I’ve been paying for Visual Tours for several years now – $29.95 a month. Originally, they offered a distinctively different product; most importantly, they offered linking partnerships for distribution to multiple websites. Now, there are more efficient method for linking distribution, not to mention video offerings and the fact that I can put unlimited photos on my website.
I’m trying to justify the 30 bucks a month, but can’t seem to do so.
The question is – Are Visual Tours worth it?
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Jim:
I’ve been a loyal Visual Tours user for about 6 years but I’m getting ready to drop them too.
Between FlexMLS & my Point 2 Agent site I really can’t justify the expense either.
We’re switching to Obeo with our next listing — the Friday after Good Friday. All virtual tours stink, but Obeo offers virtual redecorating, a category killer. More here. We’ll keep Visual Tours active for a few more months for the hosting, but then I’ll unperson them from all of our listings and web sites.
Jim, though I’m not an agent and don’t have direct experience with their tools, I do see lots of virtual tours in my work as an MLS vendor and the best I’ve seen lately is JustSnooping.
Hi Jim,
Did you notice the new video tab within every listing in your Ubertor control panel. It is a new feature where you can load up video right to your website. It is a brand new feature. We have not profiled it yet on our blog, but wanted to point it out. Let me know what you think.
Steve
As a real estate consumer (not an agent), I would much rather see a lot of pictures than some sort of high-tech gimmick that was impressive in 1997.
In my experience, most “virtual / visual tours”:
1) Are really really ugly.
2) Either don’t work at all or do something crazy to my browser (like make it FULL SCREEN)
3) They tend to over promise (Video! Images! Sound!!) and under-deliver (all the above created by a digital media amateur).
20 pictures is way way better than 4 pictures + a really annoying virtual tour.
Canceled. Thanks, everyone.
Another interesting tidbit- I’ve heard more than 1 person say that visual/virtual tours make them nauseous. Too much zooming around.
I’ve also noticed that about 50% of “virtual tours” that agents are producing now are really just a slideshow of still photos set to music. I’m not a fan.
Just to confirm your good decision to drop the virtual tour, I went to a class a few weeks ago and the speaker said that the effectiveness of virtual tours had peaked. I think that around 68% of buyers found it helpful but many more found plain old pictures to be the best. Agents should invest in taking really great pictures – not fancy video tours.
A virtual tour is just an annoying way to see the photos for the most part.
Jim, interesting post. Our company is having a visual tour rep come next week to do a talk and here is one of their lines: “Think virtual tours are just for listings? Randy will show you how to use tours to bullet proof your listing presentations, market yourself to FSBO’s, expired’s and to your sphere of influence.”
On the other hand, what do you think of something like the link below? It’s a 360 tour with zoom and pan (left right, up down – zoom in on that new tile on the floor 🙂 I think this type of tour is very helpful to a potential purchaser who can get a basic layout of the entire room in one 360 swoop. (Ah….that’s how you get to the dining room… oh look… there is a door to the outside from the kitchen that no photo showed, etc.). Would love to read your comments.
http://www.hometourhq.net/idx/panoramas/119_westwood_circle/
Virtual tours are old school, they have seen there day. In fact, most of the old VT tours I look at slow my whole system down, trying to incorporate music in their old model. Consumers like big bright
nice photos and fixed properly like Athol’s.
Jim,
I’ve been doing the same analysis for myself. I asked a similar question on my blog, but you got better responses.
The consensus is definitely that photos are better.
Jim: RE/MAX has free VT (really slideshows) that are superior to the one you are using; I agree that your current subscription has passed it’s usefulness
Jim –
Lots of great feedback here! I wonder if consumers find value in the type of guided video tour we did. How about posting one of our old podcasts to gauge response?
Jim –
Good idea! Here they are –
100 Troost Court, 2148 Stony Point Road, and 360 Minor Ridge Road.
Keep in mind that these were done a (relatively) long time ago, but I think they turned out quite well.
Jim,
I am not a big fan of VT simply because it’s the same over and over. I think it had a strong place before everyone was doing it.
That said NAR profile reported that 67% of online consumers preferred listings with VT. I think that was a 2004 report.
It would be FANTASTIC if MLS systems would all allow .avi files be attached to the listings. I could do this with tons of free applications and do it better than VT systems that have to keep it basic so that all Realtors can use it.
Jim,
I appreciate these comments. One question, is this still a good tool for a beginner who doesn’t really understand how to do this type of thing?
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I like the Visual tours. I have been using them for several years. I have seen some slide shows of still pictures that are pretty nice but I like that you can knit several stills together to do a panoramic view of a large room. I also like that you can have up to 50 frames. Our MLS just expanded to 15 pictures. The visual tours allow you to add a lot of description to all your pictures. $29 bucks a months for unlimited listings is one of my lowest marketing costs. I don’t sell the product but I use it.
John –
Thank you for the comment … your MLS only just expanded to 15 pictures??!!??!!
Who is the provider? Why don’t you get those expanded?