A newly-updated NAR survey confirms that 51% of agents with smartphones use iPhones. This fact is hardly startling, since these phones have been such a boon to the real estate business. Today's agent can use apps to quickly scan and electronically sign documents, instantly get property details for clients, access key boxes--it's almost hard to remember how we got along before!

But what about the 9% of homeowners who choose to go the FSBO (For Sale by Owner) route? As many a do-it-yourself home seller has learned, just planting a sign in the front yard does not constitute much of a marketing campaign. For those who will be selling an Sonoma County home this fall, creating a virtual tour is an all-but-indispensable way to take advantage of all an iPhone has to offer. For anyone who would like to shoot a virtual tour as a market aid, here's the lay of the land:

• A Sonoma County virtual tour doesn't need to be an all-out professional Hollywood production. You can keep matters as simple as possible using nothing more than your iPhone's camera.
• More ambitious self-producers can invest in devices like the GoPano. This attaches to your phone: its curved mirror collects light and streams it into the camera as you walk. The free app converts the image into a moving scene which allows viewers to pan in any direction.
• If your Rohnert Park virtual tour will be assembled without any add-on equipment, it's still possible to meld your photos into panoramas using one of the many apps devised for that purpose. Just make sure the results meet your quality standards--not all apps are created equal.
• Follow the conventional tips for video shooting: in motion, walk slowly, keeping the iPhone as steady as possible. For stills, an iPhone tripod is a valuable addition. Not only does it prevent hand motion blurring; it also allows you to rotate the camera for a 360-degree view.
• Free or low-cost apps allow you to assemble your virtual tour from stills and video. Search for "real estate virtual tours" in the app store for a comprehensive list. Look for apps that have high ratings--especially those that score well on the 'user-friendly' scale. You can also find services through the app store that will take your uploaded images and create the tour for you.
• After you have made your Sonoma County virtual tour, if at all possible, preview the result on an iPhone, iPad, PC, and an Android device. It's an unfortunate fact that a virtual tour that plays well on one device does not necessarily display the same way on the others. If you used an app to create panoramas, you should definitely watch it on a PC before releasing it to be sure the image quality is adequate on a larger screen.

Virtual tours in Rohnert Park listings are just one part of an effective Sonoma County real estate marketing effort. Call me today at (707) 781-8181 and I can help with getting you pre-qualified for that purchase. www.homeloansrohnertpark.com

Tim Carroll

NMLS# 312738

Area Sales Manager

Affinity Lending Solutions