More and more people rely on the internet as there primary source for information. With busy schedules and limited time, the internet is obviously the best solution. So how do you attract customers to your listings? That’s easy, you use virtual tours on every listing. That’s right I said EVERY listing. Too many times I hear Realtors say that they have a property that is not worth a virtual tour or they only do tours on properties of X price or higher. If you’re a Realtor with these kind of thought processes than my question to you is why do you think the lower value property not worth a Virtual Tour? You are listing it right? You want to sell it right? If it is worth your time to list, advertise, show, and sell then why not do a virtual tour of it? Is it that you don’t want to show the property because it is not as nice looking as a more expensive property? If this is the case then you’re really missing out on a great opportunity.
In real estate we all know that a customer is looking to fulfill at least one of two things, a need and/or a want. The need of course is for shelter and the want can be a myriad of things. The customer may be looking for a place to fix up and sell for some additional side money, they may be looking for a larger home for a growing family, they may be looking just to upgrade their lifestyle, they may be looking to relocate, and on and on the list goes. What ever the need or want may be they are looking. So how do you capture their attention? I want you to just think for a minute about the last time you were looking to purchase a home and think of what sold you on that particular home. Did the fact that it meet all the right specs as far as the right square footage, number of bedrooms, number of bathrooms, etc. sell you on the home? I would say probably not since there was more than one home available with the right qualifications. Instead I am sure you made the decision after you had a chance to look the homes over to find the home that had the right floor plan, design, feel, and location for you. You wanted to see the home before you made the decision and virtual tours provide the same opportunity for the customer to interact, explore, and find the home they have been looking for, at a time that is convenient for them.
The reason to have 100% virtual tour coverage on your listings is to provide the customer with the ability to see the property at their convenience in order to help the customer with the decision process, with the goal of turning properties over quicker and getting more closings. For the customer nothing is more frustrating then not being able to find the information about what you are looking for. I know from my own experience and the experience of others that it is very frustrating to be searching online through a list of homes in your price range with the right specs only to find out that you have a couple limited pictures of the home. Now if you want to find out more about this property you have to arrange a time and try to coordinate schedules with the Realtor to go and view the home. In most cases this home will probably be passed over as the customer continues on to find a home with more information and better images. A chance for a sale is now lost or at least greatly delayed for this customer. Now if the property had a virtual tour the customer would spend more time and may become instead in the property. Plus by going 100% virtual tour coverage on your listings you will reach a much broader audience more effectively. Think about the person moving to the area for the first time. Do you think they are going to be checking out the local newspapers or real estate magazines? They are going to be looking online to find a place before they make the trip and I will guarantee that they will look at listings with the virtual tours first. So why are Realtors not going 100% Virtual?
As I mentioned at the beginning I have heard Realtors say things like “this property is not worth a virtual tour” and let me reiterate Why Not? There is no more cost efficient way to advertise and show a home while offering so much information to the customer to enhance the decision making process. Could it be that the Realtor is apprehensive to show what the lower value property really looks like for fear that it might deter a potential buyer from looking at it? I would have to say no.
As a customer I am not going to buy a home that doesn’t meet my needs/wants. If I am looking for a property to fix up for a little extra cash then I would expect to see a home that needs a little TLC if not Remodeling 911. Again if I am in the market for a home that I don’t have to fix up then I am not going to purchase one that does need a few repairs and I would be frustrated with a Realtor who wasted my limited valuable time by showing me one that did. This instance would cause the Realtor to lose credibility in my eyes. Realtors need to get into the mindset that they will get more sales by providing more information for the convenience of the customer. Customers are want information quick and on their terms. If you don’t provide the information then customers may think you are trying to hide something and may not trust you as a source for finding a home. Your brand identity, image, and future closings depend on how you present your property. To reach as many potential buyers as possible and increase the chances of selling the property the Realtor should do no less than 100% virtual tour coverage of their listings.
Posted by www.realtourvision.com
Ben Knorr, Real Tour Vision Lens Engineer