greenieS
Verified member
Virtual real estate viewing is a revolutionary feature that allows potential buyers or tenants to take an online tour of the home, from a device such as a tablet, laptop or smartphone, from anywhere with an internet connection.
This feature has many advantages, both for the buyer and the seller, related in particular to the time saved, the possibility to present the home in an objective way and the reduction of the costs generated by the trip to the location. Although the virtual home viewing feature can greatly increase the chances of any real estate agent to quickly find a buyer, it is important that the property is properly prepared before making the necessary photos for the virtual tour.
As you well know, from the experience gained in the activity of real estate agent, the first impression is the most important, and even the smallest detail can make the difference between a successful sale or lease and a failed transaction. Therefore, in the following, we present all the steps that must be followed to prepare the home for a virtual viewing and we offer you a guide with which you can significantly increase the chances of the owner you represent, to sell or find quickly a tenant for his property.
Rearrange the furniture
Release of the property from personal and unsightly objects
General cleaning
Use light
Take into account the outside as well
How to make material for a virtual tour
How to run a "Virtual Tour" ad
Rearrange the furniture
When preparing a home for a virtual tour, it is important to make sure that the available space is valued as much as possible and that the whole building looks airy and spacious. Whether the landlord wants to sell the house or wants to find a new tenant for it, it is advisable for the arrangement to be done with good taste.
For starters, it is important that the pieces of furniture are positioned so that the space looks welcoming and the overall decor is pleasant. Before performing the virtual tour, ask the owner to position the furniture symmetrically and pay attention to even the small details, such as a chair moved from its place or a picture that does not stand upright. If there are surplus pieces of furniture, it is now necessary to move them, because they will give a crowded and unattractive look to the home.
Release of the property from personal and unsightly objects
It is normal for personal items to be present in an inhabited property. A pair of slippers left on the bed, a knife sitting on the kitchen table or a towel forgotten on the sofa in the living room are just a few examples of objects present in an inhabited building. However, when caught in the virtual tour, they can make the home look cluttered and distract the visitor from the highlights of the home, which you want to highlight.
Also, certain decorations, plants or ornaments too large for the size of the house can create the illusion of a much smaller space than the real one and can discourage potential customers, so removing them from the building is recommended. If there are such objects in the building for sale or for rent, you can ask the landlord to keep only those less voluminous decorations, such as pillows, vases, small paintings, rugs or ornaments, through which all the details should be highlighted. that you want to be noticed by visitors.
General cleaning
Once the pieces of furniture have been rearranged and the interior has been redecorated, it is time to make sure that the home is immaculate. Usually, the images for virtual tours are made with an 8K - 360 ° camera, over 20 megapixels, ie an extremely high-performance system that will capture all the details, both positive and negative. Thus, in order to ensure that all the panoramic images captured by the camera will put in a good light the house you want to find a new owner or a new tenant, it is necessary to pay more attention to cleanliness.
Thus, if there are imperfections, it is necessary to ask the owner to turn to a cleaning company or to recommend one yourself. Tell them about the benefits of a well-done virtual tour and explain that this method of home promotion is a really effective one, which will ensure a successful transaction much faster. Also, if the walls have stains that cannot be removed by cleaning, it may even be necessary to apply a new coat of paint on them, so it may be appropriate to recommend this operation to the owner. If there are any minor defects, such as a damaged tile or a piece of furniture that has minor imperfections, we recommend that the owner repair them until the material for the virtual tour is completed.
Use light
Although rearranging household items and cleaning are important details that will give your home a suitable look for a successful virtual tour, the best results can be obtained when the light is used properly. The light transforms the home into a welcoming place, amplifies the space and accentuates all the chromatic shades inside.
To enjoy these benefits, it is recommended that you open all the curtains and drapes so that natural light can enter the home and find out when the property for sale or rent benefits the most from the sun's rays. then make the material for the virtual tour. However, if the house is not very good in terms of natural light or you do not have the opportunity to make the video at a time when sunlight is optimal, you can successfully use artificial light.
With the help of lighting fixtures, strategically placed throughout the house and, especially, next to the details you want to highlight, you will be able to get the same bright and spacious welcoming decor. Try to use light fixtures with a nice design and opt for warm light, despite the cold light.
Take into account the outside as well
When you have a house to sell or rent, the appearance of the exterior is almost as important as the appearance of the interior. Most people looking for a home are interested in the freedom that such a property offers and the opportunity to spend time outdoors. Thus, if you want to sell or rent a house that has a yard, it is necessary to include this element in the virtual tour and ask the owner to prepare the whole area for the moment when the panoramic photos will be taken.
Preparation should begin by gathering any forgotten tools, toys or other personal items forgotten on the green space or on the driveway, continuing with mowing the lawn and washing all concrete surfaces, so that there are no traces of mud or car oil. If there is also a garage, it is advisable to arrange all the objects in it so that it is airy and well organized. If the house also has a swimming pool, make sure that it is cleaned and preferably filled with water, for a strong visual impact.
How to make material for a virtual tour
As previously mentioned, the materials for the virtual tour are made by professionals, with a high-performance camera, which will make a 360 ° panoramic capture of the entire indoor and outdoor space and will allow the visitor to discover the whole house, just as in the case a physical viewing. Although the process of making the photo is not very complicated or time consuming, the camera with which it is made is very expensive, and the optimal capture of the frames, so that no centimeter remains uncovered, requires increased attention. Thus, for optimal results, it is recommended that the materials for the virtual tour be made by a professional who has a special room.
However, if you do not want to work with a specialist, you can capture the images for the virtual tour on your own. Currently, there are many dedicated applications, with which you can take a virtual tour of your home via your smartphone or tablet. However, the photo quality will not be as good and it may take several tries, until you manage to capture the whole house exactly as you want.
