Virtual RealityVirtual tours are here and now so here's your very own need-to-know quick guide 
Over the past few years the term 'virtual tour' has been infiltrating the ranks of high street estate agents across the lengths and breadths of the country. This prolonged and consistent campaign has highlighted a change of times, an era where new technologies are shaping the way in which we manage our time, present our services and adapt to market demands. But as with all new technologies, there is a level of scepticism about their true virtues, a forgivable ignorance about the what, why, how, where and when's. For some time it has been apparent that there is a real lack of informative information concerning 'Virtual Tours'. This buzz word which is doing the rounds does not come with a users-guide or an explanation manual as to the different products on the market. Indeed there are many different suppliers, all promising to effectively promote your properties, yet is that really true? To answer this let's first examine what a virtual tour is and what it does. Virtual Tours represent a means to visually promote properties online to the distant viewer. They offer a unique view of a property which cannot be attained through video or animation software. In using 360° photography, the prospective buyer sees the 'full picture', not half the picture, the full picture. Virtual tours as a result ensure the estate agent of a more informative prospective buyer. Informative prospective buyers in turn help to increase the percentage success rate of property viewings. The estate agent industry is waking up to the fact that window-dressed photography cannot sell a property, but only increases the percentage of un-successful viewings. Unlike still photography, Virtual Tours excel in being able to weed out the time wasting prospective buyers. As the old saying goes, time = money. Having briefly examined what a virtual tour is and what it does, what are we suppose to look for in terms of knowing which service provider to choose from? The answer is simple. It inevitable comes down to a comparison between quality, service and cost. The cost of a new service has to be weighed up against the perceived financial benefits it can bring to your business in the short and long term. As a basic rule of thumb, make sure that the photography used within the virtual tour does not provide the viewer with a distorted image. An inherent weakness with some products on the market is the 'curvature effect', where straight edges become curved and the realistic perspective is lost. Double check too that you are dealing with a service provider who will ensure the same standards of service to your clients as you would offer them yourselves. At the end of the day they are also ambassadors for your company. Finally, be wary of the 'Starbucks syndrome', where your initial price quote has more than tripled by the time you get to the end of the queue of additional sugary add-ons. Waking up and smelling new technologies is no longer an option for estate agents, but should be an integral part of their first aid survival kit. Only through understanding and embracing these technologies will estate agents be able to secure their place in the future arena of online property sales. i-Spy360 operate on a national basis and are the largest independent provider of services and tools to visually promote properties and locations online. www.i-Spy360.com |
