New HomeJab Survey Says Agents Prefer Video Over 3D Interactive Tours

While immersive 3D interactive tours are soaring in popularity, more real estate agents today still prefer video tours, according to a new survey we recently completed at HomeJab.

More than one in three real estate agents – 36 percent – said they preferred video tours versus 21 percent for 3D interactive tours. Nearly one-third of agents said they use both video and 3D tours, depending on the seller.

Real estate agents know that use of high-quality images and video drives online traffic and engagement. Great photos and videos also raise active real estate agents' local visibility while enhancing their reputation. As a result, professional photographers play an essential role in today's real estate market as they fuel better promotion of property listings.

According to the National Association of Realtors, with 97 percent of home buyers using the internet when searching for homes, professional photos, video, and other advanced imaging tools are more important than ever. Using professional imaging can mean a faster home sale and enhance a real estate agent's reputation in the marketplace.

At HomeJab.com, we provide on-demand professional real estate photography and other visual production services nationwide for real estate agents and brokers. We are watching new imaging technologies, including virtual staging, virtual twilight photos, and aerial photography, rapidly adopted and used to sell homes faster.

Hot new trends

One of the hottest trends is virtual staging, which agents prefer slightly more than traditional staging, 30 percent versus 29 percent, respectively.

Aerial photography also is one of the fastest-growing trends, being used by agents to elevate their online listings and sell homes faster.

More than two out of three (67 percent) real estate agents surveyed said they used aerial photography with their listings. However, the majority (55%) said their use depends on the property. And 12 percent said they use aerial photography with every property listing.

While virtual staging showcases a home's interior features, twilight photos grab the viewer's attention. Think about it: how sweet is life during a sunset? It's one of those moments in which everything looks its best, including your home.

We know from other research we've done that property listings with twilight photos get three times more engagement from buyers.

Most agents – over 76 percent – told us they have either used twilight photos to promote their property listings or are interested in using them. Currently, 40 percent of agents said they use twilight photos, with 35 percent saying they love them. And 5 percent of agents said they use them but don't love them.

The more (photos), the merrier

We also polled real estate agents on the average number of photos they provide to consumers via their local Multiple Listing Service. We found that for a typical listing, 79 percent of agents surveyed said they upload at least 30 images to the MLS.

A breakdown of responses shows that 51 percent of real estate agents upload 30 photos to the MLS for an average-sized home. Nearly 20 percent of real estate agents upload 40 photos. Almost one out of 10 agents upload 50 or more images.

Some MLSs limit the number of photos per listing, or this number would likely be much higher.

Every day, we work with thousands of professional real estate photographers coast-to-coast who provide real estate agents with a full range of imaging services, edited, and delivered within 24 hours.

Accessible through our one-stop-shop for real estate listings at HomeJab.com, every listing comes with a property landing page and full ownership rights.

Having easy access to professional real estate photography allows agents to do their jobs better and more efficiently. Professional photography helps agents win more listings and sell homes faster. You can learn more about how we can provide fast and affordable shoots for any sized brokerage, individual agent, or team at HomeJab.com.

Joe Jesuele, founder and CEO of HomeJab, America's most popular and reliable on-demand professional real estate photography and video service for real estate pros, is a leading expert on real estate photography and emerging visual technologies for real estate.