This past weekend the Detroit Free Press had an article about virtual tours and how they enhance a property’s presence online. There is even a throw-away comment about YouTube and online video.
The money quote:
The advantage of using a virtual tour is that if buyers develop a good first impression from the tour, they may be more likely to make an offer once they see the house in person.
Virtual tours do go a very long way in showing a property’s best aspects. In combination with virtual tours, Team366 has found that narrated walk through videos, not just still photos put to music, allow prospective buyers to learn whether a property meets their desires. This goes a LONG way to having really interested buyers actually on the doorstep of the home.
In fact, as I pound the keyboard for this post, there is a showing on one of my properties taking place. The person seeing the property found our listing on YouTube, saw the walkthrough video, and called their agent to set a showing! This buyer has driven by the property, experienced the photos and walkthrough video, and has made the decision to see this home above nearly 20 other similar properties.
6.5 Reasons You Should Demand A Walk Through Video of Your Home
While some agents think a virtual tour is only necessary for homes over a certain price, we believe they are standard operating procedure. In fact, we also do narrated walk through videos of our clients’ properties as a matter of course.
Video Allows Sellers:
- To create more opportunity for buyers to learn about your property without hitting the doorstep. This cuts down on the number of last minute showings;
- Convenience/Peace of Mind. That means that when potential buyers are scheduling showings, they are looking to convince themselves that the home is what they’ve seen online;
- Exposure not seen before in how properties are marketed.
Video Allows Buyers:
- Access to the property 24 hours a day, 7 days a week;
- To experience the home from their own couch or office chair;
- To share the experience with their friends, and family. This allows buyers the ability to share the home and get responses from folks they trust.
Bonus:
- How cool would it be to show your friends and family the home you are selling/purchasing on YouTube?
An Example:
Earlier this year, Team366 sold a listing to some buyers that worked third shift. During the winter, this meant that they could not get to the house while the sun was up! The purchasers did not see the home in the sunlight until the day of the inspection….after their offer had been made and accepted! At the closing table, they commented that the narrated walkthrough video was what made the difference. Because their in person walk through of the house met their impression of the video walk through, they were comfortable enough with the exterior of the the home to make the offer!
Needless to say our clients, the sellers, were ecstatic to sell their place when everyone told them it wouldn’t sell in the winter time! They were also impressed that the walk through essentially generated “warm” buyers scheduling showings. Prospective buyers were familiar with the property, knew what they were walking into and therefore simply looking to qualify the home for their needs by seeing it in person.
What’s been your experience with real estate video?
Buyers: Search all Ann Arbor Area homes for sale. List updated every 15 minutes
Sellers: Learn about Team366’s proprietary Listing Syndication System (LSS), the area’s BEST marketing system
Photo Courtesy of | spoon |
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Good point, thanks for the post. Online video still doesn't replace a real walkthrough. But it still can be very valuable for the reasons you stated here.