Buyers can now get a better picture of homes they’d like to buy, thanks to the rise of 360 real estate photography. This is a huge blessing for a post-pandemic world, allowing potential buyers to get a 360 degree real estate virtual tour of the house without having to physically be there.
You might’ve come across the sublime 360 virtual tours of the best real estate listings in your area and you’re wondering how it all works. Well, let’s find out.
360 Degree Real Estate Photography
Recently, 360 degree real estate photography has become the primary most effective way of showcasing a certain property (for rent/sale), and all of this ONLINE.
360 real estate photography is the process of stitching together multiple digital photographs in order to create a fully interactive & immersive experience of a certain place, which can be easily viewed on a computer or mobile screen.
As far as 360 real estate photography is concerned, or in other words ‘the digital space’ – this is how it’s made.
- Multiple shots from every angle around the room are captured on a high resolution camera.
- The photos are stitched together to create one seamless image.
Using a mouse or swiping around on a screen, viewers are able to virtually move around the space and even check the floor & the ceiling.
It is also a great innovation in the sense that it opens up a virtual (read new) area to someone who would perhaps never be able to visit the area physically.
How to Create a 360 Real Estate Virtual Tour
Log into Google VR Tour Creator with your Google Account and click ‘Get Started’. Select ‘New Tour’; name it; add cover photo & description. You could mention the location and name of the property.
Step 1. Create 360° Photos
Using your smartphone or a camera attachment, snap panoramic photos. Take premium photos of lighting, fixtures and other elements you want to showcase to the buyer. Organize the photos into an easily accessible folder in your desktop/laptop.
Step 2. Create Your First Tour Scene
After setting up a Tour, you’ll be asked to ‘add a scene’. Select the location of your images and click upload. You can drag and drop your first scene images. The images can be positioned or rotated to your liking once they’re uploaded. Click ‘ Add Scene’.
Step 3. Edit Your Scenes
Once you’ve created your first scene, you can edit your 360 VR photo and provide any additional info. You can set the thumbnail or the starting photo of your scene, change location, details, add titles and photographer credits.
Step 4. Add Narration, Audio & Points of Interest
Upon creation of all the scenes, you can always revisit your VR tour to improve it. Do so by adding narration, points of interest on each scene and narration.
How to Add ‘Points of Interest’?
Click ‘Add Point of Interest’ at the bottom of the scene information panel. In the preview area, adjust the pin to place the point of interest in a scene that you’ve added. Doing so can help the viewers explore the topics of interest and browse through them.
Given that you record a narration, you can as easily incorporate it in your VR Tour by accessing the narration icon at the bottom of your screen and uploading the file.
Step 5. Save and Publish Tour
Once you’ve completely finalized your scene, you are now ready to Publish the Tour. In case you want to add a few finishing touches, you can always save the tour to return to later. However, if you’re ready, just hit ‘Publish’.
A prompt will ask you whether you want your scene to be public or private. Choose your desired setting and click the copy link button to share your link via Google Expeditions, Twitter, Linkedin or Facebook. You can also share the link directly on mail or through messaging apps. Anyone with your link should be able to enjoy a walkthrough of the real estate space!
Benefits of 360 Real Estate Photography
According to a National Association of Realtor report, the passing of worldwide pandemic has brought along swift changes in the home buyers’ behavior. Another study made by real estate companies suggest that there was a staggering 278% demand hike for 360 virtual tours during the pandemic. As per industry experts, this demand is not going to dissipate anytime soon.
Here’s 3 major spectrums of Real Estate Photography that really transformed thanks to 360 real estate imagery.
i. Topnotch Picture Quality
One of the primary reasons for an increase in demand for 360 real estate photography is the phenomenal improvement in the quality of the images.
Previously real estate agents would snap a photo of a room and other buyers & sellers would use that photo commercially. However, the lack of interactivity in traditional images could only share so much detail about the houses. They weren’t enough for buyers to book houses from.
Then came the avant-garde 360-degree real estate photography with the emergence of 360° cameras able to create dynamic resolution virtual tours of any kind.
Sellers are now able to display their homes through 360 panorama, offering a much better preview of the space.
ii. Immersive Experience
With the help of 360 photography, viewers are able to step inside a virtual space and explore as they please.
State of the art cameras and editing platforms allows a potential buyer to enjoy a completely mind numbing, interactive experience of the space. They can see through walls and at all directions. And better, it is as real as it sounds!
iii. Accurate Layout Visuals
Floor plans play a huge role in determining the success (click through rate) of just about any real estate listing. It includes room measurements, detailed floor plan and other information.
Floor plans can be created using various editing software, even at low budgets. Made to attract potential buyers, it helps buyers visualize the virtual space better; accurate dimensions often help buyers make decisions since it’s easier for them to assess whether the rooms ought to be big enough to accommodate the buyer’s furniture. This helps potential convert the potential leads into buyers.
Conclusion
Today’s technology allows us to create virtual tours within a short time period, using very few resources. Today’s 360 cams are portable, easy to handle and light. Some of them are, in fact, so efficient that they can capture an entire room in a single snap. The time for real estate businesses to adapt virtual tours is now more than ever.
