After you list a property, how much exposure do you plan to seek for that property? Is your local MLS enough? Do you advertise in local real estate magazines, the news paper? Do you advertise online? Is a basic listing on Reator.com enough? How much has the current real estate market effected your advertising decisions? How do you prioritize? What form of advertising gives you the most bang for your buck?

I have talked to lots of agents and all seem to be curbing their budgets because of the market slow down. When I talk to them, I ask them the questions I just asked you. Then we talk about the benefits of using virtual tours and web distribution. I would like to share a few of them with you.

• Professional Photography
• SEO optimized links for search engines
• Branded Tour Window linkable to company sites, personal sites, blogs, etc.
• Branded Tour has agent contact info and much more
• Unbranded link for MLS
• Single Property Web Addresses showcase Property 24/7
• People who view tour online and then ask to view property already have interest in that property
• Tours save valuable agent and buyer time

Virtual Tours usually cost less than most print adds. Given that most buyers start their search online, virtual tours place your property where buyers are looking first. All in all, compared to other forms of advertising, I think virtual tours are an excellent use of your limited marketing dollars. What do you think?

Rick
www.lookcharlotte.com

I recently got this testimonial from an agent my company did a virtual tour for. I think it speaks for itself.

"I just wanted to let you know that I had a sale at Whitby Pond ten days after your virtual tour started playing.

The Buyer told me that he went by our model, wrote the tour information down from the sign rider, and then viewed it at home with his wife. When he saw the quality of our homes, he brought her in and they purchased and closed within fourteen days.

Thanks for the high quality virtual tour and most of all, thanks for helping me make a sale in these tough times."

The statistics are that over 40% of the hits a virtual tour receives are a result of someone seeing the sign and viewing the tour on its single property website. Pretty good exposure for a small investment.

Rick
Look Charlotte Media Solutions
www.lookcharlotte.com

I have read some blogs where people say that they don't think that Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is important. As a Charlotte Virtual Tour Provider I wanted to come up at the top of the search engines if a real estate professional searched for a virtual tour company, provider, vendor or whatever term they used.

As a new virtual tour company in Charlotte, I needed exposure. And, since my website was brand new, I was coming up on page 9 on Google when I searched for Charlotte Virtual Tour Providers. When I searched for Charlotte Virtual Tours, I was nowhere to be found. I started working on my site's SEO one Sunday afternoon while watching the Panther's game on TV. GO PANTHERS! We might be somewhat respectable this year.

Anyway... by the next Saturday, my site was coming up on the first page. Now, thanks to Active Rain, and a little effort on my part, my site comes up at the top of the first page for some key words and, no matter what key words I use, there are multiple references to my site, my Active Rain blogs or my Active Rain profile somewhere on the first page and in the following pages.

I can't say that being on top of the page has brought me any new business yet, but it feels good knowing that when potential customers search, they will find Look Charlotte. I think it lends a certain amount of credibility to my company when someone searches and finds me at the top of the first page.

Is SEO important? I think you could make an argument both ways. I am still working on getting my page rank up. It is still 0/10 on my home page. I am just happy to be found when I am searched for.

Thanks Active Rain!

Rick
Look Charlotte Media Solutions
www.lookcharlotte.com

The more I explore real estate sites, the more amazed I am at what passes for Virtual Tours. I have seen everything from "plain Jane" slideshows to slide shows with music and "cheesy" cartoon-like animation added to the pictures.

To me, unless the viewer can maneuver through a home and choose where they want to go, it just is not a Virtual Tour. I am not trying to slam anybody's product. I'd just like us to get our terminology right.

We aren't fooling buyers by calling slideshows "Virtual Tours."

Who are we trying to fool?

Rick
Look Charlotte Media Solutions
www.lookcharlotte.com

It wouldn't be any breaking news that many of the real estate agents we work with are talking about slow sales. 

They love the quality of the Virtual Tours we do for them. They agree that they are a great tool and, combined with the web distribution we do for them, Virtual Tours give them greater exposure. And exposure sells houses!

One of my agents told me that she would do one on every listing she has if she could afford it. The problem is she just doesn't have the marketing money right now. She had a house listed at $800,000 that had been on the market for more than 6months.

I asked her if she thought that the homeowners would be willing to pay for the tour if she would reimburse them at closing? She thought for a second and said, "I bet they would." She thought for a few more seconds and said, "And I can think of a couple more that probably would as well."

I don't yet know how many of my agents' sellers will be willing to do this, but I think the agent has nothing to lose by asking. If nothing else, it makes you look good to your seller. You aren't just sitting back and "letting it ride." It shows sellers that you are always thinking of ways to market their properties.

In Short... If your marketing money has dried up... Ask For Help!

Rick
Look Charlotte Media Solutions
www.lookcharlotte.com

This is my 3rd day in Active Rain so I am new to this "blogging thing" and have always thought that I wouldn't have anything productive to say. I still think that's true.

However... I know that many of you do!

My company, Look Charlotte Media Solutions produces fully interavtive, panoramic virtual tours for residential and commercial real estate, meeting facilities, sports facilities, churches, etc. You get the picture.

I realize that there are many real estate professionals out there who now use virtual tours to help market their properties. There are also many who used to use virtual tours and no longer care to use them. You got tired of the lousy quality.

Look Charlotte uses Real Tour Vision technolgy to produce our tours. What is supposed to be straight is straight and what is supposed to be curved is curved.

I would really like to hear from you all. Would you do me the favor of telling me your experiences, good or bad, with virtual tours. Especially, talk about what you liked or disliked about the quality of service your VT provider gave you.

What kinds of features do you like or dislike? I would even like to invite you to look at one of my own tours, www.3984bluedory.com.

I say this with some fear and trembling, but please be BRUTALLY HONEST. I want to provide the best possible product with the best possible service. I know that I can learn from your experience.

Rick

I don't think many would argue that well over 85% of potential home buyers begin searching for their homes on the internet. Realtors recognize the need for quality Virtual Tours to be provided with their listings on the web. In short, in today's market, if you're not on the web, you are not nearly as likely to be found by potential buyers.

Granted, MLS listings are all posted to Realtor.com. But, a 2007 National Association of Realtors Profile of Home buyers and Sellers said this,

"54% of home buyers, who are searching for their next home on Realtor.com, will skip over listings that do not provide virtual tours..."

If this is the case, doesn't it stand to reason that, just as a Realtor lists their property on the MLS and places a sign in the yard, they are now, or at least now should be, adding a quality Virtual Tour to their listing?

Are Virtual Tours becoming as standard as a yard sign?