I’m sure you all have noticed the marked increase in “virtual tour” providers and Do it yourself “virtual tour” services that have materialized in the past year or two. I have put virtual tour in parenthesis because, frankly, they are not virtual tours at all. It seems the service that we as Real Tour Vision providers offer has been lumped in with every other service that provides some sort of visual representation of a property (no matter how basic or poor it is), and all of them labeled as “virtual tours”.

It’s quite frustrating to be speaking to a Realtor who claims I am twice as expensive as other “virtual tour” providers, or that they can create a “virtual tour” themselves for far less. A basic photo slide or a slide show that slightly pans or zooms across still images is NOT a virtual tour! What those companies do or offer in a Do It Yourself virtual tour package is not NEARLY as comprehensive as what I do. I typically shoot EVERY camera-ready area of the home (sometimes from two or more angles for larger homes and bigger rooms) whereas some of my competitors “who charge much less” put up a measly 3 or 4 scene slide show.

So, I have come up with a solution that differentiates my product, and has allowed me to raise my prices significantly to compensate my extra time and effort, and all it takes is two extra words. I have officially changed the name of my virtual tours to Virtual WALK-THROUGH Tours!

RTV has given us superior virtual tour software to simulate walking-through the home through crystal clear, comprehensive scenes and the use of multiple hot spots, so why not use it to differentiate our product? I guarantee you’ll beat your competitors and book more tours if you simply change the name of your tours, and in your marketing pitch say something to the effect of, “Hey look, just about everyone out there calls their product or service a virtual tour these days. But what I offer is different and far more comprehensive. I actually simulate a walk-through tour of the home using superior technology. I shoot all the camera-ready areas of the house, and then link up all the rooms and scenes with navigation links called “hot spots”.

This is the type of home representation that online home buyers are looking for and appreciate, not a few slides moving across their screen or a few cloudy and distorted panoramas.”

Give it a try and see if your virtual tour company doesn’t benefit.

Best Regards,

Lawrence McBride
Virtually There Media
www.bevirtuallythere.com