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Do Virtual Tours Work?

By Vicki Watzlawick

Managing Real Estate Broker with CORE Realty (The Watz Team)

July 20, 2007 02:30 PM

With all of this talk about video, I am curious as to how many of you have had a negative response to Virtual Tours and/or video. I’ve tested 3 different Virtual Tour services in my office and on all 3, our showings averaged 48% LESS showings. My take on a Virtual Tour or video is that you have showed someone your entire home, so why do they have the need to come see it? Call me old school..but how does one feel the warmth of a home through a Video? Buyers see one thing they don’t like..a dog food bowl, a yellow wall, etc. and they are turned off instantly.

Please vote below so I can see how everyone else views this..Thanks!

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Vicki Watzlawick

CORE Realty (The Watz Team) - Algonquin, IL

Illinois Foreclosure Expert, The Watz Team

No Linda We have 6 or 7 to choose from for our MLS and this isn't one of them.

Jul 20, 2007 03:06 PM

Vicki Watzlawick

CORE Realty (The Watz Team) - Algonquin, IL

Illinois Foreclosure Expert, The Watz Team

Thank you Dwayne! I hope you voted!

Jul 20, 2007 03:07 PM

Joan Whitebook

BHG The Masiello Group - Nashua, NH

Consumer Focused Real Estate Services

From the buyer's perspective, I think that Vitual tours are great for those who are relocating and can't see the house in person -- however, for those that are more local, I think 10-23 pictures will entice the buyer to see the house in person. The surrounding areas should be included as well. The house can be great, but a good description or picture of the neighborhood is important. -

Jul 20, 2007 03:08 PM

David L. Britt

Platinum Realty, LLC - Olathe, KS

MBA

Vicki, great comments. I'm gleaning from your post. Thanks for the topic and discussion!

Jul 20, 2007 03:10 PM

Vicki Watzlawick

CORE Realty (The Watz Team) - Algonquin, IL

Illinois Foreclosure Expert, The Watz Team

Great input Joan! I coudln't agree more! And I like the idea of the neighborhood shots as well. Thank you!

Jul 20, 2007 03:10 PM

Vicki Watzlawick

CORE Realty (The Watz Team) - Algonquin, IL

Illinois Foreclosure Expert, The Watz Team

David..did you cast a vote?

Jul 20, 2007 03:11 PM

Gary Bolen

McCall Realty - South Lake Tahoe, CA

CRS - Lake Tahoe Real Estate Information

NAR stats indicate people like virtual tours and photos more than not. It's been our experience that this is somewhat true. We also do custom websites for our high end listings, all of which have virtual tours as well.

Sellers also seem to like them too. We recently sold something at $2.5M where the buyer specifically talked about our website for that house, and wanted it as part of his purchase. I haven't looked at that site in a while, but I think we had 7 virtual tours for that house.

Thanks for bringing this up...

Jul 20, 2007 03:20 PM

Vicki Watzlawick

CORE Realty (The Watz Team) - Algonquin, IL

Illinois Foreclosure Expert, The Watz Team

Gary I agree they work for upper end homes, but a normal home here or a townhome, often the camera doesn't do them justice. Thanks for commenting!

Jul 20, 2007 03:26 PM

Anonymous

I'll offer one consumer's point of view ... I find virtual tours annoying. Most are distorted. I like to see lots of still photos, where I can control the speed of moving from one view to the next. With the photographer or editor controlling the speed of a video I miss part of either the text or the video. I don't know why everyone chooses slow soothing music. Something with more energy might give me a reason to not turn it off before it's finished. Maybe Vicki is on to something.

Jul 20, 2007 03:32 PM

#17

Jessica Hughes

Ambiance Staging - Boulder, CO

I think it depends on the type of 'tour' but it has been my experience in the main as well, that the tour makes you go from being intrigued to bored in one short step! Tours remove the desire to see a property to really 'see' what it looks like inside. Also, most tours use a stitching software that distorts the rooms, and this subtly effects us, making us dislike the space.

It reminds me of a documentary on infant development that I saw that showed how we are naturally attracted to 'perfect' faces' babies always preferred to look at 'pretty' faces over 'not-pretty'. And how most famous actors/ and models had well proportioned faces made up of a series of 'golden triangles'. Sorry to go off on a tangent~ it's hard to explain, it's just that when images are distorted, spaces look 'un-appealing'.

Jul 20, 2007 03:41 PM

Vicki Watzlawick

CORE Realty (The Watz Team) - Algonquin, IL

Illinois Foreclosure Expert, The Watz Team

Thank you Consumer!

