Virtual tours are the future.. Your static photos show nothing.

I completely disagree with "Virtual Jim", nor do I care for his tone. I think static photos are very effective if they are of good quality and shot with a wide angle lens. Therefore I don't think a virtual tour is going to make or break a sale, and they clearly distort the room. Chris, I looked at your work and was impressed, I especially like the interactive floorplan aspect.

I agree that there is a lot of bad work out there and your demo is good. However as I say in VirtualeMotion.com "a picture is worth a thousand words, but a virtual tour is worth a thousand pictures"

Jim - thanks for the comment, some people do prefer the motion and music!  Its not my personal preference - but try clicking the button labeled "walk thru" under the photo.  This may be more to your liking!

Jackson - Thanks! We allow agents to upload their own photos, or we have Service Providers with the quality equipment you refer to that produce outstanding results - both in creating floorplans for homes and for photographing the property nationwide.

Tom - I like the large screen you display - Cool!

Motion and Music. I listed a townhome that needed work. The seller had access to the website to see how many people were looking at the VT. over 500 in just 3 weeks and a full price contract. Take your time, buy a tripod, take the pictures correctly. Even if there is a little distortion, those who watch the tour then set up an appointment to see the place is already interested!!!!!

Robert - doing it the right way the first time can save heart and head ache!  Most will not use a tripod or a bounce flash.  Our Service Providers and or agents frequently upload more than 30 big clear photos - there are few who come close nor take the time to do it right, I agree.   

A better representation will sell faster every time.

A nice term to replace "virtual tour" is: virtual walk-through. I must admit I also hate how often the term "virtual tour" is misinterpreted.

3Dtour

Thanks for the post. good information.

We use a product called Visual Tour.  We take our own photos, in a series to make a panorama and by themselves.  We to to their website and use their program to make the tour.  It is then hosted on their servers and we link in.  You can have your company information on or not, depending what you MLS allows.  Our MLS requires it be unbranded for our IDX sites but we put the branded tour on our websites.  Take a  look at this Dillon Colorado home and see what you think.  You can also use it for neighborhood and community tours.  You don't have to have the music, and I think I prefer it without.  We offer it to our buyers to continue to use if they rent their property and want to use it on the websites they advertise on.  That, of course, is the branded tour! 

I recently listed my home and used WellcomeMat as a video platform.  It worked out really well -- WellcomeMat is an easy-to-use product.

Easy to use is key - but for many there is a cost issue as well.  Not cost in terms of the cost per tour, but the cost of loosing the listing, not selling it and or making yourself look bad online.  This is the true COST of a bad tour.

I'm looking for opinions on the value of interactive floor plan tours.  There seems to be a perception that they will harm an agent's listing by reducing the number of showings.  I'm in the business of creating these tours and feel that they can only add value to an agent's image.  However,  when it comes down to it, the agent's belief is what matters.

So if the goal is simply to have more showings, then I have 2 GREAT ideas  - but dont share them with anyone or they will become only 2 Good ideas that someone else thought of and I wont be able to collect royalties.

In order to get more showings, you need more people.   I strongly recommend you rent a big motor coach or bus and offer free rides anywhere in the city!  Before arriving at the passengers destination you drive over to the listing, unload your "guests" and force, er... invite them to tour the home. You could get probably 40-50 showings A DAY.  Surely this will fulfill the "more showings" requirement and sell the home quickly.

But Perhaps you should not just be picking up strangers from bus stops...you have learned that some people do search online, (vast majority of home buyers are people in fact) but  you think that if you give too much info about the home, no one will come see the home!  Oh no! that means too much info online, no showings! Plus that info is YOURS, dont let anyone know your info and thus you remain in control of your info!!

So you must keep that info to yourself and thus Here is my ONLINE Marketing GREAT IDEA:

Your website should feature a child's drawing of a house, with a big green tree, a 2 legged dog the size of the front door and big yellow sun right over the roof.  That way, no one could tell what the heck was being sold, and thus out of curiosity EVERYONE would visit the home.  People from Canada would be taking road trips to view it!  Some people are catching on already, they feature a "too new for photo" or "photo coming soon" text on the web-page for days or even weeks! - Ive tried to talk with people who dont use any photos or that subscribe to the "less info will surely bring in more people". However these crafty individuals  dont call back - likely as they are busy rolling around in their money in one of their European villas. (it is summer you know, thats what they do then!)

 The point is MORE showings is not what sells homes (it may have been this way years ago) - Better educated buyers that purchase more quickly (online buyers) are the Key.  Statistically, Online Buyers dont eat up as much agent time, as they have a good idea as to what they want and search buy them selves - with out you driving them across town 3.2 million times.  If you provide more info about your listing (perhaps a floorplan?) online you get a better educated faster buying client, and you spend less time waiting for your buyer to materialize at an open house.

Cookie?

I agree that "spinning, distorted, fisheye" tours look bad.  Listing Websites tend to look better and have a better presentation.  Just my 2 cents.

I use VisualTour.com and don't get the distorted pictures like you explain.  I waited to do virtual tours until I could find a technology that showed the pictures correctly.

Marketing the fact that you do virtual tours is good - (I don't prefer the spinning ones) But it seems to me that including in your marketing pieces or presentation the fact that you do virtual tour...well...  its a bit like the old hotels that advertise "Free HBO" or "Air Conditioned"  - Hotel guests today assume the Hampton Inn Has both these days. (isn't free wifi the same way now?) It just goes with out saying. 

Home Sellers Believe you are already doing online marketing and that you are an expert at selling a home online.  If you are not an expert online, its likely the client will be upset (or not your client!) as this is the standard.  Its my belief that you should be doing MORE than the standard to remain competitive in this market. 

MORE could mean you hire professional photographers, professional stagers, a landscape architect or an artist to paint a  romantic rendering of the home (don't laugh, I see this frequently). These options can get expensive quickly, but may move the home and or land the listing if you show the homeowner what you will be doing for them.  This is where the cost effectiveness of FloorPlanOnline helps set you and your listing apart from "free HBO" and "virtual tour".  If you have not seen an FPO tour, it will knock your socks off (provided you are not wearing sandals with no socks).  It is the "MORE"sellers and buyers are looking for today.  The built in video with music is created by the FloorPlanOnline production department by hand for each $29 tour.  The Craftsmanship and quality is unsurpassed for the money.  Adding an Interactive FloorPlan ($59/listing) takes the tour from great to stunning.

www.seetheproperty.com/1100 is the unbranded demo tour.  FloorPlanOnline will brand this tour with your info and make it live for your listing presentation for free.  Now that is MORE that is worth showing your sellers.

All good responses, and I definitely agree with "spinning tours" They do nothing but get people dizzy. For your consideration:

www.vtrevolution.com

Great Topic and Useful information.  

I am new to active rain and find it amazing how much can be learned just by reading blogs.