Get Ahead of the Virtual Reality Trend

If you keep up with industry news at all, you already know the buzz about virtual reality has only gotten louder. This year, major outlets—including Inman, Fortune, and the LA Times, among others—report that virtual reality is one of 2017's major real estate technology trends.

This isn't based on some proverbial "fake news" sources—76 percent of real estate agents surveyed plan to include virtual reality in their marketing outreach this year, according to a recent poll by industry leader Matterport. As a case in point, Matterport adds 25,000 new virtual reality experiences to their fast-expanding library each month from leading real estate firms like RE/MAX, Coldwell Banker, Sotheby's International Realty, and more.

• Register for Matterport's webinar (Feb. 28) to learn how VR can help you win listings and crush your 2017 sales goals.

Gregg Lynn, one of the top Realtors in the country, according to the Wall Street Journal, uses Matterport to create an always-open house. "Open houses are only a couple of hours a week," said Lynn, "but when you have Matterport virtual reality, we can be open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year."

But you don't have to work at a blue chip firm to access leading edge virtual reality technology. Matterport's virtual walkthrough solution is now widely available via the most popular and widespread platforms, including iPhone and Android devices, and is viewable with Samsung Gear VR and Google Cardboard. In fact, the company recently partnered with Google to bring their real estate VR solution to Google Chrome via WebVR, bringing Matterport's library of VR experiences to Google's Daydream headset.

Matterport customers can now effortlessly create collections of virtual reality home tours to send to home buying clients. These VR walkthroughs are also available as interactive 3D tours which clients can explore on their computer, tablet or smartphone. Engaging 3D tours are similar to interactive computer games, which allow people to navigate through a space by tapping places on the screen. This lets buyers understand the property's layout (including outdoor spaces) and perform comprehensive floor plan inspections, saving home search time for clients and agents alike!

Even more, being tech-forward is easier and more economical than ever—it's no wonder that brokers and agents are increasingly using virtual reality to amp up their marketing. Savvy brokers keep Gear VRs in their office so clients can visit their entire home inventory from the comfort of a couch, allowing hyper-focused on-site visits that feature agents' consultative added-value. Real estate professionals even print branded virtual reality viewers from Google Cardboard at the affordable price of $8-12, and distribute them via direct mail campaigns or at open houses. These innovative outreach strategies using Matterport's virtual reality impresses both prospects and clients—and wins listings.

Get in on the trend early and learn how to leverage virtual reality to achieve like a top Realtor in Matterport's webinar on February 28 at 11 am (PST).

Don't be left behind this year: REGISTER HERE NOW!