Would you buy a property without first visiting it in person? Pre-COVID, most people would have answered that question in the negative. Nowadays, things are a little different, and some exciting new technologies available to estate agents are changing the way prospective buyers are conducting their search for properties. Seeff Zimbali has recently successfully sold two properties in Zimbali to buyers based outside of the area and unable to travel to be able to view the properties in person. This direct success related to a specific technology has demonstrated the changing way in which people are willing to transact. The good news for estate agents is that they matter more than ever in this new "normal" transacting environment in that buyers need to have a high level of trust in the guidance provided by the agent and the first-hand insights provided by that agent.

Two key recommendations are provided below to those sellers and their appointed agents when showcasing a property online as a guideline to using virtual tour technologies.

Rule No.1: Use the top of the range 3D Tour technology. When 3D Tours first became available the cameras were expensive, and the mechanism of uploading and hosting these tours was prohibitive for mass roll-out and usage. A few years later, things have dramatically changed with smart new technologies and reasonably priced specialist cameras, allowing professional level DIY solutions that deliver jaw-dropping quality and digital walk-through experiences of a residential home. While there is a spectrum of 3D Tour solutions available in the market, the design and quality limitations of the cheaper solutions are largely under-whelming and leave the end-user wondering why the agent has even bothered attempting to produce these tours. By using high-quality solutions, as provided by EyeSpy360 Virtual Tours, the agent has the opportunity to deliver impressive virtual tours.  When using the bespoke 360-degree cameras together with 3D "doll-house" type floor plans as well as the more traditional 2D floor plans - all generated seamlessly by the super-smart software without the need to even measure the floor areas - impressive results can be achieved. The user-experience has been described as even more detailed than a physical, on-site viewing - and all possible from the convenience of the prospective buyers home using their TV as a high-resolution monitor.

Rule No. 2: Use a professionally produced video of the property. Videos have a very different role in the marketing of real estate than a 3D Virtual Tour. A video is typically short - usually 1 to 2,5 minutes at most, and is used to sell the sizzle and showcase the general locality. Drone photography is essential and when used in conjunction with the internal video of a property, creates a highly compelling marketing platform. The Seeff Zimbali YouTube Channel is currently the best example locally of the use of videography in marketing residential real estate and has created the benchmark in the industry of how this should be done.

The property sales landscape is changing before our eyes and those agents that embrace and adopt these new technologies will be the winners.