It is in the Details

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TourFactory helps its clients differentiate their listings in a shifting market

By Stephanie Andre

We've all seen the numbers; we know the majority of consumers begin their home searches on the Web. Yet, despite this trend, there are a significant number of agents that still do not take advantage of resources-such as virtual tours-that help with the sale of homes.

"Consumers are asking for more and more detail these days," says David Eiglarsh, The Eiglarsh Team at RE/MAX Hometown in Weston, Florida. "Virtual tours are a necessity. If you want to get the most exposure, you need a virtual tour."

Eiglarsh credits TourFactory with his virtual tour success.

"When I first came across TourFactory, I was in a big jam," he explains. "I had gone with another company, but could not get the program to work. I called tech support and they also couldn't get the software to work. I felt disgusted. I had already promised clients' tours right away, yet had no way to produce them. I had weeks of listings that needed to be done. TourFactory was great; they walked me through downloading the software and it worked immediately. The most compelling thing about this company is their tech support-it is beyond outstanding."

Broker/Owner Roxann Taylor agrees. "It's all about the personal service I get from TourFactory," says Taylor, of Roxann Taylor & Associates Realtors in Dallas, Texas. Taylor began using TourFactory in 1999.

For Bruce Hardie, of Keller Williams-The Hardie Group in Spokane, Washington, it's Tour-Factory's service plan that allows him to pay one fee per month-no matter how many tours he creates. "That was very attractive to me," he says. "I'm a big lister of real estate, so for me, this makes sense. I list 190-200 homes a year. Every one of them has a virtual tour."

"It's also important to me that we can put together the tours ourselves," Hardie continues. "We have the control, and can put the tours together at our own speed."
What's more, Eiglarsh says the abilities of TourFactory's tours sets them apart.

"TourFactory allows for unlimited virtual scenes and photos together," he explains. "For example, you might have a small galley kitchen that you are afraid won't translate well in either a virtual scene or a photo. You can combine a photo with a virtual scene and it will look better." TourFactory virtual tours also use large panoramic photos. Plus, still photos can be used to showcase those unique rooms and features that can't be captured with a panoramic photo.

Adds Taylor: "Their tours are very accurately shot; the pictures are clear and concise. There are no distorted images, and the quality is just better."

Also, all buyer inquiries are sent directly to the agent with TourFactory virtual tours. The agent's name is displayed at the top, and their contact information is readily available on every page.

At the Beginning
Eiglarsh admits that when virtual tours first came on the scene, he was a bit skeptical. "I had the initial response that although a picture paints a thousand words, a tour can't possibly show a home as well as being in it," he says.

Hardie, on the other hand, thought virtual tours were "a very cool idea."

"I realized that I underestimated the Internet at the beginning," he says. "At first, it was a great place to advertise. Now, it's a fabulous communications tool. I got in very early with virtual tours. I'm always trying to be better than my competitors. Because I was an early adopter of this technology, it positioned me ahead of others in the market. Regardless of the price point, I had the advantage; I offered the tours."

Agrees Taylor: "Virtual tours have completely changed our industry, and the way people shop for homes. I knew it was going to be the way homes were sold in the future."

Value of the Virtual Tour-in a Changing Market

For Eiglarsh's team, TourFactory's virtual tours are a great source for lead generation-especially now, as the market shifts.

"It gives people the ability to get a good look at the home online first, get excited and demand to see the house," he says. "Especially now, with a changing market, the virtual tours are going to give a great advantage to those who use them to market their homes. I would hate to be the average consumer searching for a home and not be able to get as much information as possible with the listing. TourFactory's tours give us a great advantage."

Hardie agrees that for the consumer, it gives them a better handle on what's available and gives them a way to narrow down their choices.

"There are so many properties available at any given time," he says. "People looking for ways to eliminate homes. The tours make the homes much more attractive and appealing."

According to Hardie, almost all of the traffic on his Web site is due to virtual tours-98% to be exact.

"Especially now, with so many choices, virtual tours are everything for our business," he says. "Every listing has a virtual tour; it's that important."

Adds Eiglarsh: "With the market changing to more of a buyer's market, it is integral that we market properties correctly. As it becomes more difficult to sell homes, this feature is the difference maker. I get more calls on these listings and they are on the market for about half the time as a home that does not have a tour."

As technology continues to move and the market continues to shift, Eiglarsh believes virtual tours will also keep evolving. "I would love to see some sort of 3D-type stuff," says Eiglarsh. "I think virtual tours are going to continue to evolve to where, eventually, people will no longer have to visit the home. I imagine that you'll be able to tour a home on your big screen TV."


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