Virtual viewings: an asset when selling your home?

Have you heard of virtual viewings? This digital technique goes beyond simple photographs, offering greater flexibility. It allows prospective buyers to view and revisit the property without having to travel. Should you invest in this method to increase your chances of selling? Will your investment pay off? Ask your estate agency, as they may offer it…

Selling your home in a digital world

Internet, Wi-Fi, 4G, smartphones, tablets and laptops: it has never been easier to access whatever we want, at any time. Property is no exception! Anyone looking to buy or rent a property will instinctively start by browsing estate agency websites to draw up an initial shortlist of properties that interest them.

But how can prospective buyers know what to expect from photographs alone?

In the current climate, where selling a property is becoming increasingly complex (competition, the economic climate, financing, etc.) and people have less and less time, photographs alone are often no longer enough to generate viewings.

A new trend has therefore emerged to meet this need: the virtual viewing.

What is a virtual viewing?

It is neither a video nor 3D.

While ordinary photographs show only one angle, a virtual viewing consists of photographs taken through 360 degrees. This allows you to see everything around “you”, from floor to ceiling.

Just as your eyes might focus on one corner of the room, you can rotate the photograph’s viewing angle to take a closer look at a particular area. In addition, all the panoramic photographs are linked together.

Special software embedded in the website allows users to move around and zoom in on the virtual space. The visitor is at the centre of this computer-generated, interactive environment, in which the image changes according to their actions.

Some agencies will tell you that a virtual viewing will significantly increase your chances of selling. But are the benefits real, or is it simply a way of selling an additional service?

The benefits of a virtual viewing

1) Saving time for both the prospective buyer and the owner. It allows prospective buyers to take an initial tour and see whether or not they fall in love with the property. A virtual viewing provides an additional step between the photographs and an in-person viewing, allowing enquiries to be filtered more effectively. Interested parties will therefore only travel if the virtual viewing has truly convinced them, and the owner will not have to show the property to people who were expecting something entirely different. With virtual viewings, all of this can be done from the comfort of your sofa.

2) It allows you to “multiply the number of viewings”. You can refresh your memory about details you may have forgotten during the first viewing and ask your friends or parents for their opinion. Thanks to a virtual viewing, you can show your property at any time of day or night. Handy if a potential buyer suffers from insomnia.

3) Offer wider viewing angles than an ordinary photograph, together with interactive technology.

4) Help you stand out from your competitors in online searches. Your property will stand out from the crowd and be more appealing than simple photographs taken from a single angle.

So why are virtual viewings still relatively uncommon in Belgium?

Although the figures are rising, virtual viewings have not yet become commonplace here, unlike in the United States. Indeed, this type of technology is not routinely offered by agencies. Furthermore, there are few photographers specialising in 360° spherical panoramic photography.

It also comes at a cost and, as always, the quality will depend on the level of investment and the photographer’s experience.

Indeed, for the viewing to be successful, the photographer must have the necessary equipment and be trained to use the dedicated software so that all the photographs can be assembled correctly.

A virtual viewing will undoubtedly add value to your property. But remember, it will never replace an in-person viewing!

Furthermore, while the viewing angle is certainly wider and more interactive than with ordinary photographs, it is still essential to ensure that the photographs are taken under the right conditions.

Photographs or a virtual viewing: remember to showcase your property!

In any event, prepare your property before the photographs are taken: declutter, streamline the spaces, remove personal items, clean and decorate using bright, neutral colours.

Ask your agency to choose a professional photographer who knows how to make effective use of light. You should also consider presentation techniques such as home staging.

In short, before considering a virtual viewing, make sure you have done everything possible to present your property at its best and, of course, that the buyer will experience the same atmosphere and quality when viewing it in person!