7 Unexpected Marketing Wins You Can Achieve with a Virtual Tour
Budgets are tightening in today's real estate market, and your marketing budget is probably no exception. But before you cut back on specific marketing activities, take a look at the tools you already use — they may offer features you don't know about that can help you promote your listings at no extra cost. One of our favorite sources of hidden marketing features is the virtual tour. Not only do you get three major visual assets (an interactive 3D tour, listing photos, and a floor plan) from one photoshoot, but these platforms also offer a wealth of tools you can use to market your listing. Today, we're going to explore seven marketing wins you may not have known you could achieve with a virtual tour. And, bonus, these are things you can (and should!) talk about in your listing presentation to win over sellers (but more on that later). Let's dive in: 1. Create feature sheets Have an open house coming up? Help your listing make a lasting impression by offering printed feature sheets to attendees. There's no need to open Canva or Photoshop — your virtual tour solution can create this for you! Let's use 3D virtual tour provider iGUIDE as an example. Their platform automatically generates a visually appealing Feature Sheet with photos, a floor plan, and property info in just minutes. The feature sheets are generated as a PDF for easy printing or sharing online. 2. Share downloadable floor plans Did you know that listings with a floor plan spend 50% less time on the market, according to Zillow research? That's great news for agents who use 3D virtual tours, as most come complete with floor plans. Floor plans often mean detailed measurements of your listing have been taken, too — but check with your virtual tour provider to see how accurate these are. iGUIDE, for example, uses a time-of-flight LiDAR laser to capture accurate measurements of the space, which can be viewed directly on the tour. You can use these measurements in your listing. If iGUIDE is your virtual platform, visitors can see these detailed measurements in your virtual tour under the "Details" tab. There, visitors can also download a PDF of the floor plan. You can share these PDFs, too! They're easy to print, email, and upload to your website — or, if you convert them to image files, you can share them on social media. (See a sample PDF here or navigate to the "Details" tab below to see one available in a live 3D virtual tour.) 3. Highlight selling points or property features in your 3D tour One of our favorite virtual tour features is the ability to add tags throughout the tour to highlight your listing's unique selling points. Does your listing come with luxury appliances, like a Viking stove? Tag that in your tour to grab buyers' attention! It's the next best thing to showing off these features in person. Tags can include text, photos, and even videos — you can use whichever medium best highlights your listing's best features. 4. Share directly to social Sharing your listing on social media is an expected part of any marketing plan. Unlike photos or videos, it's not so easy sharing virtual tours, however. Technology to the rescue! Many virtual tour platforms, including iGUIDE, will generate snippets of your tour as an image file that you can share on social media. 5. Use as a landing page Using online ads to draw attention to your listings? No need to create a brand new landing page — just direct your ads to your virtual tour. This works well because virtual tour platforms, like iGUIDE, don't just offer a digital walkthrough of your listing. They also offer property details, detailed measurements, photos, local maps, and more — all branded to you and featuring your contact information. You can also promote your virtual tours in your offline marketing. Use a QR code or short URL that leads to your tour on yard signs, flyers, postcards or other printed marketing. 6. Impress your sellers with data We're going to switch gears. While previous items are about marketing to buyers, the next two are about impressing your sellers — the key to winning referrals, testimonials or repeat business from them in the future. When evaluating which virtual tour solution to use, ask if they offer analytics. iGUIDE, for example, provides data on how many people are visiting your tour, how they're interacting with it, which areas are getting the most attention, and how long viewers are spending in the tour. You can share this information with your sellers to show your value and demonstrate the marketing you are doing on their behalf. 7. Include tour data in your closing gift Your transaction may be drawing to a close, but that doesn't mean you can't stay top-of-mind with your client. If your virtual tour provider allows you to download your files, as iGUIDE does, you can give this data to your seller at closing. Load up the files on a USB stick that's branded to your business and include it in your closing gift. It's a nice gesture that plays on the nostalgia your sellers may feel about their old home — and it helps keep you top of mind for when they're ready to transact again. BONUS: A flyer to include in your listing presentations The items above are great talking points to cover in your listing presentation as part of your marketing plan! To help you start that conversation, we're including a downloadable listing flyer that you can incorporate into your listing presentations, courtesy of iGUIDE. Download the listing flyer now to help you win your next listing presentation! Then visit goiguide.com to learn more about iGUIDE.

