By now, most multifamily leasing teams know they have to leverage the best virtual tour software for real estate. Even before COVID-19 placed restrictions on in-person interactions, virtual tour software was proving its value and ROI time and time again.
With that, there is now a huge variety of property virtual tour software on the market today. Which makes sense! It’s a high-demand product. But, given the different types and all the different features, it can be tough to pick the best virtual tour creator.
Going into 2021, it’s important that you consider what your team needs, what your prospective residents need, and what your expectations are for this tool to meet those needs. That being said, there are a few must-haves if you’re looking for the best virtual tour software for real estate in 2021.
Here is a list of what we consider must-haves.
#1: Do-It-Yourself
The best virtual tour software for real estate allows you to do-it-yourself. There are so many types of real estate virtual tour software and virtual tour apps that require, well, additional resources. And, frequently, that comes in the form of hiring a third party to do it, increasing costs exponentially.Sometimes they are doing the rendering for a 3d virtual tour. Or they are necessary to shoot the space for a 360 virtual tour. The list goes on. Find a product that empowers you and your team to shoot, edit and share yourself quickly, efficiently, and without pulling you away from regular duties.. Adding additional real estate virtual tour services adds additional real estate virtual tour pricing. And, particularly in today’s economy, every dollar counts.
#2: Live Video
Having a virtual tour video platform that includes a live video feature is essential. It used to be a nice to have for most real estate virtual tour creators, but not any more. Live video allows you to host on the fly tours and planned tours for your prospect. It allows you to connect to a prospect from wherever they are while providing an accurate depiction of the space. Your team is able to answer any questions live! Begin instilling trust by showing them exactly what they want to see, when they want to see it.
#3: Cloud-Based
One of the biggest, and potentially most overlooked features the best virtual tour software for real estate needs is a cloud-based library. Cloud-based allows leasing agents to create, upload, and share content created via virtual tour real estate apps with their entire company. That cuts down on rework and ensures consistency in brand across all content production. Being cloud-based also provides a traceable record, ensuring compliance and tracking.
#4: Analytics
Data is king. Being able to provide analytics and insight is a nonnegotiable feature. If you’re using virtual tour software for real estate to its fullest, you have to know what works, what doesn’t, and how to adjust. What do prospects engage with the most? What type of videos work on social media? When is the best time to follow up? If you know what prospective residents are watching and looking at you’ll know how to follow up. And having that level of nuanced data is how you and your leasing teams will best be able to cater to and personalize communications.
#5: Built for Multifamily
Plenty of virtual tour software and apps on the market today could create videos of your property. However, if it isn’t built to work within the multifamily industry, it may not be the best. The software needs to be a fully integrated multifamily solution, able to be shared across the team giving prospect specific engagement and insights. If it’s not integrated into your property website, lead gen systems, and comms tools, the software will end up leaving gaps that could create more work rather than less work. And that will do the opposite of the intended results – causing ineffectiveness and inefficiencies.
AND A BONUS NUMBER SIX!
#6: Fair Housing Compliant
The best virtual tour software for real estate in 2021 and beyond must be Fair Housing Complaint. Many virtual tour software tools do not automatically reflect or include Fair Housing compliance. Avoid risk by simply using a virtual tour creator that not only records all live tours and saves the recordings to the cloud, but also displays the Equal Housing / ADA logos and disclaimers throughout the tour. To learn more about Fair Housing and the implications with video, click here.
And there you have it! Finding the best virtual tour software for real estate of course includes accounting for some specific property needs. However, these six features are critical to finding the best and using it to your best advantage.
