How much faster does a 3D tour sell? The data

"Does this actually sell faster?" It's the first question every developer asks, and it's the right one. Short answer: yes, and there's real transaction data behind it.

Want to see this on your project? Book a free demo

Up to 31% faster, up to 9% higher

A statistical analysis of 143,575 MLS listings in four U.S. regions, from November 2016 to November 2019, compared the 3,935 that had a 3D tour with the rest. Researchers at Texas Tech University ran several multiple regressions and found that listings with a 3D tour sold for 4% to 9% more, depending on the market, and up to 31% faster in the South region.

A second analysis, of 700 listings in a large city in the southern U.S. (350 with a tour and 350 without), found that homes with a 3D tour sold 20% faster and for 4.8% more.

It isn't magic: the tour filters. Whoever books a visit has already seen the space, already knows whether the layout works, and has already pictured themselves living there. They arrive decided, not exploring.

What buyers say

A survey of 1,000 buyers and 1,000 sellers in the U.S., published in January 2020, asked them directly what they expect from a listing. The results:

• 92% of prospective buyers said they'd be more likely to buy a property if the listing included an immersive 3D tour.
• Nearly 80% said they would switch to an agent who offers 3D tours.
• 55% said they would buy a property without seeing it in person if it had a 3D tour.
• Among sellers, 89% expected to sell faster with a virtual walkthrough.

That second number is the uncomfortable one: it's not just about selling faster, not having the tool is already a reason to go with the competition.

The split by age shows where the market is heading: 94% of Gen Z and 83% of millennials would switch to an agent with 3D tours, compared with 63% of Gen X.

How to read these numbers

They deserve some context. Both analyses and the survey were published by Matterport, a company that sells 3D tours, and they measure resale homes in the U.S. between 2016 and 2020. Homes listed with a tour may also have other advantages, such as better photos or more active agents. A regression analysis tries to isolate those factors, but it doesn't remove them completely.

Even so, the results point the same way across different markets and different methods. And they match what we see in off-plan sales: when buyers understand the space before the visit, they arrive with fewer doubts and decide sooner.

And off-plan, the effect is bigger

Those studies measure existing properties, homes you can visit. In an off-plan project there's no alternative: either the buyer understands the space from a screen, or they don't understand it at all.

In resale housing, the 3D tour saves visits. In off-plan housing, the 3D tour is the visit.

That's exactly what Grupo Koi's manager told us about the Kronus project: buyers from Medellín to Israel, a 100% virtual presentation, and deals closed without anyone coming to see anything. Read the full interview here.

To see how it applies to an off-plan project, it's in the virtual sales room.

How to put it to work on your project

• Put it at the start, not the end. The tour does the most in the ad, on the project page and in the first WhatsApp message, while the buyer is still deciding whether a visit is worth it. We explain it in a project website with a virtual tour.
• Use it in the conversation. Walking through it with the sales advisor, in the sales room or on a video call, turns doubts into answers on the spot.
• Leave it in the buyer's hands. After the visit, the link lets them show the apartment to their family, who usually weigh in on the decision.
• Track who opens it. Who enters the tour, how long they stay and which unit type they look at tells you who to call first. There are more ideas in from first digital contact to the visit.

Frequently asked questions

Do homes with a 3D tour sell faster?

In an analysis of 143,575 listings in the U.S., homes with a 3D tour sold up to 31% faster in one of the markets and for 4% to 9% more, depending on the market. A second analysis found sales 20% faster.

How many buyers prefer listings with a 3D tour?

In a survey of 1,000 U.S. buyers, 92% said they would be more likely to buy if the listing had a 3D tour, and nearly 80% would switch to an agent who offers them.

Do people buy homes without visiting them?

55% of the buyers surveyed said they would buy without seeing the property in person if it had a 3D tour. In off-plan housing it already happens: Grupo Koi closed deals with buyers who never came to see its Kronus project.

Do these numbers apply to Colombia?

The studies measure resale homes in the U.S. In Colombia, more than 70% of new-home purchases are made off-plan, according to Camacol, and there the 3D tour doesn't save a visit to the property because it's the only way to see it.

Sources

Matterport — Properties sell up to 31% faster with 3D tours · Matterport — Buyers and sellers prefer listings with 3D tours · Semana: Camacol on off-plan purchases (May 2026, in Spanish)