If it feels like only yesterday that you had to view real estate listings accompanied exclusively by a series of poorly lit outdated photos, it's because it probably was.
Just how new is 3D technology in reference to the real estate landscape? It was only within the last decade that immersive floor plans began to crop up on listings, first becoming ubiquitous within the luxury market before trickling into the more common price points, and finally, becoming a gold standard, post-pandemic.
According to the 2020 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers by The National Association of Realtors (NAR), the pandemic has accelerated changes in homebuyers’ habits. Most industry experts now believe those changes are here to stay in a post-COVID world. We are seeing buyers trusting more than ever in technology for speed, ease, and convenience when buying a home.
We can’t blame them. Home-seekers certainly don’t miss the not-too-distant past of open-house hopping, or treading a city pavement in search of For Rent signage. Virtual touring cuts down on the amount of in-person tours a buyer or renter requires.
In fact, a quality virtual floor plan could omit the need for a buyer or renter to do an in-person viewing at all, speeding up the application process and adding time back in for both the buyer and the seller. According to Redfin – out of more than 1,900 home buyers surveyed in 2020 across 32 major real estate markets, 63% made an offer on a property sight unseen. That number is twice the amount from the previous year, indicating a rapid increase.
And it goes deeper than that. Virtual is officially the “new normal” for millennial travelers looking for lodging. Digital In The Round reports that customers aged 18 to 34 are 130% more likely to book a hotel room or AirBNB if there is a virtual tour available. It’s also reported that customers spend 5 to 10 times more on websites with virtual tours.
This proves that virtual touring isn't exclusively reserved for real estate. A Digital In The Round statistic tells us that 67% of people surveyed want more businesses to offer virtual tours. This could mean that immersive virtual shopping is on the frontier, as are virtual museum visits. The White House also offers a 3D immersive tour, allowing guests to visit without ever setting foot in the physical space.
The 3D App is proud to be pioneering this landscape, making it easier than ever to create immersive tours for both the real estate world, and beyond. One thing is for sure, virtual touring is a real solution to modern real estate and beyond.
Are you ready to jump into the next generation of real estate innovation? Whether you’re a realtor, a business owner, or an AirBnB host; The 3D App is the ultimate virtual scanning tool to level up your game. Get started for free here.
