The lockdown legacy
Lisa Isaacs asks if virtual tours are the great legacy of the ‘workarounds’ of lockdown and discovers the role floorplans are playing post pandemic.

From humble 2D floorplans to fully immersive VR presentations viewed using Oculus headsets, there are many ways to present a property. This year has been a real litmus test for virtual tours, with the pandemic having fizzled out and in-person viewings back on the agenda. And what about floorplans? Have they been edged out by dollhouse views or do they remain a marketing must-have?
Supplier research suggests there’s a huge imbalance between the number of virtual tours being commissioned by agents and the level of demand for them among home movers. Even despite the heavy reliance during lockdown, it’s widely reported that only three to four per cent of UK property listings have a virtual tour. It’s a figure Mark Enright at Giraffe360 says is completely out of kilter with the amount of prospective home movers who expect to be offered some sort of virtual viewing.
“As with any industry, supply follows demand – the more prospective buyers are exposed to virtual tours, the more they request them from agents,” says Mark. “Our research shows demand for virtual tours in the UK ranges from 49 per cent to 85 per cent – and it’s growing even after coming out of lockdown.”
Mark feels the slow uptake of virtual tours among agents is because they’re still focused on traditional tactics and face-to-face sales, while the financial investment needed to purchase a 360° camera and host tours can be off putting. It’s here, however, where the ‘speculate to accumulate’ old adage rings true.
Add a virtual tour to add value
Statistics provided by Giraffe360* show that listings with a virtual tour receive 87 per cent more views on average, while users spend 5 to 10 times longer looking at a property with a virtual tour. This heightened interest translates to financial gain. Properties in the sales market with virtual tours carry an estimated premium of 5.6 per cent, compared to homes marketed without one, while a property for rent listed with a virtual tour has an estimated 8.5 per cent premium – equivalent to an extra £94 per month in rental income.
Mark’s point about face-to-face sales and traditional methods also resonates with Nigel O’Connell at Revvis. One of the loudest counter arguments concerning virtual tours is agents losing leads before they’ve booked a physical viewing and missing opportunities to get in front of people to potentially win a new instruction.
“Instead of putting people off, I believe virtual tours are instrumental in helping book physical viewings,” comments Nigel, moving the narrative into the area of pre-qualification. He feels the significant detail contained within a virtual tour is more compelling when drawing up a shortlist to view. And when prospects do arrive, they’re the most genuine and informed. “Virtual viewings ensure buyers conducting physical viewings have a higher chance of converting – they have already discovered that a property is a good match through the detail of a virtual visit.”

Kick time-wasting into touch
While Mark at Giraffe360 politely refers to the industry’s ‘slow uptake’ of virtual tours, another advocate is more brutal. “It’s very much evolve or die,” says EyeSpy360’s Andrew Nicholls. “Just over 11 per cent of all property listings globally have a virtual tour. Sadly, the UK is way behind other countries with respect to virtual tours and proptech generally. The flipside to this snail’s pace of adoption is the opportunity for a new breed of agent to emerge and new business models to flourish.”
It’s very much evolve or die. Just over 11 per cent of all property listings globally have a virtual tour. Sadly, the UK is way behind other countries with respect to virtual tours. Andrew Nicholls EyeSpy36.
Andrew remains baffled as to why so many agents are addicted to time-wasting physical viewings, especially when they should be paying attention to better efficiency, productivity and consumer demand. “The overall benefits of virtual tours for agents and consumers far outweigh the fear of change. UK agents should be increasing their usage of virtual tours – if they don’t, their competitors certainly will.”
The relationship between virtual tours and productivity explains why Matterport’s metrics focus on improved resourcing as much as engagement with listings and speed of sales. Since using Matterport’s virtual tours, letting agent Atkinson McLeod has reported a 50 per cent overall reduction in physical property visits, supporting faster times to contract signing and more efficient property management. At Winkworth in Guildford, agents made fewer property visits and reduced the administrative time it took to make a listing live.