Jul 20, 2007 03:43 PM

Vicki Watzlawick

CORE Realty (The Watz Team) - Algonquin, IL

Illinois Foreclosure Expert, The Watz Team

Jessica Thank you for your input and the great comparison. My thoughts (and experience) exactly..Tours remove the desire to view a property!

Jul 20, 2007 03:47 PM

Anonymous

Fred Light

It definitely depends on the type of tour - most 360 degree tours look like funhouse tours - and it's not natural to walk into a house and stand in one spot and spin around like a top.

I definitely lean more towards nice, large photos and video tours - I think the rooms and space are more fairly represented, plus with video, the emotion is there... the roaring fireplace, the trickling pond, the glimmering swimming pool, the sound of birds, etc. It's definitely as close as you can get to actually being there in person, which of of course there IS no substitute for.

Think about it though.... Gas is $3+ per gallon, there are a RECORD number of properties on the market. Who wants to run around and look at a gazillion properties? It's expensive, it's a hassle and an effort, especially if you have kids. Consumers LOVE tours because they can ELIMINATE properties that are not what they are looking for. So yes, you may get fewer showings, but when you DO get showings (and inconvenience your seller), you're getting serious buyers who are definitely interested in the home.

What many realtors don't 'get' is that customers are NOT responding to listings that have minimal photos and/ or no tours. They assume something is wrong with the house and CLICK... next! Whether you like it or not, that is exactly what they are doing..... eliminating properties from their short list of those they wish to see in person. With 84% of buyers starting online, you've got to understand that you must cater to your customers!

Whether you like that or not, or think it's wrong or right isn't really the issue - that's what customers are doing. So, that's the way you have to play the game!

Jul 20, 2007 05:19 PM

#21

Becky Troutt

No longer practicing real estate as of 2008. - Bradenton, FL

We've used Virtual Tours for a long time now. We are currently using VisualTour.com

The sellers seem to love it and it lets the buyer feel like they are really there in the home, yet they are at home in front of their computer because it does the panoramic shots of the rooms.

We have many people that live out of state moving here, so they can't actually tour a home, but they can through a Virtual Tour.

Jul 20, 2007 11:14 PM

Vicki Watzlawick

CORE Realty (The Watz Team) - Algonquin, IL

Illinois Foreclosure Expert, The Watz Team

Fred I agree that consumers like pictures and you get less website traffic if you don't have pictures. I'm just trying to compare the difference between slide shows and virtual tours. I feel it is our job to get that house as much exposure as possible. Your way of thinking is good too..you are increasing the internet exposure. I think my next study should be to tally how much taffic a virtual tour gets versus the slide shows. Thanks for sharing Fred.

Jul 21, 2007 12:52 AM

Vicki Watzlawick

CORE Realty (The Watz Team) - Algonquin, IL

Illinois Foreclosure Expert, The Watz Team

Becky I will check them out. Thanks!

FYI commenters..The poll is showing 71% of the votes prefer slide shows, 14% video and 14% virtual tours. I'll keep you updated.

Jul 21, 2007 12:56 AM

Karen & Paul Werling

Prudential Chaplin Williams Realty - Fernandina Beach, FL

Vicki

The company we use is CirclePix.com I am not sure if they are regional or national. I have enjoyed reading the comments from real estate agents and consumers. This company features both the virtual tour and the slide show and it can be stopped, enlarged or printed at any time.

"Survey" has been enlightening....thank you for the time to prepare.

Karen Werling "Team Werling"

Jul 21, 2007 09:00 AM

Patricia Kennedy

RLAH@properties - Washington, DC

Home in the Capital

Not only are some sort of photo tours important, but they really need to be good tours, taken with a decent camera and a wide-angle lens. And I am amazed at what some agents include and leave out. If there's no photo of the facade, you know it has to be really ugly. If there is nothing of the kitchen, we all assume it's the old harvest gold and avocado green with formica counters. I just looked through a bunch on my MLS and one guy took 4 photos of a plant! No kitchen, no living room, no exterior. But there was this bush with blue flowers that must have been worth the $800,000 asking price.

Jul 21, 2007 09:16 AM

Vicki Watzlawick

CORE Realty (The Watz Team) - Algonquin, IL

Illinois Foreclosure Expert, The Watz Team

Thanks Karen, CirclePix is national and one that we tried.

Jul 21, 2007 01:39 PM

Vicki Watzlawick

CORE Realty (The Watz Team) - Algonquin, IL

Illinois Foreclosure Expert, The Watz Team

Yes Patricia..it amazes me as to what pictures some agents take. Sadly, I think they were never taught better. I know a lot of it should be common sense, but if you are attracted to bushes with blue flowers, then guess what's showing up on the slide show?

Jul 21, 2007 01:42 PM