What Virtual Tours Don't Show Buyers — WGAN in Redfin21680
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 Owner,Managing Editor and Publisher of WGAN Forum and WGAN-TV Podcast Fairfield, California |
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 Redfin Quotes WGAN Publisher Tom Sparks: What Virtual Tours Show Home Buyers — and What They Don't Redfin published a new home buyer guide this week on what 3D virtual tours actually reveal about a listing — and where they leave gaps. I was asked to contribute along with several other real estate media pros. Read the full article on Redfin On the convenience side, here's what I told them: "Virtual tours allow buyers to tour a listing 24/7 from the comfort of their home. They don't have to drive to a property, wait for an agent to arrange access, just to find out they really don't like a feature of the property." And on where a lot of tours fall short: "Some tours fall short with not enough scan points, some spaces hidden, or not scanned; such as garages, closets, front and backyards." Why that second quote matters Redfin's own research has found that close to two-thirds of buyers have made an offer on a home they never walked in person. That is an enormous amount of trust being placed in our scans. When a buyer opens a tour and the garage isn't there, the primary closet is a black hole, and the backyard stops at the slider, they don't conclude "the photographer skipped it." They conclude something is being hidden. Incomplete coverage doesn't just weaken the tour — it actively creates suspicion about the property. Redfin's advice to buyers was essentially: if you can't see it in the tour, don't assume it's fine — go ask about it. That's a reasonable thing to tell a buyer. It's also a warning shot for anyone producing tours. Every unscanned space is now a question mark an agent has to answer. A few things worth debating - Are you scanning garages, closets, and exteriors as standard, or are they an upsell? - Do you have a minimum scan-point density you hold yourself to, or is it by feel? - Have agents or sellers ever asked you to leave a space out of a tour — and how do you handle that? - Is "complete coverage" something you can charge more for, or is it just table stakes now? Curious where the community lands on this. My position is that coverage gaps cost more in buyer confidence than they save in scan time, but I know plenty of you are working within budgets that don't always allow for it. What's your standard? |
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 WGAN Fan Club Member Gilroy, California |
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| You asked for opinions - and I got some! First, I question Redfin's two-thirds stat about offers made without an in-person visit. Not in my world! I see the object of digital media as creating enough interest for a potential buyer to add the home to their short-list for a visit in person. Secondly, I think you are putting a lot of the "heavy lifting" on the virtual tour. A full digital media suite of photos, video walk-through, and aerial media provides views into the living space and outside areas. Most garages are not places I want to include in a virtual tour, let alone a photograph! If the garage has an epoxy floor and storage cabinets, and it's empty and clean, yeah, otherwise "see it in person when you visit". The same thing with closets. If the closet is jammed with belongings, I include it in the scans to get the floor plan included, but then Hide the scan. And I am proud to only provide the Zillow 3D Home Tours. It gets the job done at a price point that realtors can justify and afford! I think the objective of the realtor is to showcase the property online in a flattering way. That means not including everything that could be seen (closets, kitchen cupboards, bathroom drawers, under the sinks, etc.) during an in-person visit. |
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