Hybrids – the ‘somewhere in the middle’
Let’s return to the argument about a more hands-off sales environment not yielding leads and opportunities. This is where hybrid products are bridging the gap with products that blend the personal touch with the remote. At FocalAgent, agents have the option of running hosted virtual tours, during which the agent controls the viewing from their desk. The agent can take a buyer from room-to-room, answering any questions over live audio and building a relationship as the viewing progresses. Agents can even switch between properties during one appointment for excellent cross-selling opportunities and an astute use of a prospect’s time.

“Smart viewings, where buyers view a property online guided by an estate agent, will become standard practice,” says FocalAgent’s Lee Wainwright. “As well as enabling agents to build relationships, vet leads and target out-of-area clients, they’re also good for reducing an agent’s carbon footprint by cutting journeys to and from appointments.”
Smart viewings, where buyers view a property online guided by an estate agent, will become standard practice… enabling agents to build relationships and vet leads. Lee Wainwright FocalAgen.
Lee touches on an aspect of virtual tours that Richard Abbots at Inventory Hive has explored further. “Remote viewings clearly contribute to a lower carbon footprint and improved air quality but they can also save an agent – and viewers – money at a time of rising fuel costs. For example, based on today’s prices, if you make a five-mile trip to a viewing, it will cost you around £5 in fuel. Make that trip 10 times and the costs quickly rack up.”
Remote viewings clearly contribute to a lower carbon footprint and improved air quality but they can also save an agent and viewers money at a time of rising fuel costs. Richard Abbots Inventory Hive.
Speedy boarding pass
Another hybrid product finding favour is Metropix’s newly upgraded 3D floorplan service, which combines the ease-of-use of a floorplan with the greater spatial awareness of a 3D tour. The benefits are clear, with layouts brought to life with the addition of colour, furniture and a more realistic view.

An additional advantage is speed of creation, which Steve Sanashee at Metropix knows is important to agents. “When we recently surveyed 100 estate agents, 68 per cent said they felt the onboarding process for new buyers and vendors was taking too long,” says Steve. “We wanted to offer a solution to estate agents who wanted to get properties to market quickly and offer digital content to make their listings more attractive.” As such, a Metropix 3D floorplan can be ordered at the click of a button, after which it’s automatically rendered and returned to the agent within 60 seconds. Steve adds that Metropix’s hybrid product can also be cheaper and more accessible than 3D tours, making it ideal for ‘chimney pot’ properties and the faster-paced lettings sector.
We wanted to offer a solution to estate agents who wanted to get properties to market quickly and offer digital content to make their listings more attractive. Steve Sanashee Metropix.
New homes innovation
Also moving in the hybrid world is DCTR, who has chosen to focus on the new build market. It is taking off plan sales to a new level by upgrading the static CGI experience. Its CGI virtual tours can be commissioned for new homes that haven’t yet been built yet – perfect agents trying to win off-plan business from niche housebuilders and developers. Options include DCVR, which is akin to a first-person computer game. Users can walk around any space in the property without relying on rigid hotspots, changing materials and furniture as they go. The second type is closer to a traditional 360° tour, using virtual reality hotspots and resulting in a photo-realistic, simple-to-navigate experience.
“The Land & New Homes Network recently commissioned a bespoke tour of a new luxury development in Bovisand Harbour as a showcase to potential purchasers,” comments Tom Durrant. “DCTR was able to model an exact match of the property, together with the interior design intent – right down to soft furnishings and bespoke light fittings.”
DCTR was able to model an exact match of the property, together with the interior design intent – right down to soft furnishings and bespoke light fittings. Tom Durrant DCTR.
The cross over makes its mark Inventory Hive offers a smart solution that is more of a crossover product than a hybrid. It has brought together the advantages of virtual tours with app technology for agents conducting inspections and inventories. “The pandemic hastened digital opportunities that would have otherwise taken many more months to come to fruition,” says Richard, “and letting agents now have easy access to a deeper level of reporting.”
Check ins, check outs, inventories and mid-term inspections can now be compiled as virtual tours, using Inventory Hive’s automated software. The syncing between Insta360 and Ricoh’s 360° cameras and the Inventory Hive app allows the high-grade details captured by a virtual tour to be automatically added to the app. The reports are more comprehensive – almost infallible – as a result, so there is less room for misunderstanding – and less room for tenant/landlord disputes. The app also tags each image so it corresponds with the correct space or room, saving unnecessary admin after the agent has left the property, plus photos, video links and information points can be embedded in the virtual tour for an immersive inspection report.
EPCs just got easier
There’s also a crossover between floorplans and EPCs, with software integrations sharing data and automatically making calculations to lighten the workload. Steve Flatman at PlanUp is excited by the new time-saving capabilities. “Floorplan software has changed the EPC landscape quite significantly. With PlanUp in particular, our iPad app integrates with CoreLogic, Elmhurst and Stroma, performing a huge amount legwork when it comes to calculations.”
“Assessors can start a survey in their given EPC software, hit a button and be directly launched into creating a floorplan, where additional information can be added. Once finished, the data then gets ported back into their EPC software and a floorplan is created.”
Assessors can start a survey in their given EPC software, hit a button and be directly launched into creating a floorplan, where additional information can be added. Steven Flatman PlanUp.
PlanUp’s software calculates heat loss perimeters, alternative wall areas, window and door heights, glazing and lighting percentages. The time efficiencies are tangible and one property visit results in two key marketing assets – an EPC and a floorplan – so assessors can present a cost-effective solution to agents.

