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In today’s world, virtual tours have become an essential tool for marketing properties in the real estate industry. With the current situation of the world, 3D tours are providing a safe and convenient method to showcase properties. 

But with the increasing popularity of virtual tours, it’s important to ensure that ethical guidelines are followed when marketing properties. In this blog post, we’ll discuss how to market listings ethically with virtual tours.

Let’s get started!

7 Tips to Market Properties Ethically With Virtual Tours

Here are 7 tips to consider when using virtual tours to market your listing.

1. Disclose All Details 

When marketing a listing using a virtual house tour, it is essential to disclose all the important details about the property in the tour. 

This includes the house’s condition, any structural damages, and the neighborhood. It’s also vital to provide updated information alongside your tour to avoid discrepancies caused by any changes or renovations. 

Providing all the necessary details in the tour will allow the potential buyer to make informed decisions without being misled.

2. Avoid Misleading Information

Misleading information in virtual tours can be used to deceive potential buyers. 

As a real estate photographer or agent, it is ethical to showcase the property in an honest way without embellishing the details. 

For example, it’s important to avoid using overly edited or misleading visuals that misrepresent the actual condition of the property. The ultimate goal is to build trust with potential buyers by showcasing the property truthfully.

Any over-exaggeration can lead to a potential buyer feeling cheated and ultimately result in a loss for both parties.

3. Be Transparent and Disclose the Virtual Tour

Transparency and disclosure are key when it comes to digital tours.

Manage potential buyers’ expectations by letting them know that they are viewing a digital representation.

By providing this transparency, you establish trust right from the start.

4. Respect the Property and the Neighborhood

When marketing properties, always respect the local community and the property. 

Respect the neighbors’ privacy by not infringing on their personal space or property. 

Similarly, the virtual tour should represent the property in the best possible way, without any misleading or false information.

It's Time To Level-Up Your

Real Estate Marketing

Capture more leads with virtual tours and single property websites.

5. Create a Professional Presentation of the Property

It is crucial to maintain professionalism in your presentation. To achieve this, consider the following steps:

  • Create and maintain a professionally executed virtual house tour: Invest in top-notch equipment and consider hiring skilled professionals, if needed. Remember, a poorly executed tour can have a negative impact on both the property and your professional reputation.
  • Deliver a high-quality presentation: Create a fair, high-quality representation that reflects your commitment to ethical standards and showcases the property in the best possible light. This will engage potential clients and demonstrate your dedication to providing a superior real estate experience.

By following these steps, you can ensure that your presentation stands out and leaves a lasting impression on potential buyers.

6. Use Appropriate Technology

In line with the prior step, it’s essential to use the right technology when creating a 3D tour. This includes high-quality cameras, lenses, and software. 

Virtual tours that are blurry, distorted, or difficult to navigate can be frustrating for potential buyers to view. 

Using high-quality technology will ensure that the tour is visually appealing and provides an accurate representation of the property.

Our recommendations for the best 360 cameras are:

  1. Ricoh Theta SC2 – Price: $329.99
  2. Insta360 X3 360-Degree Camera – Price: $496.00
  3. Pergear Trisio Lite 2 8K – Price: $399.00
  4. Kodak Orbit360 – Price: Starting at $199.99
  5. GoPro Max – Price: $504.95

For more information, you can check out our blog post on the best 360 camera for real estate virtual tours.

7. Collaborate Ethically

Collaboration is required in the real estate industry to market a property effectively. 

It is ethical to collaborate with other parties transparently, without any hidden interests that may lead to misrepresentation of the property. 

Collaboration with others in the real estate industry can help to market the property more effectively, but all marketing efforts must be ethical and transparent.

Virtual Tours Are Essential in Marketing Properties

Virtual House Tour by PhotoUp
Virtual House Tour by PhotoUp

In summary, virtual tours have become an essential tool to market properties and showcase them in a safe and convenient way. 

A nationwide survey found that nearly 50% of potential buyers would make an offer on a home based solely on a 3D tour. 

