Should Virtual Property Tours Be the New Norm?

     With the pandemic in this last year, leaving your home to meet an agent for a property tour has never been more unnerving. However, buying a home is not the same as ordering your stationary goods from an online retailer; you want to see the property with your own eyes. Typical listings on MLS (Multiple Listing Service, the premiere software for real estate listings in the Greater Toronto Area), generally list the features of the property alongside some photos. Some real estate agents have taken it upon themselves to upload of video tour of the property on their listings as well.

     In the past few years, some have taken it upon themselves to 3D video tours to their properties as an additional way to show it. This allows for clients to use tilt or move their phone to see a 360 view around the room. There are possibilities of combining this with virtual reality headsets alongside a voice call with an agent to provide a full immersive experience without needing to leave your home

Advantages

     The best part of this would be being able to see all these homes within the comfort or your own home. Seeing these properties without needing to travel to a different location can save you plenty of time while still giving you the opportunity to check the property out. Also, in these times of this pandemic you can limit your contact with others

Disadvantages

     With any digital content that we consume in the current day, there are always concerns of digital alterations done. Given the current abilities of technology, these changes can be subtle and unnoticeable. Visual details can be changed, the perspective of rooms can be altered to give you a false interpretation of its size. In the end, it just depends on your trust that the agent has your best interests in mind and wouldn’t mislead you.

     So, are virtual tours the future of real estate showings? It could possibly become a part of it for those who want to take the first look at a property before they visit it again in person. But it is likely never going to fully replace your standard house showing as that is too vital for the purchasing process.