Imagine being able to explore properties that interest you without leaving your home; the interactive experience offered through the virtual tour option allows you to do just that! Of course, nothing can replace an actual visit to your future home, but the virtual tour gives you an initial idea of the property, thus saving you a lot of time and money on options that don't suit you.
Property Visits - A Crucial but Exhausting Step
One of the most important steps in deciding to buy a property is visiting the property. According to numerous surveys, buyers visit between 5 and 7 properties on average before buying a house. Viewing properties is not so easy and requires extensive time and energy. For those who live abroad and wish to buy property in Israel as an investment or before making Aliyah, it is even more complicated! You have to come to Israel just to visit properties, which can be very difficult if you don't use an agency, especially if you don't speak Hebrew very well.
The Solution: Publish a Listing That Includes a 360° Virtual Tour
On Immo Israel, property owners can choose to create a virtual tour of their listing. This is a special feature created by professional photographers who visit the property and take pictures using a special camera, in 3 dimensions. These photos are then integrated directly into the listing in the form of a virtual tour - anyone who sees the listing can choose to take the tour and thus walk through the home as if they were actually there. This allows visitors to easily see and understand the layout of the rooms and the space in general. You can move from room to room, clicking circles to move forward, similar to the manner of movement on Google Street View.
With Immo Israel's 3D virtual tours you know for a fact that you're looking at a property as it is today. If you decide to use Google Street View, keep in mind that it is not necessarily up to date; many areas were last scanned years ago and, due to the speed of Israeli construction, may look totally different than they do today.
— Immo Israel Team
3D Virtual Tour vs Virtual Reality (VR)
An important fact to note about the virtual tours is that it is not a virtual reality program. You don't need a VR headset or 3D glasses to view the property - only a smartphone or computer. Although virtual reality technology exists, it is still very expensive and generally reserved for attractions or cultural experiences, such as a visit to a museum, a historical monument, or an amusement park. It's important to us here at Immo Israel that everyone can use this feature, but we've also included an adapted version of the tours for those who have a VR headset!
How Should I Prepare My Home?
Just as you would prime your property before photographing it for listings, it is very important to prepare your home before the virtual tour photographer arrives. This includes tidying up, cleaning and depersonalizing the space in order to convey it in its best light. In the following article you will find all the tips and tricks that will help you get the maximum out of your tour.
What Are the Advantages of Using a Virtual Tour to Sell a Property?
The virtual tour can be an extremely useful tool to sell or rent your property faster. Numerous studies have shown that it can accelerate transaction times. In fact, according to a survey conducted by Matterport, our partner and virtual tour editing software, "a virtual tour allows an average reduction in the sale time of a property by 26%". Moreover, it offers a detailed and honest view of every inch of your home - allowing buyers to see its qualities and avoid any unpleasant surprises. This allows buyers to filter out homes that don't suit their needs, thus saving you time and effort on pointless showings.
Research has also shown that price negotiations are less frequent after using virtual tour services. This is due to the fact that the buyers come to see the property after they have a good understanding of its features and have seen that it suits their needs; they know what they're paying for. Of course, it is important that the seller's price is justified and corresponds to market prices.
For real estate agencies or agents who publish their properties on Immo Israel, adding virtual tours to their listings is also an indispensable asset. It allows them to boost property visits and also to show clients all their properties in 3D, via the link to their profile on Immo Israel. Thanks to this feature, there's no longer any need to send dozens of links; all the agent's properties are just one click away.
What's in It for Property Buyers?
Before buying a property you will almost always have to come see it in person, even after experiencing a virtual tour. However, the tour allows you to see the property as it truly is and thus filter irrelevant properties, saving you precious time and energy. The virtual visit also allows you to see properties from anywhere in the world, including the comfort of your own sofa. You can take as much time as you want to see the different rooms, without the pressure sometimes felt when visiting a property with the owner or an agent. Above all, visitors can share the link with family and friends in order to hear their opinion, which can be very reassuring before buying property and choosing your future home.
I Chose the Virtual Tour Option When I Published My Listing. What Will Happen Now?
Congratulations! You have made an excellent choice which will help you sell your property more easily. Here's what will happen next:
First of all, a member of the Immo Israel team will call you within 48 hours to set up an appointment with the professional photographer. Once the appointment is made, it is up to you to prepare your property as explained in the following article. Take note of the appointment's date and time in your calendar, as canceling last minute or missing your appointment could result in additional charges.
The day of the appointment has arrived! The photographer will place his 3D camera in each and every room of your apartment or house (the services are identical regardless of the type of property), using a tripod. The whole process usually takes about 30 to 45 minutes for a home of about 100 - 150 m². It is important to note that the exterior spaces will appear in the virtual tour but the visitors cannot walk through them as with the interior.
Once the appointment is over, the photographer sends us the photos. These will be transformed into a virtual tour, then integrated into your listing, which we will publish once the virtual tour is ready. And that's it! Visitors to Immo Israel can now visit your property whenever and wherever they want. You can also share the link to your listing with anyone who wants to see your home, allowing you to filter out irrelevant parties and spend time only on buyers who are really interested in purchasing your property.
There are a number of features you can add alongside the virtual tour, such as a video and a 3D plan of your property. These will be integrated into your virtual tour and visitors will be able to download the plan in PDF format. This plan is created digitally using the photos from the photographer's visit and is similar to architectural plans received when building a new apartment.