{"id":177,"date":"2025-04-24T02:36:50","date_gmt":"2025-04-24T02:36:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hoyonow.com\/blog\/?p=177"},"modified":"2025-04-24T02:36:51","modified_gmt":"2025-04-24T02:36:51","slug":"how-to-create-a-virtual-tour-for-your-fsbo-listing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/portal.hoyonow.com\/blog\/?p=177","title":{"rendered":"How to Create A Virtual Tour For Your FSBO Listing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Robert Urban, FSBO Enthusiast, Expert at Blurry Pictures and Thumb Pics, but Knows That Good Quality Videos Sell Homes<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, you\u2019ve gone FSBO-For Sale By Owner. Bold move, Maverick. I think that is a brilliant move. You’re out here skipping the agent, dodging the commission, and wearing \u201cI Got This\u201d energy like a badge of honor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But here\u2019s the deal: today\u2019s buyers aren\u2019t just driving around aimlessly looking for \u201cFor Sale\u201d signs while eating boiled peanuts out of a paper bag. No. They\u2019re online. They\u2019re clicking. They\u2019re swiping. And they expect to see<\/em> a home-not read three lines of text and stare at one grainy photo of a ceiling fan that looks like it came from a Craigslist mystery box. They want the real stuff, not their imagination. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They want a virtual tour<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, I said video<\/em>. I know-coming from a guy who once took a listing photo where my thumb had more square footage than the living room. But trust me, I\u2019ve learned a few things. And I’m here to help you shoot a walk-through that makes your place look like HGTV rolled in and did a little digital magic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Virtual Tours Matter (a.k.a. The Lazy Buyer’s Paradise)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Virtual tours are not a luxury anymore-they’re an expectation<\/strong>. And not just because of the pandemic or remote buyers. It\u2019s because we\u2019ve all been trained by DoorDash and Amazon Prime. People want to preview everything<\/em> without moving their actual bodies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A good virtual tour means:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • More eyeballs on your listing<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • More serious buyers<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Fewer surprise \u201cI thought it looked bigger in the photos\u201d comments where everyone’s time is wasted. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • And possibly, more money in your pocket<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    So yeah, it\u2019s worth doing right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Step 1: Clean Like Your Mother-In-Law is Coming Over<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Before you even touch the record button, clean your house<\/strong>. And not just tidy. I mean deep clean<\/strong>. Scrub like a realtor is bringing buyers with blacklights and judgment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Declutter everything. Counters? Bare. Closets? Neatly organized or slammed shut and sealed with prayer. That random gnome statue? Hide it. I\u2019m not saying don\u2019t have personality\u2014I\u2019m just saying don\u2019t have crime scene energy<\/em> in your video.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Step 2: Gear Up-But Don\u2019t Mortgage the House Again<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    You don\u2019t need a Spielberg-level production team. You just need a smartphone with a decent camera and a little patience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Here’s your basic gear checklist:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • Smartphone with stabilization<\/strong> (iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, or that Android your nephew made fun of-if it shoots in HD, you\u2019re good)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Tripod or gimbal<\/strong> (no one wants a Blair Witch home tour- very often these are cheap enough to buy, but you can borrow from a friend or rent if needed. Some of the most modern smart phones have built in stability recording that outdoes the best movie productions from only a few years ago. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Wide-angle lens attachment<\/strong> (cheap, magical, and makes your bathroom look 4x bigger)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Natural lighting<\/strong> (throw open those curtains like you\u2019re revealing a surprise guest on Oprah)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      Bonus: if you want to really<\/em> shine, snag a clip-on mic<\/strong> for narration and stop sounding like you\u2019re yelling from inside a sock drawer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Step 3: Map It Out Like You\u2019re Planning a Heist<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      Before you record, walk the route<\/strong>. Think like a buyer. What\u2019s the flow? Where would you want to go if you were virtually casing the joint?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      A basic plan:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      1. Front of the house<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      2. Entryway<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      3. Main living areas<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      4. Kitchen (make it sparkle-this sells homes! 65 percent of buyers surveyed said that this is the make or break room to consider if a house is even an option)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      5. Bedrooms<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      6. Bathrooms<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      7. Outdoor space<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