With these statistics in mind, it’s even more important to follow ethical guidelines when creating a digital tour. The tour should be transparent, present the property in its best light, and avoid any misleading information. 

Using the right technology, respecting the local area, and collaborating ethically with other industry players are key elements of creating a virtual tour that’s ethical. 

By following these guidelines, real estate photographers, agents, and Realtors can successfully market properties ethically with virtual tours.

FAQ

What is a virtual tour in real estate?

Virtual tours, also known as 3D tours or 3D walkthroughs, provide buyers with a captivating way to digitally explore a home for sale. 

Similar to Google Maps Street View, these tours allow you to navigate through the interior and exterior of the property, giving you control over the rooms and angles you wish to explore. 

It’s like having a real estate photographer, agent, or Realtor leading you through the home, providing an immersive and engaging experience.

Why are virtual tours so effective for marketing listings?

Virtual tours are invaluable for marketing listings as they attract more potential buyers, especially in COVID-19 times when people might not want to attend a physical showing. 

Moreover, they streamline the selling process by providing prospective buyers with an immersive walkthrough of the entire home, all from the comfort of their sofa.

Is there a market for virtual tours?

According to Fortune Business Insights, the global virtual tour software market size was valued at USD 340.7 million in 2022. The market is projected to grow from USD 384.0 million in 2023 to USD 941.3 million by 2030, exhibiting a CAGR of 13.7% during the forecast period.

What is the cost to create a PhotoUp virtual tour?

Virtual tours can be purchased by subscribing to one of our PhotoUp plans

Micro
$9/month
2 active single property websites
2 active virtual tours
10 Monthly Credits
25GB total storage

Starter
$29/month
5 active single property websites
5 active virtual tours
30 Monthly Credits
100GB total storage 

Pro
$79/month
50 active single property websites
50 active virtual tours
80 Monthly Credits
250GB total storage

* All pricing above is based on an annual subscription. 

It's Never Been Easier To

Promote Your Listings

Photos. Floor Plans. Virtual Staging. Home Tours. Listing Websites.

Build Your Virtual House Tour With PhotoUp in 5 Minutes!

3D Virtual Tour by PhotoUp
3D Virtual Tour by PhotoUp – Click on the Image to View the Demo Tour

With PhotoUp’s virtual house tours, you can create a professional and compelling tour in as little as 5 minutes. 

PhotoUp makes using virtual tours as easy as possible:

  • No Special Camera Needed – Use any 360 camera that shoots JPEGs
  • AI Enhancement – Let AI enhance and perfectly stitch your photo edges
  • Simple Pinning – Customize your tour with simple image pinning for each scene
  • You Choose the Highlights – You control what the buyer sees and can point out a home’s amenities, updates, and unique features
  • White Labeled – Virtual tours can be white-labeled for a premium viewing experience
  • Unlimited Hosting – Our 3D tours also come with unlimited hosting

For just $9 per month, PhotoUp provides 2 active virtual house tours and 2 single property websites, plus 10 credits. You can even build one demo tour for free!

PhotoUp Virtual Tour Demo 

To see how easy it is to create a virtual house tour using PhotoUp’s software, you can watch this virtual tour demo:

As simple as that!

But it doesn’t stop there…

Your Real Estate Marketing Partner

PhotoUp Real Estate Flyers
PhotoUp Real Estate Flyers

To make your marketing efforts easier, PhotoUp also offers additional real estate marketing services such as:

We have everything you need to market real estate under one roof!

So, join the PhotoUp family today! Sign up for a free PhotoUp account, and start your free trial!

We hope this blog post helped you learn how to market properties ethically with virtual tours. If you found this post useful, you may also want to check out the following resources:

Stina Pettersson

Professional Blogger

Stina is an entrepreneur, digital marketer, and professional blogger who's passionate about real estate photo editing, being outdoors with her pup, and sweaty gym sessions. She loves the written word and has been writing for publications like Forbes and Thrive Global. Originally from Sweden, she's called South Florida her home since 2013.

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