We are always on the forefront of new technology when marketing our Jacksonville area listings.  Virtual tours have been around for years.  Virtual tours are very limiting, and if you do not put them together correctly, as most people don't...then the house looks very unappealing and distorted.  We are not fans of virtual tours.  We actually think a high number of high quality pictures is a much better option than 90% of the virtual tours that we see out there.

We had been down the virtual tour route just like many other agents.  We had the virtual tour service for years.  What we found is that they are simply not very effective.  There was no correlation with a home having a virtual tour and selling.  What we came to realize is that a lot of people did not look at the virtual tour unless they were really, really interested in the house.  This means that the quality and quantity of pictures used to market your home is much more important and can definitely make a difference.

We love real estate video as an alternative to virtual tours.  With a video, you can show the layout of the home and go in any direction that you would like to.  Videos can be made walking through your home, or they can be made in the fashion of virtual tours.

Video walk-throughs are powerful marketing tools.  We have sold houses just by sending the prospective buyer a video walk-through.

Some cons of using Jacksonville real estate video:

  • Clarity and definition is reduced when the video is converted for use on the web.  We don't see this as a big issue.  People are used to the quality level of web videos.  The high resolution images can be left to pictures.  Video gives them a perspective of visiting the home, just like a showing does.  You can't do this through virtual tours. 
  • Unless you have spent a lot on professional equipment, video walk-throughs can be very "choppy" since they will pick up some level of vibration when you walk.  Another thing that we don't see as a big deal.  Since buyers probably don't look at the video until after they've seen the pictures and decided that they like the house, do you really think they are going to eliminate the house because of some slight vibration?
  • Agents need to acquire some level of expertise in video editing or be prepared to pay hundreds for a professional videographer.  Most are just overwhelmed with the thought of video, so they discount it and have the opinion that it's not a good thing.  If the agent is highly skilled in video shooting and editing, the video often looks much better than when a paid professional does it.  That is because the agent knows the house, and can take the time to accurately portray what the buyer will see when visiting the house.

Video IS the future.  Video is innovative and shows the buyer the house and can be just as effective as a real showing.  If the ultimate goal is to get your home sold, it needs to be showcased in the best light, in the way a buyer would see it.