Recent NAR Articles on Virtual Tours

There are two new articles published this month by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) on the subject of Virtual Tours that are of interest to anyone involved in real estate photography.

The first article titled “Create grade A shows” by Jack Cotton published in the May issue of Realtor Magazine. Cotton says “I can’t overemphasize the need to high-quality photos in a virtual tour. If you have the time and money, consider investing in a professional photographer who has the best equipment to do the job.” He also emphasizes the need to use a good wide-angle lens and an external flash. He must be a reader of this blog! Cotton says, “The external flash allows you to equalize the outside light and lets any views of a yard or mountains show up in the windows, creating a dynamic shot.” He goes on to say that although great photos make a critical first impression the photo descriptions are critical in making the home seem more appealing. Unfortunately this article is not online so I can’t give you a link to it.

The second article by Mike Antoniak is online. This article reviews some of the recent new tour features like satellite images, visual commercials (movies), high definition zooming, interactive floor plans and do-it-yourself audio recording.