This feature has many advantages, both for the buyer and the seller, related in particular to the time saved, the possibility to present the home in an objective way and the reduction of the costs generated by the trip to the location. Although the virtual home viewing feature can greatly increase the chances of any real estate agent to quickly find a buyer, it is important that the property is properly prepared before making the necessary photos for the virtual tour.
As you well know, from the experience gained in the activity of real estate agent, the first impression is the most important, and even the smallest detail can make the difference between a successful sale or lease and a failed transaction. Therefore, in the following, we present all the steps that must be followed to prepare the home for a virtual viewing and we offer you a guide with which you can significantly increase the chances of the owner you represent, to sell or find quickly a tenant for his property.
Rearrange the furniture
Release of the property from personal and unsightly objects
General cleaning
Use light
Take into account the outside as well
How to make material for a virtual tour
How to run a "Virtual Tour" ad
Rearrange the furniture
When preparing a home for a virtual tour, it is important to make sure that the available space is valued as much as possible and that the whole building looks airy and spacious. Whether the landlord wants to sell the house or wants to find a new tenant for it, it is advisable for the arrangement to be done with good taste.
For starters, it is important that the pieces of furniture are positioned so that the space looks welcoming and the overall decor is pleasant. Before performing the virtual tour, ask the owner to position the furniture symmetrically and pay attention to even the small details, such as a chair moved from its place or a picture that does not stand upright. If there are surplus pieces of furniture, it is now necessary to move them, because they will give a crowded and unattractive look to the home.
Release of the property from personal and unsightly objects
It is normal for personal items to be present in an inhabited property. A pair of slippers left on the bed, a knife sitting on the kitchen table or a towel forgotten on the sofa in the living room are just a few examples of objects present in an inhabited building. However, when caught in the virtual tour, they can make the home look cluttered and distract the visitor from the highlights of the home, which you want to highlight.
Also, certain decorations, plants or ornaments too large for the size of the house can create the illusion of a much smaller space than the real one and can discourage potential customers, so removing them from the building is recommended. If there are such objects in the building for sale or for rent, you can ask the landlord to keep only those less voluminous decorations, such as pillows, vases, small paintings, rugs or ornaments, through which all the details should be highlighted. that you want to be noticed by visitors.
General cleaning
Once the pieces of furniture have been rearranged and the interior has been redecorated, it is time to make sure that the home is immaculate. Usually, the images for virtual tours are made with an 8K - 360 ° camera, over 20 megapixels, ie an extremely high-performance system that will capture all the details, both positive and negative. Thus, in order to ensure that all the panoramic images captured by the camera will put in a good light the house you want to find a new owner or a new tenant, it is necessary to pay more attention to cleanliness.
Thus, if there are imperfections, it is necessary to ask the owner to turn to a cleaning company or to recommend one yourself. Tell them about the benefits of a well-done virtual tour and explain that this method of home promotion is a really effective one, which will ensure a successful transaction much faster. Also, if the walls have stains that cannot be removed by cleaning, it may even be necessary to apply a new coat of paint on them, so it may be appropriate to recommend this operation to the owner. If there are any minor defects, such as a damaged tile or a piece of furniture that has minor imperfections, we recommend that the owner repair them until the material for the virtual tour is completed.
Use light
Although rearranging household items and cleaning are important details that will give your home a suitable look for a successful virtual tour, the best results can be obtained when the light is used properly. The light transforms the home into a welcoming place, amplifies the space and accentuates all the chromatic shades inside.
To enjoy these benefits, it is recommended that you open all the curtains and drapes so that natural light can enter the home and find out when the property for sale or rent benefits the most from the sun's rays. then make the material for the virtual tour. However, if the house is not very good in terms of natural light or you do not have the opportunity to make the video at a time when sunlight is optimal, you can successfully use artificial light.
With the help of lighting fixtures, strategically placed throughout the house and, especially, next to the details you want to highlight, you will be able to get the same bright and spacious welcoming decor. Try to use light fixtures with a nice design and opt for warm light, despite the cold light.
Take into account the outside as well
When you have a house to sell or rent, the appearance of the exterior is almost as important as the appearance of the interior. Most people looking for a home are interested in the freedom that such a property offers and the opportunity to spend time outdoors. Thus, if you want to sell or rent a house that has a yard, it is necessary to include this element in the virtual tour and ask the owner to prepare the whole area for the moment when the panoramic photos will be taken.
Preparation should begin by gathering any forgotten tools, toys or other personal items forgotten on the green space or on the driveway, continuing with mowing the lawn and washing all concrete surfaces, so that there are no traces of mud or car oil. If there is also a garage, it is advisable to arrange all the objects in it so that it is airy and well organized. If the house also has a swimming pool, make sure that it is cleaned and preferably filled with water, for a strong visual impact.
How to make material for a virtual tour
As previously mentioned, the materials for the virtual tour are made by professionals, with a high-performance camera, which will make a 360 ° panoramic capture of the entire indoor and outdoor space and will allow the visitor to discover the whole house, just as in the case a physical viewing. Although the process of making the photo is not very complicated or time consuming, the camera with which it is made is very expensive, and the optimal capture of the frames, so that no centimeter remains uncovered, requires increased attention. Thus, for optimal results, it is recommended that the materials for the virtual tour be made by a professional who has a special room.
However, if you do not want to work with a specialist, you can capture the images for the virtual tour on your own. Currently, there are many dedicated applications, with which you can take a virtual tour of your home via your smartphone or tablet. However, the photo quality will not be as good and it may take several tries, until you manage to capture the whole house exactly as you want.
