Out With the Old in With the New: How 360° Video Technology Upgrades Traditional Virtual Tours

Nothing beats the in person experience. Seeing things in real time and having interactions with other people isn't really something that can be replaced. But, in times where being somewhere in person isn't possible, there are other options that should be considered.

Buying or selling real estate, for example, seems like a very hard thing to accomplish without entering a property. Video tours and photographs don't really capture the depth and size of a property, and can often be intentionally misleading. The ideal way to view a space is to be in it, but as we’ve experienced in the last year, there are circumstances beyond our control that can make that impossible. The next best thing may be a traditional virtual tour video, with varying angles and close ups of unique features, but even then, the two dimensional nature of a video is not enough to truly show off a place. A Planet Home study found that 75% of home buyers consider a virtual tour to be a significant factor in their decision-making process, so why not make it perfect?

Enter View Labs diverse video technology stack. If traditional virtual touring fits your needs the best, we have the means to elevate virtual tours by adding engaging clickable hotspots where prospects can learn more about a property and have access to information at all times. Live floor plans can be integrated within the video to give a better understanding of the way a space is laid out, as well as voice overs. Ultimately, businesses that offer virtual tours enjoy increased bookings and look-to-book conversion ratios by 16% to 67%. The more engaging the media, having a voice-over, adding background music, animation, or video, the higher the conversion rate. A 2020 study revealed that agents who hosted more online virtual tours and open houses sold more properties than those who did not use those tools.

The UI study also found agents who included online virtual tours as well as scheduled more open houses sold more homes than those who did not, while agents who relied more on written text to describe their listings sold fewer houses.

Our 360 virtual tours are the most realistic, life-like tours on the market. Our LiDAR based robots are designed and built by our in-house engineering team to film spaces autonomously. They were developed for interior and exterior navigation without size limitation. The robots move at a constant, smooth pace with sensors to avoid any interference. Capable of covering up to +25,000 sq. ft./hour, they provide the fastest and most cost-effective method of filming professional, moving 360° content.

Another important benefit is the time virtual tours can save. Only prospects that are truly interested in a property will move to the next step. Virtual tours reduce wasted viewings by 40%, allowing you to focus on interested clients and close deals faster.

View Labs decided to expand on our virtual touring technology after seeing how agents used video calls to interact and show off properties to prospects. Conferencing apps can lag and cause distractions for the viewer that take away from the experience. Our newest product, and perhaps the most innovative one yet, addresses these concerns without sacrificing quality or content. With View Labs’ new proprietary conferencing platform, 360 Meet, you can host virtual tours while engaging with prospects in real-time. 360 Meet lets users simultaneously watch the same content and collaborate through shared controls driving faster leasing and more transactions. Prospects can ask questions and focus on aspects of the property they are viewing without leaving the call. This technology is the future of digital real estate.

Using virtual tours to showcase your assets is an industry standard. View Labs builds upon classic touring technology and takes it to the next level. Learn more about our proprietary offerings here.