Video is king in the multifamily marketing world. We all know that by now. There’s no sign of that need slowing down in the future, so we have to be forward thinking in our video marketing. For 2020, that means continuing with live virtual tours. Today’s prospective renters and buyers want to be able to “see” their potential new home on their terms. So, we have to make sure they have an easy digital option. What features does your real estate virtual tour software have to have in order to meet those needs? What are the features that will really make your community stand out?
Let’s take a look at what features your real estate virtual tour software should have for 2020 and how you can best use it.
Device Agnostic
This one is a non-negotiable. Imagine shooting a video, putting all the exact right pieces together for a stellar shoot…only for your client to not be able to view it. Maybe it’s desktop only and your prospect is traveling and on mobile. Or maybe it’s only compatible for iOS and your prospective resident is Android-only. Your virtual tour software for real estate should allow for video tours to be shot on any device and viewed on any device. Today’s audiences are mobile first, if not mobile only. Make sure your tour, whether pre-recorded or a live tour is both mobile and desktop compatible, Android and iOS. If not, you’ll quickly find that your prospect probably won’t be a prospect much longer. And being able to shoot video from your own mobile device is also important. That makes it quick and easy for your team.
Keeping it Authentic
Time and again we’ve said it. And time and again it bares repeating. Be authentic about what you’re showing your audience. It was true for 2018, is certainly true for 2019, and we’re betting authenticity will still be in vogue in 2020. Rather than photo-shopping out all of the ‘bad’ parts of a tour, be honest about them. That honesty will do far more for building trust between property and prospect than an unexpected, unwanted surprise. If the real estate virtual tour software you’re looking to invest in doesn’t make that easy, keep shopping.
Make It Customizable
Not everyone wants the same tour. What’s important to one person could mean nothing to the next. A pool is a MUST for one prospect. The next could not possibly care less about pool time but requires a beautiful kitchen space. The good news is that your property has both! Taking the time to customize your video tours means both those prospects get what they want. That’s a huge bonus. Not every virtual tour app or live tour software makes that easy. Personalization isn’t going anywhere. In 2020, it’ll be just as, if not more important. Being able to personalize your tours is one of those features that will make things so much more impactful for your marketing and leasing efforts.
Check the Three S’s
The three S’s stand for shoot, store, and share. Can you shoot the video tour easily? Can you store it in an easily accessible place for your leasing staff? Are the videos in an easily shareable format? And shareable means everything from sharing on social media to being able to text or email them, to even embedding them onto your website or in email campaigns. Your real estate virtual tour software should allow you to shoot, store, and share your video tours easily. If any one of those isn’t available, that software isn’t right for right now, much less right to face the technological advancements coming next year.
Taking into account everything from above, the right real estate virtual tour software for your 2020 marketing needs should allow the following to take place. You should be able to use your mobile device to record or host an authentic video tour. That tour should be able to be personalized to show your prospective resident(s) the property features most important to them. You should be able to store that video in the cloud and easily access it for future reference as needed. It should also be able to be shared easily through social media, text, email, and more. And on top of all of that, prospective residents should be able to view that tour on any device – mobile or desktop.
One final requirement…integrated. If your virtual touring solution in 2020 is not integrated into your systems, platforms, and processes, then it is not the right platform for you. Gone are the days of technologies and systems not talking to one another. Streamlined pushing and pulling of data across all of your system is a must for 2020, and your virtual touring platform is not excused from that.
If your real estate virtual tour software doesn’t provide the above for 2020, then you should probably find one that does. We’re just keeping it “real.”
Want to learn how Realync’s video leasing & engagement solution can do all of the above and more for you and your team(s) in 2020? Message sales@realync.com to learn more and request your personalized demo today.
Until next time…keep it real!
