So what does this mean for the real estate industry? What impact will the changing workplace have on the future of buying and selling homes?
For starters, real estate photos alone might not cut it anymore.
Although it is quicker and easier to tour homes virtually, having only photos on your listing might not be enough. Buyers’ time is valuable and they want to be able to quickly and efficiently tour a home from their computer screens. They want to see things that photos alone cannot show like where they are in the home, the flow and layout, and the actual size of the rooms.
According to IdeaMake “Interactive content is the future of technology, and it’s going to play a big role in the future of real estate.”
Interactive real estate photography, such as virtual 3D tours or interactive floor plans, is not a new concept but the technology has become more advanced in recent years.
The company Matterport was founded in 2011 when virtual reality was in its infancy.
Since then the company has made leaps and bounds to where they are today. Matterport technology allows buyers to become immersed in a life-like 3D model of the home in which they are interested in.
The number of 3D virtual walkthroughs (such as Matterport 3D Walkthroughs) happening monthly on Redfin.com has increased by 483% during the last year.
Interactive content can allow potential buyers to explore homes on their own time from the comfort of their couch. Interactive models can help buyers see the full potential of a home, office, or other indoor spaces.
Another way that buyers can quickly explore spaces virtually is with interactive floor plans. They allow the buyer to see an exact floor plan along with photos. Camera icons are placed on the floor plan so that when a user mouses over them a photo appears. Every camera location shown on the floor plan is linked with a photo taken at that exact location.
Realtors who invest in interactive content are able to sell homes faster, attract serious buyers, and produce higher offers for their clients.
Statistics show that interactivity is here to stay. Of the 208,585 Internet Visual Media Searches (provided by Google Search Tools), only 30.47% were for real estate photography. However, 41.89% were for 3D Tours and Interactive Floor Plans.
