Realtor.com® Adds More Immersive 3D Home Tour Experiences

Rhea-AI Summary

Realtor.com has partnered with Asteroom and CloudPano to enhance its 3D tour offerings for home buyers. This addition aims to meet growing demand for virtual real estate experiences, especially post-pandemic. Home shoppers can now access interactive 360-degree views, facilitating a deeper understanding of properties without physical visits. The shift toward virtual tours has proven beneficial, with listings featuring them seeing a 227% increase since March 2020. The new partnerships support agents by providing low-cost, user-friendly 3D scanning solutions.

Positive

• Increased user engagement with listings featuring 3D tours, leading to 227% growth since the pandemic began.
• Partnerships with Asteroom and CloudPano enhance the diversity of 3D tour options available to consumers.
• Low-cost and accessible 3D scanning solutions make listings more attractive to home buyers.

Negative

• None.

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Jan. 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- To address increased consumer demand, realtor.com^® today announced that it is adding two new technology providers, Asteroom and CloudPano to provide additional 3D tour options for home shoppers. In addition to Matterport tours, real estate agents can now upload tours from Asteroom and CloudPano directly to listings on realtor.com^®.

"Concerns around the pandemic certainly heightened the demand for 3D tours, as many home shoppers wanted to explore the home but didn't feel comfortable visiting in person. However, they are more than just a COVID solution, they are now an important option for consumers during their home buying journey," said Rachel Morley, Chief Product Officer, realtor.com^®. "Realtor.com^® is adding two new technology providers, Asteroom and CloudPano, to help empower agents and brokerages to add more 3D tours to their listings, which we know leads to more views and better engagement."

3D tours have become a crucial part of the home buying journey, and enable home shoppers to understand what it feels like to be in a home without having to step foot inside. By clicking on the 3D tour button on a realtor.com^® listing, the viewer can explore an interactive 360-degree view of the home, just as if they were walking the property in person.

Asteroom, CloudPano and Matterport have offerings that leverage smartphone cameras which enable quick scanning and cost less than solutions that require specialized equipment. By providing agents with low-cost, easy-to-use options, realtor.com^® will increase the accessibility and availability of 3D tours on its listings.

A realtor.com^® consumer survey conducted in the spring found that 65% of home buyers believed that virtual tours would continue to be a great resource in their home shopping process even after the pandemic. And while the pandemic accelerated virtual tour adoption -- at the peak of the lockdowns, listings with virtual tours received 17% more views per property -- that momentum has continued. In December, listings with 3D tours on realtor.com^® were up 227% since the pandemic began in March.

To learn more, visit: https://hub.realtor.com/concierge-insights/new-virtual-tour-partners

About realtor.com^®
Realtor.com^® makes buying, selling and living in homes easier and more rewarding for everyone. Realtor.com^® pioneered the world of digital real estate 20 years ago, and today through its website and mobile apps is a trusted source for the information, tools and professional expertise that help people move confidently through every step of their home journey. Using proprietary data science and machine learning technology, realtor.com^® pairs buyers and sellers with local agents in their market, helping take the guesswork out of buying and selling a home. For professionals, realtor.com^® is a trusted provider of consumer connections and branding solutions that help them succeed in today's on-demand world. Realtor.com^® is operated by News Corp [Nasdaq: NWS, NWSA] [ASX: NWS, NWSLV] subsidiary Move, Inc. under a perpetual license from the National Association of REALTORS^®. For more information, visit realtor.com^®.

Media Contact
Nicole Murphy, nicole.murphy@move.com

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/realtorcom-adds-more-immersive-3d-home-tour-experiences-301209672.html

SOURCE realtor.com

FAQ

What new features has realtor.com added for home buyers?

Realtor.com has added 3D tour capabilities through partnerships with Asteroom and CloudPano to enhance virtual real estate experiences.

How much have listings with 3D tours increased on realtor.com since the pandemic?

Listings featuring 3D tours on realtor.com have increased by 227% since the pandemic began in March 2020.

Why are 3D tours important for home buyers?

3D tours allow home buyers to explore listings virtually, providing an immersive experience that helps them understand properties better without in-person visits.

What impact did the pandemic have on the demand for virtual tours?

The pandemic heightened demand for virtual tours as home buyers sought safer options for viewing properties.

What advantages do the new 3D tour technologies offer real estate agents?

The new technologies provide agents with low-cost, easy-to-use options for creating 3D tours, increasing their listings' visibility and engagement.