Why Top Malaysian Developers are Betting on 360° Virtual Tours: Insights for the Smart Marketer

In the rapidly-evolving landscape of the property market in Malaysia, forward-thinking developers are increasingly investing in 360° virtual tours as a key marketing strategy. While virtual reality (VR) technology has existed in Malaysia for years, it was only after the Covid-19 pandemic that the adoption of virtul tours in real estate truly accelerated. 

Here's why Malaysia's top developers are making a strong pivot towards 360° virtual tours, and how property marketers can capitalize on this innovative strategy.

1. Changing Demographics of Property Buyers 

The shifting demographics of property buyers entering the market comes with changing expectations. According to a report from National Association of Realtors, 93% of home buyers rely on the internet to facilitate their decision. The average homebuyer today is tech-savvy, owns a smartphone, and proritises digital tools for property research. 

Property developers who keep up with real estate trends are quick to adapt to these tech-driven changes, embracing fresh and innovative technologies like 360° virtual tours to stay relevant with their target market.

2. Enhanced Immersive Experiences for Property Buyers

At the heart of the 360° virtual tour technology is the promise of an immersive digital experience that goes beyond traditional property viewing methods. 

With virtual show units, potential buyers can navigate through the properties from the comfort of their own homes. They enable customers to visualise the spaces without having to arrange physical visits.

3. Tapping into the Overseas Market With a Solution that is Accessible Anytime and Anywhere

Another trend in the Malaysian real estate market is the growing interest of overseas property investors. Competitive property prices makes the country an attractive investment destination, which is further encouraged by lower tax rates and initiatives like Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) and the Malaysia Premium Visa Program (PVIP). 

360° virtual tours have become more than just a fancy marketing tool within the property sector because how they can reach out to audiences like never before. They break down geographical barriers, allowing developers to showcase their offerings to local and foreign buyers who have their eyes set on a property in Malaysia. Having a virtual tour is an effective way to grab the overseas market share, even when they cannot physically visit. 

4. Improved Online Presence and Engagement

One of your goals as a digital marketer for property is to reduce the bounce rate of your website. The bounce rate is the percentage of web users who leave the site after the clicking into the first page. 

According to Leonardo Worldwide, websites that incorporate virtual tours get 5 to 10 times longer views than those without virtual tours. A high-quality virtual tour can engage potential buyers, generate more views, and leads to a lower bounce rate. This improves your web traffic, search engine rankings, and online exposure.

Having a well-designed virtual tour is crucial to ensure viewers on your website for a longer time. At Actsugi, we create 360° virtual tours with high-quality 11K photography, user-friendly layout that can fit all kinds of media, and storytelling features to make it even more immerive. 

Get in touch with us to own your immersive virtual tour.

5. Cost-Effective Marketing with High ROI

Property developers are leveraging on innovation to increase efficiency and reduce cost. 360° virtual tours lower the need for multiple physical showings, saving time and resources for both property developers and buyers. Since virtual tours are available 24/7, customers can view the property anytime, even outside of regular business hours. 

More significantly, developers can identify and focus on quality leads that are more likely to purchase a property, which leads to a higher return on their investment.

6. Becoming an Industry Leader

In Malaysia, the property market is fairly competitive and crowded. These days, selling real estate is a different game. Property buyers care about who you are and what values you stand for, using these to determine whether or not to trust your products. 

The emerging digital trend among well-established developers in Malaysia today is an increased investment in 360° sales galleries. This is a virtual tour that serves as a digital version of their existing physical sales gallery, which would be used to highlight the company's brand story, brand values and portfolio in a new and interactive format. For property developers, it is a new way of positioning themselves as key opinion leaders in the property sector.

Get in touch with us to own your immersive virtual tour.

7. Insights and Analytics for Targeted Marketing

One of the most valuable aspects of 360° virtual tours is the ability to gather detailed data-driven insights. Virtual tours that have integrated analytics can show details on how long viewers spent on the site, their demographics, location and more. 

These information can be used to refine marketing strategies, help developers make well-informed decisions about future projects, and tailor communications to the interests of potential buyers.

The Future Is Virtual (Reality)

Malaysia's property market is set to see a shift towards more technological trends in the coming years. 360° virtual tours is at the forefront of it all today. If you are looking to tap into the new and evolving generation of property buyers, capture foreign investors, and improve sales potential, perhaps it is time to look into adopt this immersive 360° technology too.

Get in touch with us to own your immersive virtual tour.