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