Benefits of the Virtual Tour
First and foremost, the virtual tour allows potential buyers to experience the equivalent of a pre-visit, thus providing a realistic first impression of the property. Individuals who then visit the property in person are more qualified, which saves time for both the real estate agent and the selling owner.
“Our agency’s goal is to offer a virtual tour for every property, whether to showcase an exceptional apartment or to sell a single-family home. We also aim to use this digital tool to be able to send the virtual tour to buyers who have already visited the property. This way, if they wish to review a detail or recall the layout of the rooms, they have an effective resource.” , states Maxence Dumont, Marketing Manager at the Brussels real estate agency.
For which Type of Property?
The virtual tour can be adapted to any type of property, and it particularly helps to showcase exceptional properties. Indeed, if the property is not tidy or is undergoing renovation, for example, it might be challenging to conduct this type of digital tour. “In these specific cases, in agreement with the owner, we take a 360° photo of the most appealing room in the property, to give buyers an idea of the spaces,” adds Maxence Dumont.
How Does it Work?
The virtual tour is created at the same time as the property photos, as this is when the interior is tidy and well-arranged, and the exteriors are maintained. The time required for the creation of the virtual tour is approximately 20 minutes for a 2 to 3-bedroom apartment, but this can vary depending on the size of the property. Each shot takes approximately 1 minute.
“We have all the necessary equipment
for conducting virtual tours,” Maxence Dumont informs us. “For
a successful and realistic virtual tour, it is necessary to take a
series of 360° photos of the property at different exposure levels. The rendering
will then be perfect.” Then, the photos are inserted into a specific software
program, which then merges everything.
When taking photos to list a property for sale, a selection is made of the most attractive rooms and pleasant living spaces. In the case of a virtual tour, the entire property must be photographed, which also includes the entrance hall, corridor, or even the laundry room, which are more practical than aesthetic spaces.
Property Video Presentation
A digital tool that we are increasingly highlighting via our YouTube channel is the video presentation. “This animation is created for all our properties for sale or rent. We realize that, for the owner, video is a better communication channel, as it is more engaging and dynamic for potential buyers than scrolling through photos,” adds Maxence Dumont. Finally, video provides better visibility on certain channels, such as social media, for example, which are gaining increasing importance in the real estate sector.
For rent / To rent – 3-bedroom duplex penthouse apartment – Panoramic view
HDR Photos
According to an Immoweb survey, photos represent one of the most important aspects for individuals looking to buy a property. Indeed, if your photos are of poor quality, you risk losing a significant portion of your potential clientele. It is therefore important to enlist the services of a professional or an agency, particularly for managing backlighting.
This is the main challenge for real estate photography: it is crucial to show where natural light originates. Consequently, there is often a significant light source facing the camera, which can make the room appear too dark. A professional photographer will possess the necessary techniques and equipment to produce high-quality photos.
Aesthetic and Realistic Photos
However, it is common when taking real estate photos
to use a very wide-angle lens, which will create a sense of space, but
this can distort rooms and misleadingly enlarge a bedroom, for
example. The buyer will therefore be disappointed during their visit, as the property will appear
smaller compared to the photos they saw on the website.
“Our agency’s policy is clear: we strive to take photos that recreate the actual spatial arrangement of the rooms. Even if it’s impossible to achieve exact proportions, we want our photos to be realistic; otherwise, it leads to a waste of time for the owner, the real estate agent, and the buyer.”
Brightness Certificate for your Property
To enable owners to sell their property, even when days are shorter and darker, we now use the Sunshine and Brightness Certificate. It calculates the average duration of brightness and sunshine in the property, annually and by season. The real estate agent can therefore explain to the buyer that, even if it was rather dark during their visit, the apartment receives an average of 8 hours and 30 minutes of sunshine and light per day, for example. The duration is calculated based on the property’s exposure, whether it has large bay windows, an unobstructed view, etc., or if, on the contrary, it is close to other buildings, with small windows, etc.
Floor Plans
Even though digital tools are very important nowadays, we still offer buyers the opportunity to visualize the property on a floor plan. If we are in possession of the architectural plans, we convert them into a more ‘commercial’ plan, which will be easily understandable by the general public. If we do not have them, we create a basic floor plan of the property. In about twenty minutes, we thus create a plan that will allow the buyer to get an idea of the space’s organization.
