Building a Virtual Showhome – from Start to Finish
We speak to housebuilders all the time, we know what keeps them awake at night. A few of them have the impression that virtual tours are complicated to instruct, or tricky to build into their existing marketing & sales strategy.
Let’s bust that myth.
The 360° Virtual Tour & Virtual Showhome have become staple tools for any modern housebuilder looking to sell property off plan. If a buyer is looking for a new-build, chances are they’ll be exploring a CGI Virtual Showhome rather than a physical one. These tools have become the industry standard, which means if you aren’t using them, you’re missing out.
One of the biggest concerns we hear from housebuilders is they’re worried about how quick and easy Virtual Showhomes are to get up & running. The truth is, they couldn’t be easier. Our Virtual Tour & Showhome tools have been designed with convenience in mind.
Let’s walk through it step-by-step. One of the biggest concerns we hear from housebuilders is they’re worried about how quick and easy Virtual Showhomes are to get up & running. The truth is, they couldn’t be easier. Our Virtual Tour & Showhome tools have been designed with convenience in mind.
Let’s walk through it step-by-step.
The main reasons housebuilders are reluctant to try Virtual Showhomes
Housebuilders need to keep up with the modern buyer. Today they are more tech-savvy and expect as much information at their fingertips as possible. There’s a myth amongst developers that working with Virtual Reality specialists is complicated and the end product won’t line up with their existing online strategy.
What’s the root of this concern?
Housebuilders and developers are strapped for time. They work to razor sharp schedules to get property planned, built, marketed and sold. Everything runs like clockwork (or, it should do) and breaking those well-worn processes can feel scary.
Here are some of the key barriers to housebuilders using virtual tours:
- It all sounds complicated
Terms such as virtual reality, augmented reality, Interactive CGI…It can all sound overwhelming.
- They don’t want to break existing systems
All housebuilders have their own sales methods and systems. Sales teams all feed into a physical sales centre. Listing availability and pricing data is updated regularly and informs which house type gets a push from sales. It can feel daunting to break away from those existing processes. -
Concerns about installation time
Housebuilders will see industry leaders using a virtual marketing toolkit but have concerns they might not have the same resources or time to roll them out. - Will the sales team learn the virtual toolkit quickly
With anything new, there’s a learning curve. When we speak to housebuilders, they sometimes think a Virtual Tour & Virtual Showhome will take months of training for their sales team. We know you can’t afford a lapse in revenue performance.
Roll out Virtual Showhomes in 9 Simple Steps
Actually, integrating virtual tours & Virtual Showhomes with housebuilders couldn’t be easier. Think of it as a power-up to your existing sales & marketing strategy. We’ve designed our virtual marketing toolkit to be inherently easy to use and have a simple process that we follow every time.
Here’s what happens when a housebuilder gets in touch:
Step 1 – Arrange a Demo
We’ll take you through a demo of the Virtual Showhome, demonstrating how the service works, its full functionality and how our other clients are utilising the tool. This happens over a quick 30 minute call. The EyeSiteView team bring all the details, just sit back & relax.
Step 2 – Refine the Brief
Now you have a good understanding of the Virtual Showhome and it’s benefits, together we’ll take a deep dive into specific requirements. Number of house types, level of functionality, interior design, implementation strategy, these are all considered.
Step 3 – Request & Supply a Quote
Once we’ve completed the demo, we’ll prepare a quote based on the number of house types within the range or development. We’ll map this against the scope outlined in step 2. Our pricing is standardised, so we can get this turned around within 1-2 business days.
Step 4 – Instruction
Once the quote is approved, we’ll determine the final deliverables and request a purchase order that contains all the details of the project. Exciting news, we’re ready to start building your virtual showhomes.
Step 5 – Collate technical info
This is how we create such realistic interpretations of the actual build. We use the same technical drawings created by the housebuilders architects or technical department. Simply email it over to us and we’ll take it from there.
Step 6 – Draft Release
Now we have the ingredients, our 3d visualisers will set about recreating instructed housetypes as Virtual Showhomes. We create them all in stunning, photo-realistic CGI, which match the exact dimensions and specifications of the real build.
The draft Virtual Showhome link is emailed to key stakeholders.
Step 7 – Client review
Now comes the first review. We make this step simple with EyeSiteReview; an online platform to add comments directly onto the Virtual Showhome. We’ll also take key decision makers and members of the sales team through the Virtual Showhomes, demonstrating in full its capabilities, capturing any comments along the way. It will feel like your homes have finally come to life, before a brick has even been laid.
Step 8 – Final review & approval
The completed release is delivered to stakeholders and the navigable, accurate, photo-realistic representation of the housetype is ready to assist in selling homes quicker.
Step 9 – Integration & publish
It’s time to get them live on the website and in the sales centre. Expert support and guidance is provided throughout this process so housebuilders can begin to drive visitors right away.
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Further reading:
> Sell Property Quicker with 3D House Tours & the Virtual ShowHome
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Upgrade your marketing with Virtual Showhomes
For housebuilders, time is a precious commodity. With the EyeSiteView Virtual Showhome, housebuilders can add digital twins of every housetype onto their website in 9 simple steps.
Get in touch with the team today to get started
