Sometimes. Whether you need one comes down to who is most likely to buy the home.
I’m a real estate photographer, and I get this question from agents all the time. Here’s how I think about it, and how I decide when to recommend one.
When a Virtual Tour Is Worth It
The Home Is Remote or a Destination Property
I once captured a waterfront home outside Kettle Falls, two hours north of Spokane. You drive off the beaten path, then go another 20 minutes up a rural road. There’s no cell service, and it’s about as peaceful as a home can get. It was the perfect getaway for someone who wanted to unplug completely, but those same qualities made showings a logistical challenge.
We added a 3D tour to the media suite, and the home went under contract, site unseen, in less than two weeks.
A buyer who has to give up a full day just to see a house needs to feel confident before making the trip, or before deciding the trip isn’t necessary at all. A tour gives them that. Since then, I’ve recommended virtual tours to every agent I work with in that area.
Your Buyers May Have Trouble Touring in Person
If your likely buyer is older, uses a wheelchair, or is a busy family juggling work and kids, a virtual tour can be a real service rather than a gimmick. It lets them explore the home on their own time and energy before committing to a showing.
The Layout Is Unusual
Some homes are hard to explain with photos alone. If the floor plan has an unexpected flow, multiple levels, or spaces that connect in interesting ways, a 3D tour communicates that far better than a gallery of still images.
When You Can Probably Skip It
If the home is in town and is likely to get plenty of foot traffic, you don’t need a virtual tour. Showings will do the work, and I wouldn’t push a seller to spend the money.
The exception is when you want to deliver an extremely high level of service. Some sellers expect it, and some agents want to stand out from the competition. In those cases, a 3D scan reads as a premium upgrade and elevates the whole media package.
What I Recommend, and How I Decide
Most agents already have a good idea of what they want. When they’re open to my input, I match the media to the property:
If it’s a really beautiful space, I’ll suggest adding video
If it’s remote, a vacation home, or caters to mobility-limited buyers, I’ll suggest a virtual tour
If it’s in town and will draw a lot of traffic, you can safely skip the tour unless you want to go the extra mile for your sellers
Not every suggestion gets taken, and that’s fine. The goal is to put the budget where it will actually help the listing.
The Honest Downsides of Virtual Tours
Not everyone is a fan, and the skeptics have valid points.
Visibility Can Be Tricky
Zillow and Matterport are currently at odds, so depending on which platform you choose, your tour may only appear on certain listing sites. Zillow holds the majority market share, so it feels like a relatively safe bet, but it’s a limitation worth knowing about.
They Can Feel a Little Dated
Virtual tours became hugely popular during COVID, when buyers couldn’t attend showings in person. Some agents now find them clunky or outdated. But much like virtual meeting software, the virtual tour tech has come a long way. I think they’re more usable now than they were at the height of the pandemic.
The Cost
It’s an added expense, and it adds about 30 minutes to our listing appointment. With that in mind, some agents and sellers balk at the price or added time.
These concerns are valid. However, I do think tours are still genuinely useful when they fit the property and the buyer profile.
What Comes With Every Listing I Shoot
Every media package I deliver includes an interactive floor plan tour. It shows where on the floor plan each photo was taken, which gives buyers real spatial context. Because it’s part of my standard delivery, it adds a ton of value at no extra cost to the agent.
Still, there are times when nothing beats a 3D tour. Being able to move through a home, stand in front of the windows or a feature wall, and see how the spaces connect is second only to physically being there. If you want buyers to feel confident before they ever schedule a showing, a virtual tour is one of the best ways to get them there.
What the Data Says About Virtual Tours
I like having numbers behind my recommendations, so here’s what the research shows. Most of it comes from companies that sell tours, so take it with a grain of salt and read it alongside the situations I described above.
More Views and Saves
Zillow reported that listings with a 3D Home tour earned 81% more views and were saved by buyers 53% more often than listings without one. Zillow also says listings with an interactive floor plan drove 43% more page views and 49% more saves than similar nearby listings. Those comparisons are against nearby homes of the same type, with similar price, size, and bedroom count. mediaroomzillow
Faster Sales, Sometimes at Higher Prices
A Matterport-cited analysis of 143,575 listings found that homes with 3D tours closed up to 31% faster and sold for up to 9% more, depending on the market. A smaller comparison found they sold 20% faster. These numbers come from a company that sells 3D tours, and homes with tours may already differ from homes without them, so I treat them as a signal, not a guarantee. matterportmatterport
Buyers Will Buy Without Seeing the Home
At the height of the pandemic, 63% of homebuyers made an offer on a property they hadn’t seen in person, according to Redfin. A Rocket Mortgage survey found that three in five home shoppers would be willing to buy after only a virtual tour. That lines up with what I saw in Kettle Falls. mannpublicationsnar
How I Read These Numbers
The data says tours get more attention and may help homes sell faster. It doesn’t say every listing needs one. For a remote or destination home, where the buyer has to commit a day to see the property, the case is strong. For an in-town home that will fill up with showings, I’d still skip it.
Sources:
So, Do You Need a Virtual Tour for Your Listing?
Here’s the short version:
Remote or destination home? Yes.
Buyers who may have trouble touring in person? Yes.
Unusual layout? Probably.
In-town home with plenty of expected traffic? Probably not.
Want to offer the highest level of service and set your listing apart? A virtual tour is a great way to do it.
If you’re not sure where your listing falls, give me a call or shoot me a text before you book. I’m always happy to look at a property and give you an honest answer about whether a tour is worth the investment.