Technology has become highly prevalent in most people’s lives–even landlords and property managers. The use of technology is beneficial in this industry and has created new ways of performing daily tasks, including property tours. Keep reading to learn how to create a virtual tour for your rental property today.
What is a Virtual Property Tour?
A virtual property tour is a way to show potential renters your rental property without being there in person. Virtual showings mean your prospective tenant can thoroughly look at the property with their computer, tablet, or smartphone. There are many ways you can create a virtual tour of your property.
You can simply take photos or videos of your property or use special software like Matterport or Animoto to help bring your photos to life. This gives prospective renters a chance to fully see your property without traveling or arranging a meeting time with your Philadelphia property managers. Next, let’s go over how to create a virtual tour using one of these methods.
How Can You Create a Virtual Tour for Your Property?
Creating a virtual tour has never been easier with all the available resources available today. If you want an easy way to show off your rental property without being there in person, all you need is the proper technology.
Advanced programs like Matterport, Klapty, Kuula, and others are ideal for making a realistic virtual property tour. Let’s go over how these programs work.
Matterport
Matterport is an all-in-one platform that uses 3D technology to allow viewers to interact with real-life spaces. For example, with a 360 camera, landlords can take a 2D rental property and bring it to life for prospective renters to see.
This software is simple and gives viewers a realistic view of the property. All you need to do is use a camera to take photos at specific property points, and Matterport will create a high-quality, accurate 3D version of the space. That said, users must use a particular camera such as the ones listed below.
- Ricoh Theta 360 SC2
- Ricoh Theta 360 Z1
- Insta360 Cameras One R
- Insta360 Cameras One X2
Matterport Pricing
There are different pricing options for Matterport, depending on how many properties you have. Here are some of the choices they offer.
- Free Option – 1 active space
- $9.99/Month Starter pack – 5 active spaces
- $69/Month Pro & Business Option – 25 active spaces
Klapty
Another similar software that landlords can use is Klapty. This online tool and platform makes it easy to create and share your rental property virtual tours. First, you need a smartphone or camera to take photos of your property; then, you upload them directly to Klapty. From here, you can fill in the tour details and use their features to make it your own.
Once you’ve created your interactive virtual tour, you can easily upload it anywhere or embed it into any website. Landlords and property managers love this platform because it’s easy to use and doesn’t require advanced technical skills. Next, let’s go over their pricing.
Klapty Pricing
Klapty offers two different pricing options, both offering an unlimited number of virtual tours. Here are the differences in pricing:
- Gold Unlimited – $39.99/Month
- Pro Unlimited – $9.99/Month
Kuula
A third option that landlords and property managers use to create a virtual tour is Kuula. This is one of the more popular 360 photo-sharing platforms and makes it easy for prospective renters to visualize the property. Like the other creative virtual tour options, all you have to do is take photos of your rental with any camera.
Kuula works best if you use a 360 camera such as the Insta360. However, you can also use a regular camera and render your photos with 3D software. Even better–if you don’t have access to these specific cameras or software, you can also use non-panoramic images. Next, let’s go over their three basic pricing plans.
Kuula Pricing
- Basic Package – $0 with 100 Public Uploads per Month
- Pro Package – $16/Month with Unlimited, High-Quality Photos and Other Benefits
- Business Package – $36/Month with Enhanced Privacy and Analytics and More Benefits
Other Virtual Tour Options
Now, if you want to show off your property in a more simplistic way, there are more ways you can do this. For example, taking photos and videos with a camera or smartphone is a fundamental way to capture your property for others to see. However, it’s crucial to make sure your photos are of good quality and capture an accurate image of the property.
If you want to take it further, landlords can put together a video slideshow of their property to make it easier to view. Apps like Animoto are easy to use and allow users to customize videos with colors, fonts, transitions, and music. So, if you want a simple way to make a slideshow of your property, you can join other landlords in using Animoto.
Pros and Cons of Virtual Property Tours
Like anything technology-wise, there are a few pros and cons to creating virtual property tours. For example, technology doesn’t always work properly, and you likely need internet access to use most software. Let’s dive into some pros and cons of making virtual tours.
Pros
- You don’t have to adjust your schedule to meet in person with prospective renters.
- You can reach more potential renters with the ease of viewing the property virtually.
- Photos and videos can enhance your property listing and generate more leads.
Cons
- Some virtual tour programs cost more than others, and using this software with unique cameras can get pricey quickly.
- Creating a virtual tour will be difficult if your photos are not high-quality or don’t showcase the property well.
- Some people aren’t very tech-savvy and will still prefer to view the property in person, which defeats the point of making the virtual tour.
Tips for Creating a Good Virtual Tour
Creating a high-quality virtual tour is crucial if you plan to use technology to show off your property. It’s one of the best marketing strategies that landlords can use. Let’s go over some tips to create a virtual tour.
- Find Ideal Lighting: Good lighting is the first step in taking high-quality pictures. Additionally, bright spaces are more attractive and can easily catch the attention of prospective renters. Open the blinds and find the best lighting for your virtual tour photos.
- Don’t Skip Out on Spaces: Capture every room if you want to portray your property in the most accurate way possible. Even if some rooms aren’t as eye-catching, like the basement or garage, it’s still crucial to include these in your tour. After all, if someone is looking at renting your property, they’ll want to see the entire thing first.
- Find the Right Angles: Sometimes, taking photos that properly showcase your spaces is challenging. So, we recommend taking the pictures from angles that your renters would like to see. Remember to take a mix of horizontal and vertical images so that they can easily translate to a virtual property showing software.
Manage Your Property with Help From Professionals
Managing your rental business, especially if you have multiple properties, can be a massive responsibility. Most landlords don’t have the time to complete every day-to-day task. Hiring a quality property management team can help you save time and achieve all your business goals.
If you need help with your rental property, hire Bay Property Management Group. We can help you with any task, big or small. Need help screening future tenants, collecting monthly rent payments, and marketing rentals? We’ve got you covered! Contact us today for management help in Baltimore, Philadelphia, Northern Virginia, or Washington DC.