3 Tips – Create Better Virtual Tours

Viewers say they are 78% more likely to stay on a website offering video. Here are 3 tips to make your virtual tours better:

1. Add the Sound – LATER

Typically when you walk through a home you are in different rooms, with different features, different wall coverings and different architecture. High ceilings, granite counter tops and small bathrooms will completely throw off the sound of your video. Do your walk through and add the sound when you are able to sit down at a computer and record it.

2. Rethink your Script – Make sure you are Actually Telling them Something New

The point of your video is to inform your potential buyer…so walking into the kitchen and saying, “here’s the kitchen” is a big No-No! Show your buyers how the breakfast bar faces the beautiful bay window overlooking the bright back yard — or talk about the potential in the living room, sitting in front of the wood burning fire place after a day in the snow. Again more then 90% of home buyers start online, meaning they probably know A LOT more about your listing than you think. Make sure your virtual tours illustrate something they couldn’t find online.

3. Sell the Neighborhood – Not the House

Yeah it is great that you just listed a beautiful 5 bedroom colonial on quiet Main Street – but think about how much more appeal your listing would have if you included the proximity of this beautiful colonial to the coffee shop down the block, grocery store 2 minutes away and the jaw dropping, professionally landscaped park across the street! (don’t forget about proximity to schools, restaurants, highways and public transportation)

Spoiler Alert – there is no ‘perfect’ video length. Whether your video is 30 seconds or 5 minutes if it is not grabbing your buyers attention they will not watch it! Adhere to the tips above to increase the probably of turning that interested home buyer into a happy home owner!

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The Future of Real Estate Websites

So what is the future of real estate websites with all the craze of social media and blogging? Hyper Local Websites!

These sites are used like single property websites, but for your niche. Creating a few hyper local websites allows you to brand a single area without worrying if you are discouraging prospects by limiting yourself by location since you ARE focusing on just one area.

These hyper local websites are great for new home buyers AND current residents. What should you include on your single community, hyper local website:

1. Custom IDX Searches – like ‘Springfield Homes 550 K – 750 K’ and ‘Springfield Golf Community Homes’ or ‘ Springfield Short Sales’
2. Information on local emergency services (talk about the volunteer fire dept) and DPW (garbage/leaf pickup)
3. SCHOOL INFORMATION – duh! Talk about school activities, concerts, important events and meetings
4. The lifestyle in that community – discuss restaurants, local shops, parks, nightlife anything this is going to attract buyers
5. Town recreational sports. Keep you current residents updated with schedules and sign ups
6. Keep the town and buyers updated on local news…pickup the town newspaper and ‘re-blog’
7. Be a resource! Have a QA or FAQ web page, similar to a blog, that allows others to post questions and answers
8. Always make sure you have a page for town pictures and videos – this should go without saying!
9. Be sure you have a page devoted to your listings, open houses and relocation services
10. Get some call to action/lead capture on your hyper local website – something similar to this:

Now even though you are focusing on a community within your niche, instead of having your cumbersome Real Estate Website that covers several counties – be sure you still SYNDICATE your content to Facebook, Twitter or a Blog if you have one. You can even break into Pinterest with your photo sharing. Share, Share, Share!

Have you thought about these hyper local websites? Are you looking to have one/some created? Let us know!

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Branding & Lead Generation – Does Your Site Measure Up?

Branding and lead generation are the TOP TWO reasons real estate professionals create web presences – specifically websites. Social networking websites are great for business but typically the site is branded (take Facebook for instance) over your profile branding; this is why you must be sure your professional site has effective branding and lead generation/capture features. Otherwise what’s the point!

Branding

• Is your name and phone number in the header of your site?
• Is your name and phone number in the footer of your site?
• Is there a link to contact you in your navigation?
• Are there calls to action buttons on each web page?
• Are your social networking links readily visible?

Lead Generation / Lead Capture

Just as RE/Advantage Real Estate Websites have great lead generation features you too should be sure your website makes the cut. What should you website have:

• Schedule a Showing Form – on every listing (and of course this lead should only go to you; never the listing agent or your broker)
• Request More Information Form – branded to you on every listing in your MLS search results
• Listings Teaser Sign Up – allow clients to view a select amount of listings before you capture their contact information
• Prospect Buyer Portfolio Accounts – provides a secure back end system that allows your prospects to save listings, save searches and sign up for auto email alerts of new listings
• SEVERAL lead capture forms throughout your site – these should/could include a CMA form, Pre-Qual Mortgage form, Dream Home form, basic Contact form etc.

Having these features is great but you need to be sure you have – what is called – calls to action on your site as well. Instead of hyper-linking text that says “click here to view listings” — have a designer (or if you’re creative you can do this easily) create a click-able graphic to entice prospects to interact with your website.

To get a better picture:

Call to Action Button (top)  VS.  Hyper-Linked Text (bottom)

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Apple gets “slapped” by Brit Judge… must apologize

Apple has been battling Samsung in the UK (and elsewhere around the world), trying to get injunctions to stop Samsung from selling their Galaxy Tab line of tablets “slavishly copies” the design of the iPad. But on July 9th, a UK judge denied their claim, and ordered Apple to do the following:

• post a notice on it’s UK website for 6 months stating that Samsung did NOT copy the design of the iPad
• publish similar statements in various UK newspapers and magazines

Of course, Apple is appealing this decision. In a side note, when explaining his decision, the UK Judge Colin Birss said that the Tabs are unlikely to be confused with the iPad because “they’re not as cool”.

Have you used both devices? Do you think Samsung copied the iPad designs in some way? We’d love to hear what you think.

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Firefox 14 for Android is released – boasts multiple fixes and speed improvements

The folks over at Mozilla have released Firefox 14 for the Android platform, available now in the Google PLAY Store. Some notable fixes and improvements are:

• Adobe FLASH support
• Fast startup and page refreshes
• Security fixes
• Corrections to zoom level issues
• Complete redesign to the UI

Grab a copy on the Play Store and tell us what you think? Is it better than Chrome for Android?

Read What’s new from the Mozilla Project site…

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Value of a GRI Designation

The Graduate, REALTOR® Institute (GRI) symbol is the mark of a real estate professional who has made the commitment to provide a high level of professional services by securing a strong educational foundation.

Buying property is a complex and stressful task. In fact, it’s often the biggest single investment you will make in your lifetime. At the same time, real estate transactions have become increasingly complicated. New technology, laws, procedures and the increasing sophistication of buyers and sellers requires real estate practitioners to perform at an ever-increasing level of professionalism.

GRI designees:

• Have pursued a course of study that represents the minimum common body of knowledge for progressive real estate professionals.
• Have developed a solid foundation of knowledge and skills to navigate the current real estate climate—no matter what its condition.
• Are recognized nationally.
• Act with professionalism and are committed to serving their clients and customers with the highest ethical standards.

So how can you leverage this – make sure you tell your clients! Let them know how much you put into your career and what they can get out of it, great piece of information that sets you apart from your colleagues. 

*this article was re-posted from Realtor.org

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