Is any tour a Virtual Tour in Real Estate?

I have had the opportunity to check a lot of MLS listings. I see lots of different approaches in providing photos, although not many videos. Almost all are not professionally edited and many not shot by a professional at all. I see some photographers or agent postings with content that is rather “old school”. Nothing wrong with Old School if you are not looking to get top dollar, help the client, or don’t mind sitting on a home for a bit of time while making numerous trips to the property that may not be suitable or desirable to the buyer.

I do come across listings showing a Virtual Tour with a sequence of photos and a bit of soft background music that is presented as a “slide show”. I like to call 'em as I see 'em. Dependent on the process, some take a long time from photo to photo and put you to sleep, and not providing detailed or valuable content. The visitor will just move on rather than getting to know the property. There is no navigation or control and potentially no captivation as a viewer.

Have you ever seen those photos from cell phones, even the latest, that look OK on the phone until you blow them up to see detail and it all becomes fuzzy at best. I have noticed some who walk and talk while taking videos of the property feeling this is a professional way and feel they have provided the best of the property for prospects.

If you have a brick and mortar business, there is Google Street View. For MLS listing in simple form, there is Zillow Walk-Thrus, and for those who want to show the property as it deserves and benefit the client, there is a true 3D Virtual Tour utilizing specialized hardware to present the property and captivate the visitor. One such system even allows a visitor to not only get the 360 panorama experience, while navigating rom to room, but be able to measure any wall or floor surface accurately right on the PC. All this saves time for the realtor and client, makes for quicker and happier sales transactions, and provides a higher ROI for the realtor.

So next time you see a “tour” listed, see if it is really a tour or an Old School approach to professionalism in the photographic industry. By The Way, is your photographer insured? Let’s save that one for another day.