How to Showcase House Building Projects with Virtual Tours on AppFolio

Cloudpano
July 11, 2025
5 min read
Share this post

🏗️ How to Showcase House Building Projects with Virtual Tours on AppFolio

🏘️ Bringing New Construction to Life—Virtually

In today’s digital-first world, property managers and developers don’t have to wait until construction is finished to start generating interest. With the power of 360° virtual tours integrated into AppFolio, you can now showcase house building projects while they're still under development.

Whether you’re pre-leasing new homes, attracting investor interest, or showcasing builder portfolios, virtual tours are a game-changer for modern real estate.

🚀 Why Use Virtual Tours for Home Building Projects?

Virtual tours let your audience see the vision before it becomes reality.

Benefits of Using Virtual Tours on AppFolio for New Builds:

  • 🧱 Show off progress: Walk buyers or renters through the stages of construction
  • 💡 Visualize the finished product with photorealistic staging
  • 🛠️ Answer fewer questions with self-guided exploration
  • 📞 Attract serious buyers and tenants early
  • 🔄 Reduce in-person visits to active construction sites

📖 Related read: Why Virtual Tours Increase Lease Conversions in AppFolio

🧰 What You Need to Get Started

Before showcasing your build virtually, here’s your tech stack:

Tools & Requirements:

✅ A 360° or 3D tour platform (like Matterport, CloudPano, or Kuula)
✅ High-resolution renderings or construction photos
✅ A shareable link to the virtual tour
✅ Access to your AppFolio property listing

📚 Compare tools here: CloudPano vs Kuula vs Matterport: What Works Best with AppFolio

✏️ How to Add a Virtual Tour to a New Build Listing in AppFolio

AppFolio allows you to integrate links directly into property descriptions, even during construction phases.

Step-by-step:

  1. Log in to your AppFolio account
  2. Navigate to the project listing (or create one)
  3. Click Edit Listing
  4. Paste your tour link into the Description or Media section
  5. Use a call-to-action like:

“🚧 Take a virtual tour of our newest model home

📘 Detailed tutorial: Step-by-Step AppFolio Virtual Tour Tutorial

📣 How to Make In-Progress Homes More Engaging

Even if your build is incomplete, you can still give prospects a clear and impressive virtual experience.

Tips to Engage Viewers:

  • 🎨 Add rendered images for unfinished spaces
  • 🔁 Include labels or hotspots explaining design elements
  • 🏗️ Offer before/after sliders between construction and finished models
  • 📍 Use a tour that follows the intended buyer walkthrough flow

📖 See how others do it: AppFolio Virtual Tours: A Game-Changer for Property Managers

🎯 Promote Your Virtual Tour Across Platforms

Don’t just embed and forget—maximize visibility.

Promotion Strategies:

  • 📍 Add “Virtual Tour Available” to the listing title
  • 🖼️ Include thumbnail previews of the tour
  • 📢 Share on Facebook, Zillow, Craigslist, and your website
  • ✉️ Add links to marketing emails and follow-up texts
  • 🧠 Mention in your open house ads (even if virtual)

📘 Learn more: How to Promote Your Virtual Tour Beyond AppFolio

🔁 Automate for Efficiency Across Multiple Builds

Managing several properties or communities? Automation can help you save even more time.

Ideas for Automation:

  • 🏷 Use AppFolio templates for listings with virtual tour fields
  • 📸 Require virtual tours from contractors or photographers
  • 📤 Auto-reply to new inquiries with links to the tour
  • 🗂 Track tour links using Airtable or Google Sheets

📚 Build your system: Virtual Tour Setup in AppFolio: Step-by-Step Guide for Property Managers

💡 Pro Tips for Virtual Construction Tours

✅ Do:

  • Use aerial drone views to highlight lot location 🛩️
  • Add floor plans with interactive links
  • Include neighborhood features or nearby amenities in the tour

❌ Don’t:

  • Use outdated photos or links
  • Hide the tour deep in the listing
  • Use long, unbranded URLs (use short, clickable links instead)

