I recently found out that 99% of homebuyers who searched for a home on the Internet found photos to be among the most useful features of the websites.

Personally, I like still digital photos or even a virtual tour. I can then look at a house and imagine it not only as a whole, but actually being there.

Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC announced that it was getting into the business of selling and renting virtual homes in an Internet-based three-dimensional world called Second Life, further smudging the line between realty reality and virtual realty. They have even come out with a 3-D rendering of a for-sale home in the Second Life virtual world.

Charlie Young, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Coldwell Banker Real Estate, said,
"What makes this so unique is that prospective buyers can literally ‘tour’ this home from the comforts of their home and computer. Prospective buyers can get the most comprehensive view of the home possible short of actually visiting it."

Viewers who come to the site can walk through the rendered home using an animated character known as an avatar.

Visitors who are attracted to the real-world home can set up an appointment with a real-life sales agent or can visit www.coldwellbankervirtualhome.com for more information.

This marketing thrust from Coldwell Banker has drawn mixed reactions. Some industry participants question the need or value of having virtual tours like this while others are thrilled with the fact that someone has established a way to take virtual tours and viewing homes to a new level.

This is one of the best things to hit the web for Realtors as well as people looking to buy a home. This is a way for a realtor to serve their clients like never before.

I have always enjoyed touring houses. To be able to do it from the comfort of my own home like never before is great.

I know that there have been virtual tours of houses before and you might think that this is the same thing, but believe me, it is not!

This is a tour like never before. It’s like a computer game, and you as a client are not limited to what the realtor wants to show you or by the pictures that have been taken. You have full control over where you go in the house, what you view and how long you want to snoop around.

Could this be the next step in real estate where you receive help in the form of your cyber-realtor?

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Is is a shameless marketing ploy? Is it the next generation on the web? Will web 2.0 work for the real estate industry?
The jury may still be out on whether or not web 2.0 O'Reilly is what the Internet is eventually and completely adopting.
Let's take a look at some of the various web sites out there that are considered web 1.0 vs those that are considered web 2.0:

According to Wikipedia, web 2.0 "aims to facilitate collaboration and sharing between users."
Being web 2.0, however, just for the sake of being web 2.0 is not the answer to our business. The answer is using the new web 2.0 ideas effectively with what already works in business.
After all, the business world has not flocked to the virtual because it is cool in and of itself. The business world runs to the internet because that is where the billions of people are. And one thing realtors will always need is people with whom they will work to buy and sell real estate.
It's all about communication. Online, web 2.0 or otherwise, it is all about communicating effectively online or offline.
It is in this way that realtors will gain clients and help them buy and sell properties.

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