As a Chesapeake rental property owner, you realize that marketing is essential to attracting the right renters. If you haven’t incorporated virtual tours yet, you’re missing out! Letting potential tenants take virtual tours of your rental properties is an excellent way to show them what they’re getting before they visit.
We’ll cover the benefits of virtual tours for rental property marketing and explain why they are essential for every property owner.
Virtual Tour Basics
A virtual tour is a computer-generated walk-through of a rental property. Unlike photos, which show the property from a photographer’s perspective, virtual tours provide an in-depth view of each room.
Studies show that renters are interested in virtual tours of rental properties. Zumper’s results show that more than 70% of renters would be happy to rent an apartment without seeing it in person if they could check it out via a 3D virtual tour.
Types of Virtual Tours
Virtual tours offer an immersive experience for potential tenants to view your rental properties. They enable potential renters to experience the space and determine if it suits their needs without a physical visit.
Virtual tours are categorized into three main types: 360-degree virtual tours, 3D virtual tours, and virtual reality tours.
- 360 Virtual Tour. A 360 virtual tour is formed by stitching numerous photographs into a single panoramic image. These tours enable potential tenants to see a whole room in one image and click and drag to explore. 360 virtual tours are simple and cost-effective to create, making them ideal for property managers new to virtual tours.
- 3D Virtual Tours are more immersive than 360 virtual tours. They allow potential tenants to explore the property virtually as if they were actually there. These tours are made by capturing numerous photos of a rental property and stitching them together with specialized software. Even though it may appear complex, there are many user-friendly tools and services available to help. Due to the time and effort involved in creating them, high-end rental properties typically use only three-dimensional virtual tours.
- Virtual Reality Tour. The virtual reality (VR) tour is the newest and most immersive type of virtual tour. These tours give potential tenants the ability to wear a VR headset and explore the property as if walking through it. While VR tours are not yet widespread, they are becoming more popular as VR technology becomes more accessible.
What are the benefits of virtual tours?
- Convenience. Virtual tours significantly ease the traditional hassle of property tours. Potential tenants can view your rental properties comfortably from their homes or during work hours. This is particularly advantageous for out-of-state or international renters who struggle to arrange in-person tours.
- 24/Hour Availability. Potential tenants have access to virtual tours 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This enables them to tour your rental properties at their convenience, bypassing the need to coordinate with your availability. It’s an effective tool that offers them flexible viewing options.
- Increased Engagement. Virtual tours have been shown to boost engagement. Websites with virtual tours keep potential residents engaged longer than those without.
- Improved SEO. Beyond increased engagement, virtual tours can also enhance your rental property’s SEO. Google appreciates fresh content, and adding a virtual tour to your property listing is a great way to add new material and boost your search ranking.
How to Optimize Your Virtual Tours.
- Quality Matters. Employ high-quality images and videos, and avoid low-resolution or blurry photos. Ensure potential tenants get a good understanding of your rental properties by using high-quality virtual tour content.
- Include a Call to Action. Add a call to action (CTA) at the conclusion of your virtual tour. A CTA is a prompt or button that encourages potential tenants to take the next step, like scheduling a showing or contacting you for more information. Featuring a CTA boosts the chances that potential tenants will decide to rent from you.
Virtual tours allow potential tenants to experience your rental properties without needing to visit in person. Real Property Management Complete can help you market your Chesapeake properties and maximize your chances of finding reliable tenants. Contact us online or call 757-937-2964 today!
Originally Published on July 22, 2022
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