360° Virtual Tour for Property in Malaysia | Marketing Trends 2024

360° virtual tours thrived and grew in popularity during the pandemic, but now it is clear that this powerful marketing tool is here to stay. Here's all you need to know about 360° virtual tours and its role in the property sector in Malaysia

What is a 360° Virtual Tour?

Click to view: Datum Jelatek Residence Virtual Tour

A 360° virtual tour is a 360-degree digital environment that resembles a physical space. Some people call it a virtual reality tour or digital twin. Through a virtual tour, viewers can feel like they are in the space despite not being there in person. They can also navigate through spaces, zoom in to understand more about the areas in detail, and interact with elements like text, images, PDF files, audio and videos. 

They are made up of panoramic imagery which are 'stitched' together so that it can be viewed seamlessly in every direction. Essentially, you can move your cursor on your computer screen, smartphone or VR device to look around you. 

Looking for a virtual tour vendor for your property? Get in touch with Actsugi.

Benefits of 360° Virtual Tours in the Property Sector

There are many advantages to leveraging on this innovative media within real estate. With the renewed global focus on technology and changing consumer demands, virtual tours have become more than just a marketing gimmick. Here are some of the benefits: 

Developers benefit from:

• Wider reach: Allows potential customers and investors to explore their properties, at their own pace and no matter where they are. 
• Saving valuable time: Frees up the sales team from unnecessary physical visits and lets them focus on other tasks.
• Improved customer conversion: A great way of filtering through your visitors and finding potential customers who are ready to talk to the sales team. 
• SEO optimisation: Keeps visitors on your site for 5 to 10 times longer.

Buyers and renters benefit from: 

• Greater convenience: No need to schedule physical visits or brave through the traffic.
• Informed decision-making: Gives them all the information they need about the space, neighbourhood and amenities before they seal the deal.
• Easy to share: Allows them to share the link with family, friends or future housemates to get another opinion.

Looking for a virtual tour vendor for your property? Get in touch with Actsugi.

Traditional Property Marketing VS Modern Property Marketing 

Open house events, print advertising, direct mail, and printed flyers -  once a staple for pre-pandemic marketing for real estate. Times have changed since; with technological advancement at the forefront, these conventional methods are taking the backseat.

Physical show unit visits can be tiring and time-consuming for both property developers and buyers. Regular print media also only shows a limited perspective of a photo, which can lead to misinterpretations. 

Although 360° virtual tours are not new in Malaysia's property sector, it is still considered a modern marketing tool. With every new generation of property buyers comes new demands and appetites. The average Malaysian customer in 2024 would prefer to research for their new home using websites or smartphones. Naturally, a 360° virtual tour is the go-to solution.

How Do Property Developers Use 360° Virtual Tours?

• Digital Marketing: The virtual tour can be integrated into websites, marketing materials and social media. Here's how Sama-Sama Hotel KLIA included their virtual tour into their main website.
• Remote Tours: The sales team can run site tours to potential customers or stakeholders using the virtual tour.
• Preconstruction Site: A virtual tour with 3D render can be used to show properties that have yet to be built.
• Virtual Sales Gallery: Some developers opt to create a digital sales gallery that brings together their brand story and portfolio together.
• Exhibition: A virtual tour can be a great complement for an exhibition or event. It can be used to transport customers directly to the property, even though they are not physically there.
• Virtual Reality (VR) Experiences: Virtual tours that are compatible with VR headsets can be used during sales presentations, exhibitions, or showrooms.

What Sectors Use 360° Virtual Tours? 

360° virtual tours started out being common in the property sector in Malaysia even before the pandemic. These days, we have seen a rise in interest from a variety of sectors including hospitality, education, medical, dining, retail, industrial and more. 

What Features Do Good 360° Virtual Tours Have?

Click to view: Quinton Residences Virtual Tour

• Intuitive and User-Friendly Layout: Makes it easier for customers to navigate through the virtual tour
• Floor Plan: Gives customers a top view of the property, while allowing them to click through to move between rooms. 
• Multimedia Integration: A good virtual tour has the flexibility to include videos, photos, audios, or brochures.
• Google Map Embed: Enable users to see where a property is located on a map.
• Hotspots: Allows you to move to different rooms by clicking on the hotspot, and can be customised to include special icon designs. 
• Call to Action: All good virtual tours must have a call-to-action button to move interest buyers into the next buyer stage.
• Multi-Platform and VR Compatibility: A good virtual tour is fully optimised for websites, mobile and VR devices, which ensures a better user experience.
• Other Features to Highlight Unique Selling Points: The possibilities are endless! For example, the walkthrough can include a day-to-night timelapse to show breathtaking sceneries, dynamic media viewing to show smart home innovations, or even before-after scenes to show the difference between bare and fully-furnished unit.

Looking for a virtual tour vendor for your property? Get in touch with Actsugi.

Property Virtual Tour Marketing Trends 2024

Here are some virtual tour marketing trends that are leading the property sector in Malaysia.  

• Mobile First: According to Statista Research, smartphone users in Malaysia have reached about 29 million in 2021, and is expected to increase by 1.74 million until 2025. 360° virtual tours that are optimised for mobile phones on top of websites make it more convenient for the users today to check out properties on their smartphone or tablet. 
• Developer Branding: The public perception of the developer is just as important as the product itself. People want to know about the company's reputation, values, commitment to sustainability and portfolio before choosing their property. That is why many virtual galleries have been popping up among developers in Malaysia, as a digital complement to their physical galleries.
• Exhibition Ready: Now that the pandemic is over, property exhibitions have come back in full force by the hundreds. Innovative and tech-savvy developers leverage on virtual tours to attract their customers and give themselves an edge among the competition. 
• 3D Rendered Solutions: Many developers are opting for 3D rendered virtual tour solutions to showcase their property before it is built and gather interest among their potential customers. 
• Data Analytics: Having key information about user behaviours can help developers identify what marketing strategy to adopt next. 

How to Start Your Virtual Journey

Actsugi is a virtual tour and digital content creator based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. We create immersive 360° virtual tours for property with user-friendly layouts, high-quality 11K photography, true-to-life 3D renders, and a variety of storytelling features. Our virtual tours are optimised for web, mobile, tablets and VR devices - so they can be viewed anywhere and anytime across the world.

Get in touch with us to learn how we can support your team with a virtual tour.