        Pro Tip: Don\u2019t record while giving your dog a treat or yelling at your kids to stop jumping on the couch.<\/strong> Wait for peace and quiet. Or bribe everyone with snacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Step 4: Shoot in One Take (Or Fake It Like a Pro)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

        Try to shoot your tour in one smooth take. But if you can’t, no worries-you can stitch together clips using free apps like InShot, iMovie, or CapCut.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Keep it slow and steady. Pause slightly in each room. Let the viewer soak it in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        And for the love of all things real estate\u2014turn the phone sideways<\/strong>. This is not TikTok. This is the Oscars of your real estate and the house s the star. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Step 5: Narrate Like You\u2019re Bob Ross with a Mortgage<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

        Now, this is optional-but narrating your tour adds charm and helps viewers connect<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Keep it light, helpful, and human:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n

        \u201cHere\u2019s the living room-it gets great light in the morning, and yes, the couch is negotiable if you fall in love with it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \u201cWe just updated the kitchen last year. The appliances are all stainless steel-except the microwave. That\u2019s more of a brushed chrome if we\u2019re being honest.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

        Be real. Be friendly. You don\u2019t need a velvet voice\u2014just authenticity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Step 6: Upload Like a Boss<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

        Once your masterpiece is done, you\u2019ve got options:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n
        • YouTube<\/strong> \u2013 Easiest for sharing and embedding and sharing the link. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Facebook & Instagram<\/strong> \u2013 Great for local visibility. Don\u2019t underestimate the power of Aunt Brenda sharing your tour with \u201cthe nice couple from church.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • HOYONOW.com<\/strong> \u2013Embed that tour front and center. HOYONOW.com helps with all the steps in the FSBO process and the platform allows for you to showcase your home. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

          Name the video clearly:
          \u201cVirtual Tour \u2013 4BR\/3BA Home in DeLand, FL \u2013 FSBO\u201d<\/strong>
          Don\u2019t call it \u201cFINALFINALFINALREELforRealsThisTime.mp4.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Bonus Tips from a Recovering Thumb-in-the-Shot Veteran<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
            \n
          • Walk slowly<\/em>. No one wants to get motion sickness while house hunting.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • Don\u2019t film mirrors head-on unless you want to appear mid-tour in your boxers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • If a toilet seat is up\u2014just burn it all down and start over.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • Remember to smile when narrating. You can hear<\/em> it in your voice.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

            Final Thoughts: Virtual Tours Sell Homes-Even If You\u2019re Not Spielberg<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

            You don\u2019t need a drone, a dolly track, or Morgan Freeman to narrate. You just need effort, honesty, and a clear shot that doesn\u2019t look like it was filmed during an earthquake.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

            As someone who\u2019s accidentally uploaded a 30-second video of just my foot while trying to film a kitchen, I\u2019m telling you\u2014it gets easier. And when the offers start rolling in because buyers feel like they\u2019ve already walked through your home, it\u2019s worth every take.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            You\u2019re FSBO. You\u2019re fearless. And now you\u2019re a filmmaker too. Look at you go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Lights. Camera. Close that deal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Robert Urban<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

