Do virtual tours help sell property? What the numbers say

Agents and developers ask us the same question: is a virtual tour worth it? Here’s what the published research says.

The headline numbers

The Zillow figures come from US data collected in 2021, so treat them as a guide rather than a promise. The pattern is consistent though: tours get more attention, and buyers want them.

Why so few listings have one

If buyers want tours and they lift results, why do so few listings use them? For established homes it’s usually the cost and time of a scan. For off-the-plan projects there’s nothing to scan at all, so most campaigns stop at still renders and a floor plan.

That gap is the opportunity. When fewer than one in twenty listings has a tour, a project with a good one stands out on the page.

What it means off the plan

Off-the-plan buyers are asked to commit to something they can’t stand in. The things a tour adds are exactly what they’re missing:

• A sense of flow. Walking from the kitchen to the living area shows how the spaces connect in a way separate renders can’t.
• Scale. Moving through the home, and measuring a room, makes sizes real.
• Time to look. Buyers can come back at night, on their own phone, and walk it again with their partner.

Making a tour count

A tour only helps if people see it and it leads somewhere. A few things that make the difference:

1. Put it where buyers already are. Add it to the listing, the project website and the display suite screen.
2. Let them take it home. A QR code at the display suite carries the visit onto their phone.
3. Make the next step easy. An enquiry button inside the tour catches buyers at their most interested.
4. Watch what they look at. Heatmaps and room stats show what’s drawing attention, and what to feature in the campaign.

ArchviewVR does all four from the renders you already have. See the features or start a free project.

Sources

• How virtual tours can help your home sell faster, Zillow (data January to July 2021).
• From search to savings: realestate.com.au’s autumn launch, Elite Agent, 9 April 2026, citing the realestate.com.au Residential Audience Pulse survey, April 2025.
• REA Group to acquire 3D tour and interactive floor plan technology iGUIDE, REA Group, 2 October 2025.