To be competitive in today’s multifamily real estate market, a virtual tour creator is a necessity. However, that leaves leasing teams to determine when and how they can use a tools to their advantage. Are they just marketing tools? Is a virtual tour creator just a marketing tool? Can it be used in other ways? And if so, how?
With the right virtual tour creator, apartment communities can find value with virtual tours throughout the entire resident lifecycle. Here’s what we mean.
Marketing
It’s hard to argue that marketing is where virtual tour software for real estate has traditionally been the most used And for good reason – using a virtual tour creator can be one of a strong marketing tool in multifamily real estate. This is also where 3d virtual tours and 360 virtual tours can be helpful. They give prospects a first look into the community to determine if it’s worth further exploration.
The goal at the marketing phase of the lifecycle is to fill the top of the leasing funnel – to get leads into the leasing agents hands for follow up. 3d walkthrough software or a 360 tour creator can create virtual tours that will do just that – help fill the funnel. Now, many leasing teams think that they are finished with the virtual tour creator once the 3d virtual tour camera is put away and the video is up on the website. With that type of virtual tour, it sort of is. But if your virtual tour creator allows for live or personalized DIY videos? It opens up new avenues for other use cases.
Virtual Leasing
Once you consider using a virtual tour creator for real estate in virtual leasing, your use cases broaden dramatically. Once a prospect is interested in the property, the leasing agent needs to be able to walk them through the entire leasing process, virtually if necessary. And that’s where the right virtual tour creator can really shine. While 3d virtual house tours aren’t going to show your prospect the exact unit they want to see, a live tour or a pre-recorded personalized tour will.
Leveraging a phone to create a virtual tour so you can quickly and easily shoot personalized video for a prospect will move the needle more than any 3d virtual tour software can. Plus, today’s prospects want an authentic, personalized leasing experience – virtual or not. Use a virtual tour creator app to create a series of personalized videos of a unit or community amenities or to answer specifically any questions for the prospect. These are things that will keep the leasing agent at the center of the virtual leasing process, making it more human to human. That’s how to make a virtual tour for real estate that agents can use for a true virtual leasing experience.
Resident Engagement
Now, let’s say you’ve used a virtual tour creator to build an amazing marketing video. Then, you created personalized pre-recorded pieces and gave live tours. And guess what? Your community is fully leased! Your prospects have signed and you are reaching full capacity.
You may think you’ve, again, reached the end of the virtual tour creator’s usefulness. But not quite! After all, the resident life cycle does not stop at signing a lease. You can use video for operations, maintenance and overall resident engagement. You can use it to create a welcome video with personalized move-in instructions. Or use it to introduce members of the community team the new resident hasn’t met yet. Video is also a great way to show a prospect how to use certain amenities or how to make easy fixes in their unit such as a tripped breaker. Video is also a great way to invite residents to an event, showcase the event, or even host a virtual event.
When it comes to how to use a virtual tour creator, you should engage at every step of the resident lifecycle, provided you have the right creator. You should find a tour creator that is versatile and flexible. It should allow for live and pre-recorded video, as well as easy sharing and storing. Then, you’ll find you can use rich video media for marketing, active leasing engagement and communication, touring activities, and maintaining engagement with current residents for resident retention. In the end, a better question may be where CAN’T apartments find uses if they’re using the right virtual tour software?
Learn more about maximizing the effectiveness and efficiency of a virtual tour creator
