It seems that every day there's a new technology tool for real estate. How long ago did we start putting listings on our web sites, then adding photos so buyers could see the home's features? Then virtual tours were the new thing, and with them our clients got an even better sense of the home. 

Now it's video tours like this one, complete with background music, professional voice-over, and a sense of walking through the house. Are the new videos an improvement? I believe so.

·        Virtual tours string together a selection of static photos, sometimes zoomed in or out, but each image is a single perspective.

·        Video tours add movement so that viewers feel as if they are actually walking through the house, moving from room to room. The camera sweeps around a room just as a person would look from side to side.

·        While virtual tours can include background music and printed captions, video tours include a human voice pointing out the features of a home, inside and out. Through choice of words, tone, and inflection, the voice adds an emotional component that is missing in the virtual tour. By coordinating the voice tone and speed with the background music and the style of the home, you can convey a more complete image.

Professional Realtors® have to be students of human nature and communication. We know that some people remember best what they see, others remember what they hear. Video home tours are memorable because they combine both senses.

Will video replace virtual tours? Not right away. We haven't stopped putting photos on our web sites or printing brochures, either. But video is certainly going to be a part of marketing in the future, and something that I think our clients will appreciate.

So here's the question:  Are you using – or do you plan to use – video house tours for your listings?