I thought this story was worth telling. Many small builders are paying a big penalty in this market.

The first six weeks of the year, contracts in my office were up approximately 100% above those same six weeks in 2008. A sign? Too soon to tell, but it's nice to see some good news!

Finally, some input from consumers backing up what I've come to believe about virtual tours. I'll grant you it's not a scientific sample. But I'm taking it as reinforcement!

I'm highly competitive by nature, although I hide it well! There's a listing contest in our office. Whoever gets the most new listings by the end of March wins. Here's the thing, I talk most sellers out of selling because in this market if you don't HAVE to sell in the next 12-24 months, you should probably not even try. But if you no someone who really does need to sell...I'd love to win!

I've been wrestling with the question lately about how to use the visual tools available to advertise listings.

First of all, there's absolutely no question that high quality photographs are essential to marketing a listing. The National Association of REALTORS (NAR) own numbers show that listings with six or more photos are viewed 299% more often than those with fewer. That's a very significant number! Which makes you wonder why another study by NAR shows that only 23% of its members own a digital camera! But I digress!

And, don't underestimate the importance of the quality of those photographs. I'm always amazed when I see photos of cluttered countertops and piles of dirty clothes in the middle of the floor! Most of us have heard for years about the importance of curb appeal. It's been important because it was the first impression the potential buyer had of your home. But now that first impression is online. Curb appeal now applies to the whole house!

Virtual tours have become important, although I suspect that, like me, most buyers find it easier to just look at a large number of photos without all the pretty music and panning back and forth!

Now we're starting to see some videos incorporated into some listings. To be honest, what passes for videos is, for the most part, nothing more than a slide show narrated by the agent with maybe a few seconds showing the agent talking. Again, really what you're getting are just photographs of the home but in a format suitable for putting on YouTube.

It's too early for there to be any hard numbers on the effectiveness of this form of advertising. But I am wondering if buyers find it any more useful than a large number of high quality still photographs.

So...I'm asking for your input. What's your preference? Do you want a YouTube movie with a series of narrated slides? Are still photographs just as effective? More effective? If you're a buyer, what works for you?

Thanks for helping me figure this out!