5 Best Practices for Creating a 3D Virtual Home Tour

Virtual property tours were already relatively popular — particularly with high-end homes — before the coronavirus pandemic hit. Then, restrictions and social distancing practices lingered longer than anyone expected and pumped up the demand for virtual home tours.
 
That demand is still strong even as restrictions are being lifted. And it’s becoming increasingly clear that virtual tours will be a mainstay for most real estate listings from now on. So, chances are you have already taken the leap into interactive 3D virtual tours, or you’ve picked the tech tools you’ll use and are ready to get started.
 
So, how can you make your DIY 3D virtual home tours stand out? Here are five things you can do:

​1.    Don’t Wing It, Plan It
Make a game plan in advance of the day you intend to take the photos. Do a walkthrough and decide which rooms you’ll include, and plan your shots for each one. Identify where you’ll place the camera to capture the main aspects and highlight the best features. Many times that will be the center of the room. But that’s not always the case. The main thing is to take your time and figure out what perspective best duplicates the in-person experience. As you map things out, list out the order of the shots, camera position for each room, and features to showcase.

2.   Set the Stage But Don’t Overdo
Just as you would for an in-person showing, make sure the home looks its best. But take care not to “over stage.” You want to capture an inviting snapshot in time that helps buyers picture themselves living there. But, it need not be a picture-perfect tableau. So, resist the urge to set a scene worthy of a magazine photoshoot. Instead, ensure that the sellers cover the basics — depersonalizing, clearing clutter, and getting everything spotless. Once that’s done, judiciously place a few items that will enhance appeal — seasonal flowers, plush bath towels, and luxurious bed linens, for instance.

3. Have Consistent Lighting
Proper lighting is essential to creating a camera-ready atmosphere. And it’s critical when you’re shooting multiple panoramic images that make up a virtual tour. If the lighting isn’t consistent from room to room, the tour will lack continuity. All areas should be well-lit with warm light. Taking photos in daylight will help. Also, turn on all lights, raise shades, open interior doors, and adjust blinds or curtains to get the correct lighting. Go the extra step to ensure that all lights in the home use the same color light and that bulbs in recessed lights or multi-light fixtures match.

4.   Be Mindful of Line of Sight
As well as showing views for each room, your virtual tour should also give home shoppers a feel for how each area flows into the next. This requires you to “connect the dots” with your panoramas. In other words, you should have a direct line of sight from space to space. When you position the camera, the view should be an unobstructed path to the next spot you’ll shoot an image from (ideally no more than 8-10 feet from where you are). This makes the tour easier to navigate. Examples of connecting features are hallways, stairs, and doors.

5.  Capture Images From the Outside In
Don’t miss the opportunity to highlight the exterior spaces of the home in addition to the interior. Start outside the front door and move through the house as you would in person. Take shots of any outdoor areas, like backyard patios and pools, that add to the home’s curb appeal. Inside, take as many images as you need to capture the space adequately. For large rooms or open layouts, that may mean shooting more than one panorama for a given room. Take photos from different angles as needed, and make sure you capture images that call out unique features.

Yes, it looks like virtual home tours are here to stay. And, we hope that these tips will help you create immersive, effective interactive 3D tours. We pride ourselves on providing practical information in our blog that will keep you informed on real-estate-related matters whether you’re looking to get into the profession, just getting started, or are an old-hand in the business.

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