purchased homes they found online. After all, it’s a quick and easy way to pare down the number of properties that interest you and compare prices without having to move an inch from your current location.
So, if you’re looking to grab your market’s attention and sell properties, you need to be where your customers are which is on the digital landscape.
Wondering how to sell property online?
We’ll give you insights into the common methods you can use for showcasing properties online. But, if you want to keep their attention and encourage inquiries, Plus Render recommends tapping into the transformative power of virtual reality (VR) and rendering.
3 Tried-and-Tested Ways of Selling Properties Online
Posting on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) is a great way to put your properties on sale. However, it tends to limit you to a particular geographic region. While it’s best to extend your marketing efforts to the best social media platforms for real estate, you may wonder about what you should post.
Here are some ideas on what to include:
Photos
Humans are highly visual creatures who process visuals 60,000 times faster than text.
So, if you want to grab their attention, which tends to be shorter than the notoriously ill-focused goldfish, use professional photos to attract them to your properties.
This will build a positive first impression and help buyers forge a deep emotional connection with the property. According to an internal study by IMOTO, it could also help you sell homes 50% faster at prices that are 39% closer to the original list price!
Video Tours
Real estate listings with video receive 403% more inquiries than those that are without. In addition, people who watch a video of a property are 174% more likely to purchase it!
The stats don’t lie—video marketing is incredibly effective.
Plus, 85% of buyers and sellers prefer to work with a real estate agent who uses videos. Adapt and give people what they want by incorporating video tours in your listings. This interactive media will highlight unique features and amenities while providing prospects with all the information they need before sealing the deal.
Content Is King
People want to see helpful information that gives them an accurate description of the property. Satisfy their curiosity by posting a listing description that highlights the unique selling propositions of the space, using adjectives wisely and sparingly to paint a pretty picture of what you’re selling.
And yes, be sure to add calls to action so that interested prospects will share their contact info.
While these methods have been proven to work, it’s important to know about the latest marketing trends that your prospects are responding to. One important development you shouldn’t overlook is the use of virtual reality and rendering in real estate marketing.
How Virtual Reality and Rendering Are Revolutionizing the Real Estate Market
Nearly half (47%) of the population who bought a home in the last two years made an offer without physically touring the listing. This trend is predicted to continue with the rapid advancements in virtual reality and 3D rendering. Their ability to deliver immersive property viewing in a digitally rendered world has reshaped how to sell property online.
According to a Goldman Sachs study, the use of virtual reality and rendering in real estate is expected to generate a revenue of $2.6 billion by 2025. It’s unsurprising considering that 77% of people prefer to take a VR tour before visiting a property in person.
Clearly, virtual reality is the future of real estate, so if you’re looking for innovative ways to capture your audience’s attention, it may be time to consider VR and 3D rendering.
Benefits of Using VR and Renderings To Sell Homes
Around 130,000 real estate agents used virtual reality to show homes in 2020. Because of its widespread adoption, it’s anticipated that most realtors and real estate agents will employ it in their marketing.
Here are a few ways it’s being used:
Virtual Staging
Eighty-two percent of agents say that professional staging helps clients visualize a space as their own. It removes all traces of the owner’s personality from the property so prospects can connect with it on a more emotional level.
However, staging can be expensive, costing between $1,500 and $4,000 on average. The good news is properties can be virtually staged at a much lower price tag. You can pick design elements, features, and amenities from a vast library of templates to customize the space for your client and close the deal more quickly.
24/7 Accessibility
Whether you add virtual reality tours to your website or showcase them on your social media pages, they’ll be available around the clock. Even working professionals who are busy during regular working hours can see them. You can imagine the convenience that eliminating time constraints can offer.
Moreover, viewers can access VR videos without investing in VR equipment. All they need is a smartphone.
Bigger Buyer Pool
Virtual reality allows international clients to experience the property in a remote yet immersive way. They give clients a sense of the space, layout, and design without requiring them to visit it in person. Since many countries allow foreigners to purchase property, realtors can now reach a much broader group of people regardless of where they’re located.
This also establishes realtors as forward-thinking individuals who can leverage the best of technology and innovation
Immersive Viewing
Virtual reality tours create a digital experience using a replica of the real thing. It can also transform the way clients interact with the space. Viewers feel as if they’re actually there. They can open doors, walk around to get a sense of its scale and depth as well as zoom in and out to take a look at specific features. The simulation is so realistic that viewers can do many things as if they were physically present inside the room.
The comprehensive 360-degree angles facilitate an emotional connection, which has been known to influence up to 90% of buying decisions.
Better Decision-Making
Seventy-five percent of recent home buyers had at least one regret about their purchase—but with VR, your clients won’t have to deal with the same uncertainties. A virtual reality tour allows them to get a good look at every nook and cranny, identify potential deal breakers (or deal makers), and compare the condition of the home with the description posted. They can also glance at the neighborhood and see if it aligns with what they’re looking for.
Viewers can see, compare, and contrast as many properties in their preferred areas as they want without lengthy trips and while making more informed decisions.
Room for Modifications
Virtual reality tours give you an insane level of flexibility. You can change the placement of the furniture or the color of the wall, choose different lighting fixtures, resize objects, and so much more. This can be invaluable when you’re looking to attract different clients.
For example, let’s say that you’re looking at how to sell property online to the eco-conscious. With virtual reality and renders, you can incorporate and emphasize the use of natural materials and greenery, highlight ways that the space can reduce its carbon footprint, showcase the garden and nearby natural attractions, etc.
Cost-Effective Marketing for a Competitive Edge
A captivating and interactive virtual reality tour can make your listings stand out from your competition while enhancing engagement and cultivating trust. The ability to integrate them with many platforms can help you expand your listing’s visibility, generate heightened interest, and bring in more quality leads.
For an additional edge, you can even post them on ad platforms that offer pay-per-click (PPC) advertising.
Interact With the Environment Before It’s Built
Pre-selling properties can help developers generate significant cash flow that can be used during construction. By using renders, you don’t have to wait until the property is built before generating revenue. You can start selling as early as you want, even before the groundbreaking ceremony.
Viewers can appreciate what the finished project will look like, complete with its layout, features, and immediate surroundings. Meanwhile, you get to make a sale based on a promise to deliver.
Save Time and Resources
Virtual reality can reduce the costs that go into physical showings for buyers and sellers. Interested buyers don’t have to use their savings on travel and accommodations while realtors are spared from spending a small fortune to professionally stage the property and make it more enticing. Of course, you’ll still be conducting showings, but they will be limited to serious buyers who already like the place.
Stay Ahead of the Competition With Virtual Reality and Renders
If you want to stay ahead of the competition, you have to use the latest tools and technologies. Selling online with virtual reality and renders allows you to tap into a global marketplace where time zones and geographical boundaries are immaterial. With the right methodologies, online advertising can be cost-efficient and transparent.
But you don’t have to go it alone. With a real estate visualization studio like Plus Render, you can take advantage of realistic and immersive renders that set you apart from the millions of real estate professionals around the world.
Don’t get left behind. Contact us today.
