VirtualTourCafe

3 tricks to help make your virtual tour shine
The impact of digital technology on the daily workflow of a real estate agent continues to grow. Virtual tours are one of the most valuable digital tools agents can use to market a property. According to a 2022 report by the National Association of Realtors, nearly 40% of home buyers found virtual tours very useful when looking for properties online and a top 10 tool agents use to market homes. In its most recent Consumer Housing Trends Report, Zillow found that 60% of sellers say that a virtual tour is very or extremely important for marketing their homes. Today's virtual tours are created with automated software tools and marketing platforms, making them ubiquitous: they look and feel the same. And while 3D immersive tours with floor plans give potential buyers greater insight into the home's features and layout, it doesn't provide context: how the property may be different or better than others listed for sale. If you want your virtual tours to stand out from the competition and increase potential buyer engagement, there are a few things you can do to create context about each property you list for sale. 3 Tricks That Can Make Your Virtual Tour Stand Out 1. Add Captions In this era of silent auto-play videos on social media, captions are not merely an add-on but a necessity. The mute start feature of social media videos makes it essential for your virtual tour to have captions – your viewers should understand the essence of your tour even without the audio. This simple addition has a two-fold benefit. First, it ensures that your message reaches even those viewers who cannot turn on the audio, maybe because they are in a public place or a quiet environment. Second, and perhaps most importantly, it makes your content more inclusive. There are some 48 million Americans who have disabling hearing loss, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. By adding captions, you instantly make your tours accessible to this significant demographic, thereby broadening your reach. You also create videos compliant with state and federal regulations by providing comprehensive captioning. Research also shows that captioning videos improves audience comprehension. A national study conducted with Oregon State University found that 98.6 percent of students said captions were helpful overall, and 52 percent said they were helping specifically by improving comprehension. Moreover, captions offer a way to highlight a property's unique selling points. The spacious living room, the Italian marble in the bathroom, the view from the bedroom – all these details can be emphasized through well-written captions, making your property more appealing. 2. Provide Neighborhood Context Buying a house is not just about the building itself; it's about the entire community and the amenities that come with it. Prospective buyers want to understand the new environment they might be moving into. Video that can put a property in perspective can give the listing a better context. One of the most effective ways to do this is by using drone footage in your virtual tour to showcase the neighborhood. This can be one of the most effective strategies for making virtual tours more comprehensive and engaging. From the house's proximity to local parks, schools, libraries, and shopping centers, to its location concerning major roads and transportation hubs – all these can be showcased spectacularly via drone footage. Nearly every professional real estate photographer offers drone video and image capture as an add-on at a reasonable fee. Imagine your viewers looking at the property from above, realizing how close their potential new home is to a community dog park or a top-rated school. It could be the deal sealer, adding an extra dimension to your property's appeal that still photographs simply cannot capture. 3. Tell a Story Every home has a story, a history that makes it unique. Traditional property listings with just photos and descriptions often fail to convey this story effectively. However, with a virtual tour, you have a unique opportunity to tell the story of the home and make your listing more engaging and memorable. Perhaps the house was built by a prominent local builder, the neighborhood was established by a group of artists in the 1960s, or maybe the home was the first in the area to have a certain architectural feature. Including such details in your virtual tour adds a narrative element that helps your listing stand apart. Even better, by using storytelling, you create an emotional connection between the viewers and the property. Potential buyers start imagining themselves as a part of the home's story, picturing their lives unfolding in those spaces. And that can be a powerful motivator for potential buyers. Make your tours unique Each of these three strategies to help make your virtual tours stand out can work independently – or combined. The goal is to make your virtual tours more engaging, comprehensive, and memorable. By adding captions, you make your content more accessible and ensure that your key selling points are not missed. Using drone footage, you provide a broader context of the property, showcasing its connection with the local community. And by telling a home's unique story, you engage viewers emotionally, making your listing more appealing and memorable. Making your virtual tours unique can be one of the best ways to engage more sellers and your listings faster. Remember, if you need help with any of the tools or software you are using to create virtual tours and have any technical challenges, Tech Helpline can help. Analysts are available by chat on their app (Apple or Google) or just an email or phone call away. Other related stories about digital tech tools: 4 things kids can teach us about engaging video content 9 technology productivity tips: Do this, not that 3 stand-out video hacks: making videos that get clicks! 5 common tech mistakes real estate agents should avoid To view the original article, visit the Tech Helpline

