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Why Virtual Tours are a Must for Rental Property Owners

Real estate agent doing a virtual showing of a property using a tablet.As a rental property owner in Chapel Hill, you know that effective marketing is key to finding perfect tenants. If you’re not offering virtual tours yet, you’re missing out! Giving potential tenants the option to take virtual tours of your rental properties is a great way to show them what to expect before they arrive.

We’ll outline the benefits of virtual tours for your rental property marketing and explain why every property owner should use them.

Virtual Tour Basics

A virtual tour is a digital simulation walk-through of a rental property. Unlike photographs that show the property from a single angle, virtual tours offer a detailed look into every room.

Research has shown that renters are seeking virtual tours of rental properties. Results from Zumper indicate that over 70% of renters would be comfortable renting an apartment without a physical visit if they could view it through a 3D virtual tour.

Types of Virtual Tours

Virtual tours provide a fully immersive experience for potential tenants to view your rental properties. They help potential renters assess the space and see if it meets their needs without a physical visit.

The three main types of virtual tours are 360-degree virtual tours, 3D virtual tours, and virtual reality tours.

  1. 360 Virtual Tour. A 360 virtual tour consists of a single panoramic image created from multiple photographs. These tours allow potential tenants to view an entire room in one image and click and drag to look around. 360 virtual tours are simple and inexpensive to create, making them a great option for property managers just starting with virtual tours.
  2. 3D Virtual Tours are more immersive than 360 virtual tours. They let potential tenants walk through the property virtually as if they were physically present. These tours are produced by taking numerous photos of a rental property and stitching them together using specialized software. Though it sounds complicated, numerous user-friendly tools and services can guide you through the process. Due to the significant time and effort required, high-end rental properties generally use three-dimensional virtual tours.
  3. Virtual Reality Tour. The virtual reality (VR) tour is the latest and most immersive type of virtual tour. These tours allow potential tenants to don a VR headset and explore the property as if they were walking through it. Even though VR tours are still relatively rare, their popularity is growing as VR technology becomes more accessible.

What are the benefits of virtual tours?

  • Convenience. Virtual tours provide significant relief from the usual hassle of property tours. Potential renters can explore your rental properties from home or during their workday. This is especially beneficial for renters from out of state or abroad who find it hard to arrange physical tours.
  • 24/Hour Availability. Virtual tours can be accessed by potential tenants 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This means they can tour your rental properties at their own convenience, without scheduling around your availability. It’s a robust tool that empowers them with flexible viewing options.
  • Increased Engagement. It is proven that virtual tours enhance engagement. Potential residents stay longer on websites that feature virtual tours than on those that do not.
  • Improved SEO. Along with increasing engagement, virtual tours can improve your rental property’s SEO. Google values fresh content, and adding a virtual tour to your property listing is an excellent way to update content and improve search rankings.

How to Optimize Your Virtual Tours.

  • Quality Matters. Use high-resolution images and videos, avoiding any low-quality or blurry photos. To give potential tenants a clear view of your rental properties, use high-quality virtual tour content.
  • Include a Call to Action. Incorporate a call to action (CTA) at the end of your virtual tour. A CTA is a prompt or button that encourages potential tenants to move forward, such as scheduling a showing or getting in touch for more details. Including a CTA increases the likelihood that potential tenants will rent from you.

Virtual tours help potential tenants get a feel for your rental properties without a physical visit. Real Property Management Trustworthy can support you in advertising your Chapel Hill properties and enhancing your chances of finding great tenants. Contact us online or call 984-666-0912 today!

 

Originally Published on July 22, 2022

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