📘 Troubleshoot issues: Virtual Tour Doesn’t Load in AppFolio? Fixes & Solutions

📊 What You Can Measure from These Tours

To see how your tours are performing, track:

  • 📈 Tour click-through rate
  • 🕒 Time spent on the listing
  • 📩 Inquiries from listings with vs. without tours
  • 🗓️ Days on market
  • 💬 Feedback from leads

📘 Data tips: AppFolio Virtual Tour Setup Tutorial for Real Estate Pros

💬 Developer & Manager Testimonials

“We started getting applications before drywall even went up—thanks to the virtual tour link we added to AppFolio.”
Sandra M., Residential Developer

“Our buyers could visualize the finished product from day one. That helped us pre-sell 70% of phase 1.”
Aaron L., Project Manager

📖 Learn from more success: How Property Managers Use AppFolio Virtual Tours to Lease Faster

🔗 Related Articles You’ll Love

✅ Final Thoughts: Start Leasing Before You Even Break Ground

Showcasing your house building projects using virtual tours inside AppFolio allows you to market earlier, reduce risk, and create buzz around new developments.

Share this post
Cloudpano

Choose The Right 360° Camera

Insta360 ONE RS 1-Inch 360 Edition

  • Compact, ready to go anywhere

  • Interchangeable lens that’s upgradeable

  • Dual 1-inch sensors for improved clarity and low light performance

  • Dynamic range and 6K 360° capture

  • 360° photo resolution at 21MP

Learn More

Insta360 X4

  • 8K 360° video recording for ultra-detailed visuals.

  • 4K single-lens mode for traditional wide-angle shots.

  • Invisible selfie stick effect for drone-like perspectives.

  • 2.5-inch touchscreen with Gorilla Glass protection.

  • Waterproof up to 33ft for underwater shooting.

Learn More

Ricoh Theta Z1

  • 360° photo resolution in 23MP

  • Slim design at 24 mm thick

  • Built-in image stabilization for smooth video capture.

  • Internal 19GB storage for photo and video storage.

  • Wireless connectivity for remote control and sharing.

Learn More

Ricoh Theta X

  • 60MP 360° still images for high-resolution photography.

  • 5.7K 360° video recording at 30fps.

  • 2.25-inch touchscreen for intuitive control.

  • USB Type-C port for fast charging and data transfer.

  • MicroSD card slot for expandable storage.

Learn More
Property Marketing
Allows potential buyers to explore properties in detail from anywhere, enhancing the real estate marketing process.
Automotive Spins
Create an interactive virtual showroom and engage affluent digital buyers with live 360º video calls, all through the CloudPano mobile app for a complete automotive sales solution.
Interactive Floor Plans
Create 2D and 3D floor plans with measurements in 4 minutes or less, all from your phone. Download the Floor Plan Scanner app and get your first scan free.

360 Virtual Tours With CloudPano.com. Get Started Today.

Try it free. No credit card required. Instant set-up.

Try it free
Latest posts

See our other posts

Interviews, tips, guides, industry best practices, and news.

Real Estate Tech for Builders: AppFolio and Virtual Tour Integration

Real Estate Tech for Builders: AppFolio and Virtual Tour Integration" is a 1000-word guide for modern home builders looking to streamline marketing, boost buyer engagement, and accelerate sales using AppFolio’s real estate platform and 360° virtual tours.
Read post

How Home Builders Use AppFolio and Virtual Tours to Attract Buyers

How Home Builders Use AppFolio and Virtual Tours to Attract Buyers" is a practical, step-by-step guide for builders and developers looking to modernize their new home sales strategy. This post explores how combining AppFolio’s real estate platform with 360° virtual tours helps builders showcase properties, capture more qualified leads, and close sales faster—often before construction is complete.
Read post

Marketing New Home Developments with Virtual Tours on AppFolio

Marketing New Home Developments with Virtual Tours on AppFolio" is a practical, step-by-step guide for real estate developers, builders, and property managers looking to modernize their marketing strategy. The article explains how to use 360° virtual tours integrated with AppFolio to pre-sell new homes, lease build-to-rent units faster, and engage remote buyers effectively.
Read post