Is Your Realtor Jargon Communicating the Full Value of Your Listing?
Are you communicating with your clients in the right way? Your peers easily connect with Realtor lingo, but the consumer needs a simple way to understand your listings. A description of a handyman special or a fixer-upper is agent speak for "this house needs substantial work and is mainly land value." It's good to give your fellow Realtors the heads up about your opinion of a property, but how do you communicate value to buyers and sellers? Good bones Ah, the structure of a property. What you really mean when you describe a home with "good bones" is that the frame around which the living area is built is reasonably solid and workable. A better way to convey the message of a home with the potential to renovate is to show the "bones" via real estate floor plans. Homebuyers can easily navigate through the details of a house when given accurately measured space. Not only do measurements provide a way to determine if the square footage is large enough to accommodate the buyer's personal items, but it allows for a complete understanding of the fit and flow of a property. Mortgage helper Whether you call it a mother-in-law suite, a mortgage helper, or a secondary suite, you want to convey that there is a space within the property that has the potential to generate income or house an occupant other than your familiar roommates. Suites are a great selling feature of a home and can bring in some extra dollars on a monthly basis. Many consumers are looking for a separate space for their aging parent or university student who has recently returned home. Either way, a suite can make all the difference when marketing a seller's home. A recent article from NAR highlights the need for innovative floorplans in "The Case for Adaptive Spaces." A great way to convey your "mortgage helper" is by showing the details of the suite on a floor plan. What is a 3D virtual tour and floor plan going to do for buyers? The most important consideration of a secondary suite is a separate entry point for the occupant. Not only does a separate entrance provide easy access for the user, but it also gives a sense of privacy and security to other occupants of the home. Homebuyers in search of suited homes need to visualize where the entry point is and a floor plan with advanced measurements can help show exactly that. Flip houses Have you experienced the "flip" property buyer? Savvy investors looking to make a fast buck by quickly renovating an older "fixer-upper" home have popped up all over the place in the recent market surge. But home flipping is not for the inexperienced buyer. Even mega real estate companies have experienced losses by failing to correctly predict the variables. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that Zillow lost $881 million in its home-flipping fiasco in 2021. However, investors who carefully choose popular real estate floor plans for the "handyman specials," watch the market closely, and pay close attention to their budget have seen success. The benefits of using a floor plan for that construction project range from sharing information with contractors to providing insurance companies with accurate details for potential claims. Charming A home with minimal square footage is often referred to as "charming." This adjective is also used to describe a property with antiquated fixtures like claw-foot bathtubs and stained glass windows along with narrow hallways and small room sizes. Homes like these need a little extra something to convey value beyond the quaint aesthetic. What is a 3D virtual tour going to do to help interest a buyer rather than repel their interest in charming properties? Virtual tours provide in-depth information for better decision making, especially when paired with highly detailed floor plans. 3D tours can be produced with 3D cameras or 360° cameras like the ones used by iGUIDE. Potential buyers benefit by understanding the living space through intuitive navigation. This information eliminates much of the guesswork when it comes to how each room works together. Whatever lingo or jargon you choose when communicating information to homebuyers or sellers, try to elaborate your message by enhancing your grammar with real estate floor plans. Whether it's a "turnkey" listing or one that needs a little "TLC," a 3D tour and floor plan can uncover the "hidden potential" of every property. To view the original article, visit the iGuide

The Ideal Closing Gift for Your Buyer
How many thank you gift baskets and flower arrangements have you presented to congratulate buyers on their new homes? Sure, it's the thought that counts, but isn't it time to give your buyers something more valuable to keep you on their minds for months and years to come? A suite of photographs, floor plans, and 3D tours, like those offered by iGUIDE, is a unique closing gift that provides great long term value. iGUIDE offers multiple benefits for your clients and is also a continuous reminder of your brand. Identify with the space Great real estate photography, 3D tours and floor plans are more than eye-catching marketing material. These tools help buyers identify with spaces by creating a connection that ultimately leads to purchasing a home. But when the keys are handed over on closing day, buyers unfortunately no longer have access to all that valuable information about their newly purchased property. Here is where iGUIDE and agents can fill the void. Instead of just gifting the new homeowner with a glorious array of tropical flowers, give them a way to appreciate their new residence with a complete understanding of every square foot. An iGUIDE offers multiple ways for a buyer to get comfortable in their home. Floor plan measurements and virtual tours can be shared with movers, making the change of residence a smooth transition. Accurate measurements for furniture placement eliminate the need to rearrange things multiple times. Also, 3D tours let friends and family members participate in the excitement of a new home no matter where they are located. Help with design and renovations Every homeowner likes to add personal touches to their home. Whether it is design modifications or major renovations, they still need to figure out a cost. An iGUIDE closing gift gives your buyer the perfect tool to help calculate the price of supplies by using advanced measurement tools. Measurements can be captured from multiple points in 2D or 3D space. Changing flooring, cabinetry or doorways are major projects and your buyer will appreciate the ability to budget accurately for all the construction costs they'll require before initiating any demolition. Design isn't always about physical changes to the property; it also includes interior design. With an iGUIDE, floor plan measuring for new furniture and window treatments is easy. Buying furniture that doesn't fit will be a thing of the past, as your clients will now be able to use the measurement tools to determine how much space is required. Working with permits and contractors The house closing date is often the beginning of a long list of changes for the new owner. Not everyone is a do-it-yourself kind of person. When a home renovation project is more than just a couple of cans of paint, permits and outside help can be a must. Home buyers can help speed up the process by supplying their newly gifted iGUIDE to their contractors. The accurately measured floor plans can help get approval for potential development permits as municipalities often require drawings "to scale" for renovation projects. iGUIDE uniquely contains all the measurements, floorplans, photos and 3D virtual tours allowing everyone involved in the construction process access to accurate information. Insurance claims and replacement costs How does your buyer's insurance company calculate replacement costs when there is a claim? Most insurance adjusters visit the home "after" there has been an incident. What if your buyer could provide proof of quality before any potential disaster? Documented quality of finishing, personal items and measurements are crucial when settling a claim with an insurance adjuster. Not only does iGUIDE give the homeowner the advantage of providing proof, but it will also make any future claims process quicker and more transparent for everyone involved. They will appreciate your thoughtful closing gift when determining what needs to be replaced. The complete iGUIDE package also provides a visual keepsake of irreplaceable items. iGUIDE keeps you in the loop The house closing date is not the end for real estate agents. Home buyers often become a seller at some point or know someone who wants to list their property. What better way to keep your name coming to mind than to give them a way to share the closing gift repeatedly? The iGUIDE contains your branding, and when your buyer is ready to sell, your name and contact information are already at their fingertips. Satisfied buyers willingly share their real estate adventures with friends and family, providing you with priceless referrals. Real estate agent closing gifts are an appreciation for choosing you above the other agents in your area. Gift cards, flower arrangements and a basket of fruit give instant gratification, but if you want to give something with lasting value that doesn't end up forgotten after a couple of weeks, choose iGUIDE. Help your buyer stay connected long after you've handed over the keys. To learn more about all that iGUIDE offers, visit