New iGUIDE Lead Magnet Generates Real-Time Leads for Real Estate Professionals
The exclusive product feature lets buyers viewing iGUIDE's 3D Virtual Tours request additional property details providing agents with instant leads. WATERLOO, Ontario, April 30, 2024 – Planitar Inc., makers of iGUIDE, a proprietary camera and software platform for capturing and delivering 3D virtual tours and property data, today introduced iGUIDE Lead Magnet—an exclusive product feature designed to help real estate agents capture leads and get market feedback in real-time as prospective buyers view iGUIDE 3D Virtual Tour property listings. iGUIDE Lead Magnet is an interactive pop-up element that appears in the iGUIDE. Viewer as potential buyers explore real estate listings. The feature allows buyers to request more details by providing their contact information in exchange for receiving access to additional visuals via an email or SMS from the listing agent. The agent now can engage with the qualified lead as they choose. "This new product feature is about forging relationships in real estate," said Alexander Likholyot, the CEO and co-founder of Planitar Inc. "Even after Covid-19, industrywide adoption of 3D tours in real estate has barely crossed into double digits, as listing agents haven't been able to capture feedback about a property or start a conversation with potential buyers within a 3D tour. The new iGUIDE Lead Magnet solves both problems by letting buyers share their contact information to get access to additional property visuals delivered in the detailed version of iGUIDE 3D Virtual Tour while encouraging buyers to ask questions and provide feedback about the listing. This exchange gives agents a way to contact and engage with qualified, interested buyers and connect with potential future listing prospects." In addition to generating real-time leads 24/7, iGUIDE Lead Magnet empowers buyers to provide valuable feedback directly on the virtual listings, offering agents insights they can share with sellers. Real estate professionals have the flexibility to streamline their communication process by automatically responding to leads via email or SMS, saving time while still delivering personalized responses tailored to each potential buyer's inquiries. Here's how it works: A pop-up form appears in the iGUIDE Viewer after a prospective buyer explores the listing. A prospective buyer can elect to provide their contact information for access to additional property visuals delivered via the detailed iGUIDE 3D Virtual Tour. The listing agent receives an alert, either by text or email, with the prospective buyer's contact information. If configured, an automatic email is sent at the same time to the prospective buyer with the detailed iGUIDE 3D Virtual Tour link. The agent can choose to send an automatic or custom response, providing the buyer with the detailed iGUIDE 3D Virtual Tour and engaging them into a conversation or arranging for a Virtual Showing if a curated agent-guided iGUIDE experience is desired. Key features and benefits of iGUIDE Lead Magnet include: Buyer lead data is sent in real-time via email notification or SMS. Prospective buyers are encouraged to provide valuable feedback that the listing agent can share with the sellers. Minimal effort is required by an agent to set up and maintain while retaining control over listing visuals, as well as client communications. iGUIDE Lead Magnet takes advantage of the unique way iGUIDE 3D Virtual Tours can hide and show visuals and/or rooms creating two unique iGUIDE versions. There is no additional cost above the iGUIDE 3D Virtual Tour. The exclusive, new product feature is available on all iGUIDE 3D Virtual Tours (Instant, Standard & Premium). For more information, visit: goiguide.com/get-iguide/iguide/lead-magnet About Planitar Founded in 2013 in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, Planitar Inc. is the maker of iGUIDE, a proprietary camera and software platform for capturing and delivering immersive 3D virtual tours and extensive property data. iGUIDE is the most efficient system to map interior spaces and features accurate floor plans, measurements and reliable property square footage. By integrating floor plans and visual data, iGUIDE provides an intuitive and practical way to navigate and explore built environments digitally. For more, visit goiguide.com.