3D Virtual Tours: What They Actually Do for a Listing
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A peer-reviewed study of over 143,000 MLS listings found that 3D virtual tour real estate listings sold up to 31% faster and for 4-9% more, depending on the market. But NAR’s 2025 buyer survey found only 38% of buyers used virtual tours, while 81% relied on photos. A tour helps; it doesn’t replace good photography.
The honest number is 31%, not the inflated one floating around everywhere.
What a 3D tour actually does for a listing
A 2022 peer-reviewed study published in The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics analyzed 143,575 MLS listings. 3,935 had a 3D tour, over 90% using Matterport, across four US markets between November 2016 and November 2019. The researchers controlled for home age, room count, square footage, lot size, fireplaces, and pools. Even after controlling for those factors, 3D-tour listings sold up to 31% faster and for 4-9% more, depending on the market.
A separate, smaller study of 700 listings found a lower but still meaningful 20% faster-sale figure. That’s a reminder that the exact number moves depending on the sample, not a universal constant you can promise every seller.
| Study | Sample | Reported ROI on speed |
|---|---|---|
| Anderson, Freybote & Manis (2022) | 143,575 MLS listings | Up to 31% faster sale |
| Sebastian Diessel (2018-2019) | 700 listings, CMA-matched | 20% faster sale |
| Vendor blog claims (uncited) | Unknown | 87% more views, unverifiable |
That’s a genuinely strong, sourced result. It’s worth knowing that a widely repeated “87% more views” claim circulating across vendor blogs has no traceable source at all, not Zillow, not any named study. If a number sounds too clean, ask where it came from.
What NAR’s own buyer data says, which is more modest
Photos still matter more than a 3D tour, and not by much. NAR’s 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers found that only 38% of buyers used virtual tours during their home search. By contrast, 81% relied on photos and 77% wanted detailed property information. Among listing agents, 43% rated virtual tours as important, trailing photos at 73%, staging at 57%, and video at 48%.
A 3D tour is a real, measurable edge on top of good fundamentals, not a replacement for them. Get the photography and staging right first. Add a 3D tour as the layer on top, not instead of it.
Interior renderings help buyers judge proportions and flow that photos can distort with wide-angle lenses. Aerial drone photos add a different kind of value. They matter most for waterfront or larger properties. Remote or out-of-town buyers rely on them too, since they can’t easily make multiple in-person visits before deciding whether a showing is worth the trip.
When a 3D tour is actually worth the cost
Not every listing needs one, and that’s fine to say out loud. A 3D tour earns its cost most clearly on higher-priced listings. It also pays off on properties with a complex or unusual layout that’s hard to convey in still photos. The same goes for listings likely to attract out-of-town or investor buyers who may decide whether to travel at all.
For a straightforward, well-photographed listing in a hot market, the marginal benefit is smaller. The budget may be better spent on professional photography itself, if you have to choose one upgrade over the other.
Whatever marketing investment you make, the real test is still pricing and presentation together. Our how-to-sell-a-house-fast guide covers the levers that move the needle most, with professional photography chief among them. Run your own numbers with NestApple’s closing costs calculator before deciding how much to spend on marketing relative to your expected proceeds.
For every other step in selling, our selling & commissions hub covers pricing, agents, and timing together. If you’re buying with NestApple, our buyer rebate applies regardless of how a given listing was marketed.
Common questions
Do 3D virtual tours actually help sell a home faster? Yes, measurably. A peer-reviewed study of over 143,000 MLS listings found 3D-tour listings sold up to 31% faster and for 4-9% more. The exact figure varies by market and study.
Do most buyers actually use virtual tours? Not the majority. NAR’s own 2025 survey found only 38% of buyers used virtual tours, compared to 81% who relied on photos, so a 3D tour supplements good photography rather than replacing it.
Is a 3D tour worth the cost for every listing? Not necessarily. It earns its cost most clearly on higher-priced, complex, or hard-to-photograph properties, or listings likely to draw out-of-town buyers deciding whether a trip is worth it.
What should I prioritize first, photos or a 3D tour? Photos. NAR data shows photos matter far more to buyers than virtual tours; get professional photography first, then add a 3D tour.
Is the “87% more views” statistic for 3D tours real? No traceable source confirms it. It circulates widely across marketing content with no original citation, unlike the peer-reviewed 31%-faster-sale figure, which is independently verifiable.
Nicole Fishman Benoliel co-founded NestApple in 2017. She's a lawyer admitted to the New York bar - her law degree is from La Escuela Libre de Derecho in Costa Rica, with further study at IE Business School in Madrid and an LLM from Fordham in New York. She does not act in a legal capacity at NestApple; every client is referred to an attorney who handles real estate deals full time.
