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Virtual Tours. . .
They’re great tools. And, there are lots of ways you can create one.
- You can use photos that you take yourself and create a tour that showcases each room of the house.
- You can get a professional photographer, and your tour will take on a new dimension with professional lighting and photo composition.
- You can hire a company to make a 360 degree video of each room.
- And, then there are tours you host yourself.
Have you ever wished that you could actually show your listings to people who visit your website? Who better to showcase the home than you as the listing agent? If you’re not camera-shy, working with a videographer that is tuned into the real estate industry will allow you to make a video tour like this one done by Kevin Boer of a Potrero Hill loft in San Francisco.
If you’re interested in creating a video like Kevin’s you should check out WellcomeMat.com website. WellcomeMat.com was one of the finalists for the Inman Most Innovative Web Service Award in 2007.
The Virtual Tour Leading Edge: Personally-Hosted Virtual Tours
WellcomeMat lets you host a video tour that you take yourself, or one that is made by a professional videographer. The site is unique, however, in that it will also help you get acquainted with videographers in your area, one of whom might be just the person to help you make a video of a personal tour - and make it look great.
When you visit the WellcomeMat site, take a look at the video in the left column of the home page. It chronicles the making of one of the videos where the listing agent does a walk-through of the home.
There are a number of other very creative videos on the site. One agent who is selling condominiums taped existing condo owners giving glowing testimonials about the building, the units and the neighborhood. Other videos included shots of local shopping or recreational areas.
Right now, WellcomeMat is a free site, but that can’t go on indefinitely or they’d have to close down. They will be monetizing the site, and they’ve written a blog post to explain what the current plans are.
Why Create a Personally-Hosted Virtual Tour?
- Visitors to your website get to know you on a much more personal basis than just gazing fondly at your photograph.
- You can showcase your marketing capabilities and give your visitors a feel for what it would be like having you represent their home as a listing agent.
- A personal tour will do a much better job of selling your listings.
- You can reinforce your credentials as a neighborhood expert.
So, what do you think? Ready to become famous?
