Virtual Home Tours Get More Hits

The Internet has made it easier for prospective home buyers to search for information about listings, and photos and videos online have enabled them to take virtual tours of properties. Virtual tours started, which became common practice nearly 10 years ago, essentially enable prospective buyers to walk through a home online and decide if they would like to visit the property in person. “The tours that are created from photographs are presented in such a way that it gives the impression that a person is seeing a great deal more of the house,” says associate broker Roberta Lorio of Houlihan Lawrence Real Estate in East Fishkill, N.Y. Real estate agents are responsible for creating virtual tours, not the seller, according to brokers at Houlihan Lawrence; and there are professional firms that specialize in providing the service. Over the years, the technology has improved and has become easier for Realtors to use, adds Lorio. “Rather than displacing real estate agents, the Internet is actually helping connect them with home buyers,” says Steven Berkowitz, CEO of Move Inc., which operates Realtor.com. | Read More