Lockdown-driven boom
Offering a full suite of photography, videos and floorplans, NicheCom is a full-service marketing supplier. During 2020-21 they experienced an explosion in interest, as Managing Director Peter Burnham describes. ” At the close of 2019, we had completed around 1,200 3D showcases but in 2020 and 2021, the order numbers were in excess of 12,000 per annum, an incredible ten-fold annual increase since the start of the pandemic,” he says.
GotoView has supported over 40,000 accompanied virtual viewings, saving clients a huge amount of wasted travel time and helping them identify the more serious buyers Peter Burnham MD, Nichecom.
“Video has been closely following this trend, and since launching in January, we have produced over 5,000 of them for agents keen to start utilising this type of content in their digital marketing. Video is known to achieve higher rates of engagement on social channels and enables agents to drive more traffic directly to their website, reducing reliance on the portals,” he adds.
The pandemic also inspired the creation of NicheCom’s service, GotoView, an accompanied virtual platform, allowing agent clients to engage with prospective buyers on virtual walkthrough of a 3D showcase. Client Davis Tate said, “So far this year, GotoView has saved us more than 600 first physical viewings. That’s 600 times we have been saved from a wasted journey!”
Agents Alan de Maid said, “It’s a process that’s here to stay. This is now how we conduct all first viewings, with the convenience of being able to do this from our office and applicants from anywhere they like. We have dramatically increased the number of first viewings we are able to do.”
Burnham sums up, “So far in 2022, GotoView has supported over 40,000 accompanied virtual viewings, saving our clients a huge amount of wasted travel time and helping them identify the more serious buyers that will proceed to a physical viewing.”
Virtual tours that measure up
During the pandemic, you couldn’t move in the property press for mention of the ‘race for space’ or our quest for gardens, and these two modern moving desires have played into the hands of virtual tours. “Measurements have become increasingly important as a guide to whether a property is right for a potential buyer,” says Matterport’s James Morris-Manuel. “Buyers want to know if a property offers more space, if their furniture will fit and whether the home represents value for money.”
Matterport’s 3D tours yield traditional floors plans and dolls house views plus there’s the in-tour Measurement Mode, allowing the viewers to measure aspects. James also believes scanning outside space will form an equally important part of virtual tours.

The lockdown legacy
Lockdown and the pandemic changed a great deal about the way we work and interact forced upon us by the health risk. The ‘workarounds’ that resulted gave additional insight, visual and physical detail via technology. Much has now become embedded in the way agents market properties and the unexpected outcome is that agents can now work smarter, save time in viewings and filter leads. It was a hard time for agents, but something positive did come out of the pandemic.
* Data sourced from Giraffe360, LCP, Mass Interact and Digital in the Round