Ahhhhhh.... Virtual tours. The joy of previewing a property without leaving your chair:)
I know buyers like virtual tours, and I think most sellers like the idea of them.... but I have sort of mixed emotions about their 'bare all'-ness.
First - I just want to say that compiling your 12 or 16 or 25 or whatever pictures that you post on the MLS and having them fade in and out - set to some cheesy music is NOT a virtual tour. I look at virtual tours, too. I use them to help screen houses to show - and I use them when doing my research in pricing properties. And there is nothing that frustrates me more than waiting for a 'virtual tour' to load - and then it's all the exact same pictures I've already sat and looked through.
So here's why I like virtual tours:
They give the house a little extra exposure. And by that I mean they usually help get the house in front of a few more potential buyers. Either by being on an extra website or two or because you can specifically search only for houses with virtual tours....
And here's why I don't like virtual tours:
They give the house a little extra exposure. I always tell my buyers that "house-hunting" is really more like "house-eliminating". (Refer back to my 2010 in Review, part 3 where I explain that shopping for a house is NOT like shopping for a wedding dress.) Especially in this market with literally hundreds of houses for buyers to choose from - it's pretty easy for a buyer to eliminate a property from the comfort of their own home when a virtual tour shows every cluttered counter top, dated light fixture, and stained carpet. So in that regard - I do think they (virtual tours.... yep, still on that topic) have the potential to reduce the number of showings on a property.
And that's why I only suggest virtual tours for some of my listings.
Here are two AMAZING properties (both historic homes) - that I'm not afraid to show off.... and two rather different virtual tour styles.
The first is a little more fun. It's a video tour that I did of 215 Powell Street in Troy. (Using my trusted Flip Camera.) I had Matt's 14 year-old brother do a little re-mix of the song "I Need a Dollar" by Aloe Blacc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iR6oYX1D-0w (a quick listen will help you appreciate 'our' version even more).
(It was Matt's idea - got to give credit where credit is due.) I called Mitchell to see if he knew the song, and he said, "Ugh - who doesn't???" (Refer back to noted age.) But, I don't really know that it's quite as popular as Matt and Mitchell and I thought it was.... At any rate - here's that virtual tour:
http://www.youtube.com/realtortara#p/a/u/1/Etk0s3aKBQw
For 1025 St. Louis Street in Edwardsville I called in the professionals. These photos are beautiful; Lura with Gateway House View always does an amazing job. (Maybe she should look into hiring Mitchell to write/perform ironic parody songs to accompany her wide-angle photos.... What more could you ask for then???) Enjoy the tour of this gorgeous house on the most coveted street in Edwardsville:
http://www.gatewayhouseview.com/hometour.asp?MLS=4013098&UB=yes
Feel free to hum Mitchell's catchy tune while you scroll through the photos.
*Virtual tours are for marketing purposes only and should not be used in place of a physical visit to the property. (That's a pretty popular disclaimer in our MLS system.... so I'll play along.)
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