Being There — Virtually and In Person — Is Important for Buyers

Home shoppers seeking safety and convenience are showing a growing fondness for remote touring and would like even more opportunities to use remote technologies in their home search. But they say they still want to visit a home in person before they commit to buying, according to the Zillow Consumer Housing Trends Report 2020.

Virtual tours help buyers focus on the most promising homes

The rise of remote touring technology is changing home shopping, allowing prospective buyers to narrow their search more quickly by “walking” through homes online, saving in-person visits for homes that feel the most promising.

Last year, about half of buyers (52%) agreed somewhat or completely that 3D tours were superior to static photos for getting a feel for a home, and 46% agreed somewhat or completely that they wanted more listings to have them. This year, 62% say 3D tours are superior to photos — a 10-point increase — and 55% want them on more listings.

Buyers also indicate that they want more opportunities to explore homes remotely. For instance, 54% agree somewhat or completely that a tool that allowed them to virtually add or remove furniture in home listing photos would be very helpful, and 59% say it would be easier for them to unlock properties with their phone and tour them in person on their own time.

And while 57% express a preference for scheduling in-person tours online, only about a third (35%) agree somewhat or completely that 3D tours are preferable to in-person tours. Still, those sentiments are 9 points higher than last year, indicating the degree to which people are warming to remote technologies during a pandemic — and likely beyond that.

Buyers say floor plans save search time

Enthusiasm for floor plans on listings also shows the extent to which buyers are looking for ways to experience a home before they step foot in it.

Nearly three quarters of buyers (72%) say that having a floor plan/layout that fit their preferences was very or extremely important to them, a 5-point increase from last year.

Listings with floor plans also may help generate more home visits. According to the trends report, 79% of buyers say they are more likely to view a home if the listing includes a floor plan they like.

About 7 in 10 buyers (71%) say that “dynamic floor plans” that allow buyers to view photos of a home and see where those photographed features are located on a floor plan would help them determine if a home is a good fit.

But there are limits to the usefulness of floor plans, mostly because buyers have difficulty reading the plans or don’t currently get enough important information from them. More than half of buyers (54%) say they wasted time during their home search viewing properties they would have skipped had they understood the floor plan before visiting, and 76% say they only way to really understand the layout of a home is to see it in person.

 Takeaways:

• Post floor plans on all of your listings, and be sure to include the total square footage, since 94% of buyers say they expect those details if a listing includes a floor plan.
•  Note where photos on a listing correspond to a floor plan to help buyers better visualize the space.
• Offer a variety of remote ways for buyers to experience and picture themselves in a home: floor plans, virtual tours like Zillow 3D Home® tours, photos that connect back to floor plans and virtual tours where someone walks through the house while on a video call with a buyer. These can help buyers shorten their search time and increase their interest in your homes.