Real estate marketing is all about advertising your brand as an agent and assuring consumer and supplier leads by sharing your listings on social media platforms, promoting your company, and constructing your website content. With these days’ advanced technology, a lot of things have already been made possible. One of which is what we call a virtual tour.
A virtual tour is a model or a simulation of an existing location. It is usually composed of a succession of videos or still images. It may also be incorporated with other multimedia elements such as sound effects, music, narration, and text.
A virtual tour is also one of the best ways to promote your real estate. It gives your clients a perspective of the area without having to go there. Why spend both time and money traveling to the location when you can get a tour even within the comfort of your own home? This strategy will surely impress your clients. However, creating a virtual tour is not an easy task.
Here are tips on how to make a real estate virtual tour:
Virtual Tour Equipment
You need to make sure that the equipment you will be using is of high-quality and in perfect condition; batteries fully charged and empty SD cards are available.
Shooting Time
Checking the weather forecast is a must so that you can schedule the shoot on fair weathered days. Also, the best time of the day to get warm and high-quality images are at sundown.
Tidy Up
If you want to impress your clients, make sure that the area you will be shooting is free from any clutter or unnecessary things. The camera will be shooting the area in 360° so it’s gonna see everything there is to see. The best way to check if the area is all good is to stand at the same spot as the camera and do a 360°. If something is not in place, then it’s time to do a quick sweep.
Furniture Setup
It is important that the perspective of the area is pleasant to the eyes of your clients. Interior design is the key to this. Matching the furniture with the spatial aspect of a room must be well-thought. Consider also the type of decorations to place from one room to another; the color that will enhance the vicinity; and the like.
Also, take note of the positions of mirrors, windows, and anything that’s going to give off a reflection. The camera might capture you in the reflection or even the camera itself; it might also create gleams that could ruin the image so find angles that will prevent this.
Lighting
Since the ideal time to do the shoot is at sundown, interior shoots should be done with the curtains up and the lights on. If there are doors available, open them to allow light from outside to come in. Also, this gives your client a view of the outside from where he/she is standing.
Stay Away
Literally, just stay away from the camera as far as you can. If you can see the camera then it means that the camera can see you, too. Another thing to remember is that even if the camera cannot see you, your shadow might be peeking at the corners. Make sure that this does not happen.
Once you’ve done all these tips, you may check the images to see if it’s a perfect capture or not. If not, you can always take another one, just make sure to correct the error that occurred in the image. If it is, then you deserve a pat on the back. You did a good job of creating your own virtual tour.