Virtual home tours: the rise of video calls in property sales

Not long ago, buying a house meant endless driving, scheduling, waiting, and walking through properties one after another. Now? You can tour a home without even putting on shoes. The real estate world has turned digital, and the rise of virtual tours has changed what “house hunting” means. What once felt impossible—seeing a property without being there—has become almost ordinary.

The shift didn’t happen overnight. Technology, convenience, and circumstance joined forces. In the early 2020s, during lockdowns and travel restrictions, real estate agents began using video calls to keep business running. A few years later, the trend didn’t fade—it grew stronger.

The Rise of Video Calls

Video calls are no longer just for meetings or catching up with family. They’ve become the new open house. According to a 2024 report by the National Association of Realtors, over 60% of agents said they use video tours or live video calls to show homes to clients. Even more striking—nearly 35% of buyers made an offer after only a virtual tour.

There’s a reason for this rise. Time. Efficiency. Accessibility. A virtual walk-through can happen at any hour, from any place. A buyer in London can explore a house in Miami while sipping coffee in bed. A seller doesn’t have to keep cleaning the kitchen for every visit. Real estate agents? They can close deals faster, often managing multiple viewings in a single afternoon—without leaving the office.

Virtual Tours: Beyond Simple Videos

Let’s be clear: a virtual tour isn’t just a video clip. It’s interactive. A 360-degree view lets the potential buyer “walk” through each room, zoom in on details, even look out the window. Platforms like Matterport or Zillow 3D have made it possible to replicate the feeling of moving through real space.

Then there are live video calls, where agents guide clients in real-time. Buyers ask questions, request another angle, and get immediate answers. It’s the digital version of holding open house keys—but now they’re held through a screen.

One statistic stands out from 2025 real estate analytics: homes with high-quality virtual tours receive 40% more inquiries than listings with only photos. It’s not just novelty; it’s expectation.

How It Changes the Buyer’s Journey

Imagine a young couple searching for their first home. They both work full-time, barely find time to eat together, let alone travel across the city to view five apartments. Instead, they schedule a few virtual tours on a Saturday morning. Within an hour, they’ve seen them all. No traffic, no rushing, no pressure.

But there’s another layer. Emotion. Seeing a place live—even through a screen—still triggers something real. The sound of the agent’s voice echoing through a hallway, the creak of a wooden stair, the sunlight hitting a balcony at the right moment—all of that adds life to the digital experience.

However, there’s also a psychological twist: screens can distort perception. A room may look larger, or brighter, than it is. That’s why many agents now use advanced lenses and even AI-driven lighting correction tools to make the view realistic, not exaggerated. Transparency builds trust—and trust sells homes.

Agents in a New Role

In traditional sales, an agent’s charm and physical presence sealed deals. Now, their digital fluency does. The camera becomes their handshake. Tone, pace, and timing during a video call matter as much as showing a property’s best side.

Some agencies even train their teams in virtual presentation skills. Lighting setup, background sound, camera stability—every detail affects how a property “feels.” And just as important is the location of the presentation and who the conversation will be with. It’s best to choose proven online communication solutions, like CallMeChat, to ensure technical issues don’t interfere. A well-presented video call can make a modest home appear welcoming; a poorly lit one can make a palace feel cold.

It’s not uncommon now for agents to use AI tools that analyze viewer reactions in real-time. Eye-tracking and micro-expression reading help them adjust the tour flow—spending more time on the kitchen if the viewer’s interest spikes or skipping the basement when engagement drops.

Sellers Benefit Too

From the seller’s perspective, virtual tours save effort. No need to prepare for multiple showings or worry about strangers walking around the home. Once the tour is recorded—or ready for live streaming—it works for them 24/7.

Statistically, properties with immersive virtual experiences tend to sell up to 20% faster, especially in international markets. The digital layer opens access to buyers from different time zones and countries.

In competitive urban markets, agents even report receiving offers within hours after a virtual showing. Buyers often view, decide, and sign electronically. Entire transactions, from first impression to closing, can happen online.

Challenges and Skepticism

Of course, not everyone is convinced. Some buyers still insist on touching the walls, hearing the neighborhood noise, or feeling the air quality. Virtual tours can’t yet simulate smell or temperature. A few sales fall through when virtual expectations meet physical reality.

And then there’s the issue of trust. With digital editing, what’s real and what’s not? Ethical standards are emerging to ensure that what appears on screen is a true reflection. Some regions already require disclaimers like “Visuals may include digital enhancements.”

Security, too, is a topic. Agents sharing live streams from private properties must protect both client data and property privacy. That’s why many platforms now use encrypted video connections and secure hosting for virtual tour data.

The Future of Property Sales

We stand at a fascinating intersection: technology meeting emotion, convenience blending with connection. Virtual tours are not replacing human interaction—they’re redefining it. In five years, experts predict that over 80% of all property viewings will begin with a virtual experience.

The next evolution? Augmented reality (AR) and AI-driven personalization. Imagine walking through a digital version of your future home while your headset changes the wall color to your favorite shade. Or having an AI assistant calculate renovation costs as you tour.

The real estate world, once built on bricks and open doors, now builds on data and digital bridges. But the goal hasn’t changed: finding a place that feels like home. The tools, however, are far more powerful—and far more virtual.

Closing the Digital Door

When the video call ends and the agent waves goodbye through the screen, the buyer might not realize how much has shifted. The home tour has become a conversation, a performance, a networked experience. It’s fast, efficient, strangely intimate.

Virtual tours have not only modernized property sales; they’ve humanized them in a new way—through pixels, sound, and presence. The rise of video calls in real estate isn’t just a trend. It’s a transformation of how we see, decide, and dream of home.