Real estate saw a boom over the course of 2021, with the average UK house price rising by 9.8% on the year before. For estate agents, this was harvest time, with home buying activity reaching peaks not seen since 2007 and a sharp increase in enquiries for property valuations and viewings.
In 2022, however, this boom is set to slow and estate agents will need higher conversion rates on potential clients, buyers and renters to continue their momentum into the new year.
The average property stock for estate agents has dropped by over 20% in the last year, meaning that agents must find new ways to create interest in their portfolios and maintain revenue.
Luckily enough for agents everywhere, virtual viewing software could be the answer you're looking for. And thanks to our integrations, agents can use virtual viewing programmes right from within the Rezi CRM system.
- How does a virtual property viewing work?
- Benefits of virtual viewings
- What is the best way to implement virtual property tours for your estate agency?
If you're interested in our virtual viewing software, which allows you to host online meetings, appointments, viewings and more from within Rezi CRM, find out more about Rezi Meet here...
How does a virtual property viewing work?
Virtual property viewings (or virtual tours) allow potential buyers or tenants to view properties online via an immersive video directly from the listing itself. These virtual tours can be filmed by agents or by the current homeowners and be published alongside photos and floorplans to support online property listings.
The quality of a video tour can make-or-break an online listing, as prospective clients will be far more interested in properties where the lighting is consistent throughout and filmed on a high-quality camera, rather than a 'Paranormal Activity' style shaky camera tour filmed on an iPhone.
Virtual property viewings became the backbone of the real estate industry throughout the COVID 19 pandemic when government advice meant that face-to-face viewings weren't possible. However, given the interest which virtual tours garner for property listings and the immersive insights they provide, virtual tours aren't going anywhere any time soon.
Benefits of Virtual Tour Software
Some estate agencies are wary of video property tours as they can be time-consuming projects to endeavour upon. However, taking the extra time to create video content when taking photographs for listings benefits agents throughout sales processes.
There are a range of attractive benefits virtual tours offer to estate agents, ranging from improved customer relationships to cost benefits.
We've listed our top 5 benefits of virtual viewings software for estate agents to make the most of their online property listings.
1) A Constant Open House
Offering online property tours is like having an open house 24/7 - albeit without the freshly baked cookie smell!
Potential clients can view a property around the clock for as long as it takes to take your property off the market. This encourages users to engage with the house, flat, or land of their dreams before enquiring about a listing, saving you valuable time when it comes to progressing a sale.
2) Offers Clients an Insight into the Space
Video is a much more immersive medium than photography, so it is no wonder that engagement for video content in real estate is significantly higher than photography alone.
Online tours, whether linked directly on listings or embedded into email marketing campaigns enable users to experience the space within the property. Online video viewings can be especially useful for house listings as the camera can guide users through the interior of the house and showcase the unique features of the space which just cannot be conveyed in a floor plan.
3) Increased Conversion on Enquiries
As online listings using virtual tours show improved engagement, the conversion rate from in-person viewings and enquiries will increase. Clients will be less likely to attend speculative in-person viewings and view properties with the intent to experience the space, clarify important questions and put in an offer.
Online viewings are particularly useful in fast-paced letting landscapes such as London, as tenants will be more likely to move forward with the lettings process once an in-person viewing becomes a secondary walk-through tour of a property rather than a first point of contact.
For lettings agents, virtual tours create the opportunity to use the in-person viewing to establish rapport with their clients and build relationships rather than a simple sales pitch. At this point, as a client is already invested in the property and agents can negotiate sales more effectively.
4) Increased Accessibility
Particularly over the multiple lockdowns of the COVID 19 pandemic, the accessibility of online viewings was a huge plus for real estate businesses as clients could view properties around the country (or around the world) from the comfort of their own home.
This accessibility has revolutionised real estate as now out-of-town prospective clients can view tours of houses, apartments or commercial properties in central city locations before committing to the commute. For relocations, video viewings are an invaluable step to ensure these clients don't waste their time - and yours.
This accessibility is also a game changer for home buyers with disabilities or mental health issues who struggle to view properties in person. Providing panoramic tours of properties through video software enables these buyers and tenants to explore a property as easily as other clients on the market, levelling out the real estate process for these individuals.
5) Increased interaction on your site
Virtual property tours, particularly interactive virtual tours, significantly increases not only the time users spend looking at real estate listings, but the amount of properties they view on your site. Extending the amount of time a user spends on your site significantly increases the chance they have of finding and viewing suitable properties for their needs. This has a knock-on effect for the performance of your site from a technical perspective, and improves the visibility of your agency online.
Not only this, having video tours of each property in your portfolio enables agents to send personalised marketing campaigns via email to interested buyers and tenants, showcasing similar properties which may be of interest.
What is the best way to implement virtual property tours for your estate agency?
Here at Dezrez, we offer a virtual viewing and meeting software called Rezi Meet!
Virtual Viewings and Valuations
When you aren't able to have an in-person meeting, Rezi Meet allows you to continue to carry out viewings and valuations virtually. There are no account limitations, every negotiator is set up and ready to go, reducing the disruption caused by any unforeseen circumstances.
Client Calls and Meetings
You can also use Rezi Meet as a way of improving your customer service and developing a stronger relationship with your clients through video conference calls and meetings. It's quick, easy and accessible within your Rezi CRM, and everyone is now accustomed to meeting online thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic!
Rezi & Homeonfilm integration
In addition to Rezi Meet, our CRM software is also integrated with specialist virtual viewing software providers, Homeonfilm, which you can use right from within Rezi. Find out more today by visiting our integration page.
Efilm software allows vendors to create videos of their properties which are sent directly to agents’ emails. Vendors create videos of their own properties so that potential buyers can access virtual viewings with insights from current homeowners. With its easy-to-use, cost and time saving software, efilm can revolutionise the way that you can showcase properties to meet viewer demand as landlords, vendors, sellers and agents can upload video content 24/7 to the portal.
Efilm is a sophisticated tool that enables sellers to film high-quality content that not only provides a tour of the property but showcases its best features. As well as bespoke video viewings, each property that your estate agency is advertised externally on Homeonfilm to drive additional sales and advertising.
