| Today, the concept of the virtual tour to | | | | video. |
| reach homebuyers via the internet is in use | | | | |
| by more and more real estate agents. | | | | Benefits of Virtual Tours |
| | | | |
| These tech-savvy agents know the benefits of | | | | - Over 50 percent of online viewers will |
| giving potential clients a way of touring | | | | visit homes after taking a virtual tour. |
| homes via the Internet. The virtual tour has | | | | |
| come a long way since the first effort, which | | | | - The virtual tour stimulates buying |
| consisted of photographs of the front of the | | | | decisions. |
| home with a few interior shots. Later, some | | | | |
| added music to the static photos in an | | | | - Increases the traffic to the homes and |
| attempt jazz up their listings and set them | | | | recall-value in prospective clients. |
| apart from the others. | | | | |
| | | | A single listing of a static virtual tour |
| Following along with advancements in | | | | using photos can run into thousands of |
| software, the next attempt at the virtual | | | | dollars. Shooting and editing a video of the |
| tour were panoramic 360-degree views of the | | | | real estate is much easier. It also adds a |
| homes. Some even offer special titles and | | | | touch of humanity missing from a mere |
| easy-listening music. Today this form of | | | | photograph. |
| virtual reality makes up the great majority | | | | |
| of real estate sites. | | | | It only takes about 15 minutes to shoot a |
| | | | typical real estate video. Depending on the |
| Many people view this type of virtual tour as | | | | amount and types of extras, the video can be |
| limited because of its reliance on static | | | | edited and placed on a Web page ready for a |
| photographs. | | | | virtual tour in about half an hour. |
| | | | |
| The next step in virtual tours for real | | | | Serious real estate agents are aware of how |
| estate listings is the use of video. | | | | effective modern technology can be in |
| | | | providing the best possible job for their |
| Software offered by uses full-motion video | | | | clients. They know when people visit a real |
| with smooth transitions, titles and captions, | | | | estate Web site, more than 70 percent of them |
| appropriate background music. Contact | | | | will drive by or view a home and more than 50 |
| information can be prominently placed in the | | | | percent of them will tour the house. |