IN THIS POST
– What is a Virtual House Tour?
– Pros of Virtual House Tours
– Cons of Virtual House Tours
Virtual house tours have become the new norm in the real estate industry across the world. In fact, they are quickly gaining popularity in Pakistan as well – and for a good reason. A lot of people prefer viewing a property from the comfort of their home before shortlisting it for a walkthrough tour. These digital tours are also extremely beneficial for those planning to relocate to a different city.
However, despite its growing traction, a lot of home shoppers and first-time buyers show reluctance when it comes to trying out this innovative tool.
Truth be told, there are several pros and cons of virtual house tours, which we are going to discuss in detail for your convenience. But before we do that, let’s take a quick look at what virtual home tours actually entail.
What is a Virtual House Tour?
Virtual home tours, also known as 3D house tours, allow prospective buyers to take a look at the property from the comfort of their home. Compared to the regular video listings, which only allow home shoppers to see the place from certain angles, the virtual home tours are much more interactive.
Thanks to the advancement in technology, buyers now have the ability to explore certain parts of the house and have full control over which room they want to focus on. If you are having a hard time imagining it, think of it like Google Maps. Just like how Street View allows you to see the entire street from every angle, virtual house tours allow real estate investors and homebuyers to peer into every corner of the property without actually visiting it.
Now that you know what a real estate virtual tour means, let’s take a look at its benefits and drawbacks.
Advantages of Virtual House Tours
There are several reasons why virtual house tours are getting increasingly popular in the real estate industry across the world. Let’s take a look at a few of them.
They are Comfortable and Convenient
Virtual tours allow you to visit a property anywhere in the world from the comfort of your room. All you need is a smartphone or laptop along with a stable internet connection and you are good to go.
For walkthrough real estate tours, you have to travel around town for several hours in order to visit a few different properties on the same day. So, if you were looking to buy a home, you’d likely spend a good chunk of your time navigating through traffic, finding the correct address, looking for parking space, dealing with foot traffic and much more.
However, in a digital setting, you can tour a home on your own terms. If you don’t like a property, you don’t have to spend more than a few minutes touring it. On the other hand, if a place does strike your fancy, you can virtually visit it as many times you like and stay there for however long you want.
It’s a win-win situation.
You Will Be Able to Save a Lot of Time
Home shopping is not a child’s play. Even if you are touring multiple properties in the same area, it may take up to five or six hours to visit ten homes in person. Add a few more hours of driving around if the properties are all located in different neighbourhoods, and you’ve got yourself a headache-inducing day that will probably end with you being confused between different places you visited throughout the day.
With virtual home tours, you can tour properties all across the city within minutes. You can tour the same house multiple times and cover the distance between each property with a few clicks of your mouse or taps on your screen.
Another major pro of virtual home tours is that they’ll help you save a ton of time. Also, if you like a certain house or apartment, you can invite your family members to take a virtual tour of the property whenever you want.
They are Interactive and Reliable
Virtual house tours present a realistic picture of the property and are much more reliable than viewing listing photos or videos. They are also very interactive, as the prospective buyer has full control over which part of the house they want to see and which corner to want to focus on.
Touring a house digitally also gives you a fair idea of its layout without having to visit the property in person. People rarely photograph the hallways and entryways while putting their house up for sale. However, virtual tours eliminate that hurdle and allow you to get a better understanding of the floor plan without leaving your home.
Moreover, a lot of times, people use wide lens cameras for their listing photos and videos, which can make rooms look bigger than they actually are. Interestingly, a virtual walkthrough of houses for sale eliminates that issue as well.
Disadvantages of Virtual House Tours
Now that we know the advantages of virtual house tours, let’s take a look at their shortcomings as well.
You Won’t Learn Anything about the Neighbourhood
Real estate virtual tours may give you a realistic view of the property, but it won’t provide you with much information about the neighbourhood it’s located in. Unless you are already familiar with the area, you won’t know if the property is located next to an abandoned building, an empty lot, or a general store.
Obviously, you won’t face this problem with walkthrough real estate tours.
However, you shouldn’t let this con of virtual house tours discourage you. If you like a property and want to learn about its surroundings, you can turn on the Street View on Google Maps and take a virtual look around the neighbourhood. This will help you shortlist the properties and you can visit them in person later to finalize your decision.
Lack of physical interaction with the home
One of the main disadvantages of virtual house tours is the lack of physical interaction with the property.
While 3D house tours enable you to see the space without visiting it, it won’t give you an accurate idea of its infrastructure or help you evaluate its condition. Moreover, you won’t be able to gauge how much natural light the property gets through a virtual tour. You also won’t be able to tell how it smells inside the house.
Similarly, if the place comes pre-furnished, a virtual tour won’t be enough for you to determine if the furniture is in good condition or needs to be replaced. The same goes for old electronic appliances, leaking pipes and non-functioning electric sockets, as you can only spot these issues during an in-person home inspection.
The best way to solve this problem is to visit the property along and have a professional inspect it in front of you before making an offer. Virtual home tours should only be used to figure out the layout and design of the place.
Here is a DIY home inspection checklist for buyers that might come in handy.
Won’t Get a Chance for Face-to-Face Discussion
Lastly, virtual home tours don’t allow you to have a face-to-face discussion with the seller or the real estate agent. Of course, anyone can talk a good game over the phone, but unless you visit the property yourself to inspect its strong and weak points, you won’t be able to get the full picture. The interior finishing, condition of the floors, lack of electrical outlet and water stain under the sink are some of the basic issues homebuyers come across during walkthrough real estate tours. If you visit the property in flesh, it won’t be easy for the seller to hide these imperfections, allowing you to negotiate.
Similarly, if you are looking for a rental apartment or a house, a virtual home tour won’t tell you much about the nature and temperaments of the landlord. However, you can always schedule a video call with the owner of the property before making your final decision.
In conclusion, virtual tours of real estate are quickly becoming the new norm. They are innovative, convenient, reliable, and help you save a ton of time as well as money on fuel. On the flip side, you won’t be able to determine the condition of the house and meet the seller in person if you choose to take a digital tour. However, there are quite a few ways to rectify these problems.
To put it simply, experts recommend using virtual tours as a tool to shortlist properties and then visiting them in person before signing any agreements or making any payments.
There are also quite a few advantages of virtual tours for real estate agents. For instance, a real estate agent can show the same property to multiple people at the same time instead of visiting the place over and over again with a different home shopper.
This is a wrap on the pros and cons of virtual house tours. You can let us know your thoughts and comments on this new norm in the real estate industry by dropping a message on blog@zameen.com.
If you are in the market for a new home, our guide on what (and what not) to look for when viewing a property is a must-read for you.
To learn more about selling and transferring property in Pakistan, stay connected to Zameen Blog – your ultimate solution for all real estate-related matters.
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