Emilie Broughton Real Estate Blog

Making the Most of Virtual Home Tours

With Open Houses rendered impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions, virtual home touring has become an attractive alternative for both buyers and sellers, so it is no wonder that they are increasing dramatically.  

For sellers, the baseline is photos of a tidied-up exterior and de-cluttered interior, which can be posted online.  Often this is enough for potential buyers to narrow their search. Sellers need to carefully evaluate the high cost of glamor videos of their home, which can attract buyers, but definitely add to the marketing costs.   

Virtual tours give buyers an opportunity to quickly narrow choices without leaving the comfort and safety of their home.  

There are essentially two types of tours.  Canned pre-recorded tours don’t always tell the whole story.  Producers can stage the tour to overlook less desirable features and use techniques like fish-eye lenses to make spaces appear larger.  Just like e-commerce or online dating, what you see is not always what you get.

When I work with potential buyers who cannot visit the property in person, I take my phone or Ipad to the property.  I show the neighborhood, the front door, the public and hidden places, and the views from the windows.  I make sure to highlight any outdoor places and look at many places the canned tours omit.  I can turn on the showers and faucets or flush the toilets or give you a close-up of the flooring and utilities.  If you have a question I can “show and tell.”

Contact me if you would like a personal virtual tour of a property you are interested in.

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About Emilie

A transplant from the Pacific Northwest, Emilie has first-hand knowledge of the ins-and-outs of first-time home ownership and remodel. She has become involved in the local art community and all the diversity Southern California has to offer.

Emilie’s passion to be involved in her community led her to become a licensed Realtor and Broker.  She continues to educate herself with different aspects of real estate to support clients with a variety of needs.  She is certified as a Military Relocation Professional (MRP) to work with U.S. Service families and veterans to find affordable housing solutions.

Having worked for both a small boutique firm and a company with a global presence, in 2023 she formed Emilie Broughton Real Estate to work with buyers, sellers, landlords and tenants in California and New Mexico.

Emilie represented her region as a California Real Estate State Director for three years.  She has served as President of the Pasadena Foothills Association of Realtors and is a seven-time recipient of the Five-Star Real Estate Professionals Award for the outstanding service she provides to her clients.

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