Gone are the days when Real Estate Professionals could get by in marketing a house by simply putting a listing on the MLS and a sign in front of the house.  With the growing levels of unsold homes and tough competition from short-sales and foreclosed properties, agents should seriously consider adding virtual tours to their listings.  This automatically sets the listing apart from the rest.  High gas prices are keeping buyers surfing the Internet even more rather than "touring" around the neighborhoods.

The Benefits of Using Virtual/Video Tours

1.  Enhances the chances of selling a house.  On a typical day, 2 million people are using the Internet to go on a virtual tour (12/29/04 Pew Internet & American Life Study).

2.  Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

3.  Provides a realistic "view" of the house and adding a greater significance to the property

4. The average listing receives 68% more views than those without virtual tours. (REALTOR.com)

4.  They can be narrated for a more professional and pleasant experience for the buyer

5.  Consumers are far more willing to view additional images which capture unseen information that a photo may not be able to provide

For Realtors, this means spending less time driving buyers from property to property. Virtual & Video Tours is like having a 24/7 open house available online.  Here's a quick list of some of our favorite Virtual Tour providers and the benefits of using Virtual Tours to help your clients

Imagemaker 360

Alterego360

Visualtour