These days, many REALTORS® with whom I work are looking for low-cost ideas that will make a high impact in the market. It's not surprising that while advertising dollars have been reduced, sellers haven't cut back on wanting a full-blown marketing campaign to show off their homes. Two of the most effective ways to keep costs low and impress sellers is a combination of a virtual tour and a property Web site.

Virtual Tours 

RealEstateShows.com – For $125 a year, you can create unlimited shows using your choice of five, nine or 15 photos. Simply unload the photos, add some basic property information and RealEstateShows.com does the rest. Although you can do further customization such as adding a description to each photo, the photo transitions and music are automatically added. A "show" can be created in less than 10 minutes, and if you have an enhanced showcase listing package with Realtor.com, the shows can be added to your listings at no additional cost. Sample Property Tour:

One of the nice things about RealEstateShows.com is that you use it for a personal message or to highlight a neighborhood or even your office. Real Estate Office Tour:



Personal Message (I used this one to send to my clients and prospects for Memorial Day):



Imprev Virtual Tour Suite – For $199 per year, Imprev offers nine different virtual tour (up to 30 photos) and 10 additional slideshow tour (up to 20 photos) templates. Your contact info and picture are prominently displayed throughout the presentation, and tours can be easily created in less than 20 minutes. One of the nice features that Imprev offers is that you have access to 1,000+ real estate phrases to add flair to your photos, as well as more than 200 articles on buying, selling, financing and more, which you are free to use in your marketing efforts. The cost includes unlimited shows, and if you have an enhanced showcase listings package, you can post to Realtor.com at no additional charge. Sample.

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