            By Robert Urban, FSBO Enthusiast, Expert at Blurry Pictures and Thumb Pics, but Knows That Good Quality Videos Sell Homes So, you\u2019ve gone FSBO-For Sale By Owner. Bold move, Maverick. I think that is a brilliant move. You’re out here skipping the agent, dodging the commission, and wearing \u201cI Got This\u201d energy like a badge of honor. But here\u2019s the deal: today\u2019s buyers aren\u2019t just driving around aimlessly looking for \u201cFor Sale\u201d signs while eating boiled peanuts out of a paper bag. No. They\u2019re online. They\u2019re clicking. They\u2019re swiping. And they expect to see a home-not read three lines of text and stare at one grainy photo of a ceiling fan that looks like it came from a Craigslist mystery box. They want the real stuff, not their imagination. They want a virtual tour. Yes, I said video. I know-coming from a guy who once took a listing photo where my thumb had more square footage than the living room. But trust me, I\u2019ve learned a few things. And I’m here to help you shoot a walk-through that makes your place look like HGTV rolled in and did a little digital magic. Why Virtual Tours Matter (a.k.a. The Lazy Buyer’s Paradise) Virtual tours are not a luxury anymore-they’re an expectation. And not just because of the pandemic or remote buyers. It\u2019s because we\u2019ve all been trained by DoorDash and Amazon Prime. People want to preview everything without moving their actual bodies. A good virtual tour means: So yeah, it\u2019s worth doing right. Step 1: Clean Like Your Mother-In-Law is Coming Over Before you even touch the record button, clean your house. And not just tidy. I mean deep clean. Scrub like a realtor is bringing buyers with blacklights and judgment. Declutter everything. Counters? Bare. Closets? Neatly organized or slammed shut and sealed with prayer. That random gnome statue? Hide it. I\u2019m not saying don\u2019t have personality\u2014I\u2019m just saying don\u2019t have crime scene energy in your video. Step 2: Gear Up-But Don\u2019t Mortgage the House Again You don\u2019t need a Spielberg-level production team. You just need a smartphone with a decent camera and a little patience. Here’s your basic gear checklist: Bonus: if you want to really shine, snag a clip-on mic for narration and stop sounding like you\u2019re yelling from inside a sock drawer. Step 3: Map It Out Like You\u2019re Planning a Heist Before you record, walk the route. Think like a buyer. What\u2019s the flow? Where would you want to go if you were virtually casing the joint? A basic plan: Pro Tip: Don\u2019t record while giving your dog a treat or yelling at your kids to stop jumping on the couch. Wait for peace and quiet. Or bribe everyone with snacks. Step 4: Shoot in One Take (Or Fake It Like a Pro) Try to shoot your tour in one smooth take. But if you can’t, no worries-you can stitch together clips using free apps like InShot, iMovie, or CapCut. Keep it slow and steady. Pause slightly in each room. Let the viewer soak it in. And for the love of all things real estate\u2014turn the phone sideways. This is not TikTok. This is the Oscars of your real estate and the house s the star. Step 5: Narrate Like You\u2019re Bob Ross with a Mortgage Now, this is optional-but narrating your tour adds charm and helps viewers connect. Keep it light, helpful, and human: \u201cHere\u2019s the living room-it gets great light in the morning, and yes, the couch is negotiable if you fall in love with it.\u201d \u201cWe just updated the kitchen last year. The appliances are all stainless steel-except the microwave. That\u2019s more of a brushed chrome if we\u2019re being honest.\u201d Be real. Be friendly. You don\u2019t need a velvet voice\u2014just authenticity. Step 6: Upload Like a Boss Once your masterpiece is done, you\u2019ve got options: Name the video clearly:\u201cVirtual Tour \u2013 4BR\/3BA Home in DeLand, FL \u2013 FSBO\u201dDon\u2019t call it \u201cFINALFINALFINALREELforRealsThisTime.mp4.\u201d Bonus Tips from a Recovering Thumb-in-the-Shot Veteran Final Thoughts: Virtual Tours Sell Homes-Even If You\u2019re Not Spielberg You don\u2019t need a drone, a dolly track, or Morgan Freeman to narrate. You just need effort, honesty, and a clear shot that doesn\u2019t look like it was filmed during an earthquake. As someone who\u2019s accidentally uploaded a 30-second video of just my foot while trying to film a kitchen, I\u2019m telling you\u2014it gets easier. And when the offers start rolling in because buyers feel like they\u2019ve already walked through your home, it\u2019s worth every take. You\u2019re FSBO. You\u2019re fearless. And now you\u2019re a filmmaker too. Look at you go. Lights. Camera. Close that deal. Robert Urban<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":179,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,8],"tags":[13,10,38,63],"class_list":["post-177","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fsbo","category-selling-your-house","tag-florida","tag-fsbo","tag-hoyonow","tag-virtual-tour"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/portal.hoyonow.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/177","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/portal.hoyonow.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/portal.hoyonow.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/portal.hoyonow.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/portal.hoyonow.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=177"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/portal.hoyonow.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/177\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":180,"href":"https:\/\/portal.hoyonow.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/177\/revisions\/180"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/portal.hoyonow.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/179"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/portal.hoyonow.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=177"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/portal.hoyonow.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=177"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/portal.hoyonow.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=177"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}