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Has online video killed the virtual tour?

I have been hearing a lot about using online videos like you tube to promote homes for sale as apposed to doing a virtual tour. Personally, I do not think that time has come. The quality of most videos I have seen is not near as good as the quality of current virtual tours. They also load slower.

When selling your home you want to look as good as possible. Most buyers first experience your home online. That is if they don't get tired of waiting for it to load and click on the next listing. You want to make a good first impression.
Santa Clara Real Estate

Posted by Jim Houlihan on 12/30/2007 01:18 PM

5 Comments on Has online video killed the virtual tour?

DEC

2007

I personally get tired of waiting for a video to load and will cancel it before I wait. Around my area, virtual tours still are new and many agents don't use them. :(

A well done virtual tour will help sell a property, if it's priced right.

I don't even like watching virtual tours. It's boring. And the youtube's I've seen have been too long. People don't want to hear you talk about the property for 9 minutes! I like it when you have nice photos right there on the first page/hit.

A good presentation online is first and foremost, whether it be HIGH QUALITY photographs, a virtual tour, or a video tour. But any and all need to be of quality, which is one area that is sorely lacking on 80% of listings. Yes, there are bad video tours, horrific 360 degree virtual tours, and miserable, crooked, blurry photographs of a bed or a corner window. Just because you own a $150 point and shoot camera or a cell phone camera does NOT mean you know how to properly photograph a home to sell that is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The bottom line is that consumers are eliminating properties based on the presentation they view online. Whether you like it or not, or think it's the right thing to do or not, that is what is being done. With a record number of properties on the market and record high gas prices, it only makes sense.

Of course, I do video tours, so I am partial. I don't think there is a better listing tool out there (pretty much guarantees that you get the listing!), and it DOES sell houses, which has been proven time and time again. I have seen slide show programs like RealEstateShows and Visual Tours that are beautiful, and some (many, actually.... that are abysmal.) And of course, we've all seen some of the slasher type video tours that show up on YouTube all too frequently.

Video is the wave of the future, mark my word. It's the hottest thing on the internet, and it shows a home like NO photos or virtual tours or spin around tours ever can. It's the next best thing to actually being there. People watch a video tour after they've quickly viewed the MLS photos. If they are interested in more, they WILL watch a video tour and will not get bored.

JAN

2008

Jim - A virtual tour can be a great way to showcase a property. If it is done right it can really display the great aspects of a property and lead to a sale.

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