Consumers-Buyers, sellers, Realtors-have chosen virtual tours-360 degree photography coupled with stills/slideshow and a stated marketing program as the preferred way to market RE on line.
This is obvious by market share, tour volume and placement: Photographic tours are the most widely used form of web RE marketing in the world.
This is what the consumer wants because this is where the consumer money is being spent.
That being said, there is a small niche for RE full motion video; for showcase properties-location or architecture, building an affinity for a community and maybe for branding a dynamic brokerage or Realtor.
Video tours do not work for the vast majority of RE listings because their impact as a marketing tool cannot be effectively measured:
-Video tours are not aggregated or distributed effectively on the web.
-Video tours lack visual quality: most RE video is poor to average.
-Video tours are too difficult for a DIY tour.
-Video tours are not cost effective for most listings.
@ Obeoman – I think video is coming fast. New digital cameras allow you to shoot video, there are video websites popping up all over the internet that are similar to youtube but much higher quality. There will always be a place for still pictures, but video is coming fast. Professional or DIY – it is still coming.
Ubertor has some very cool tools coming out very shortly that are all about video and your feedback would be great when we launch them.
Your points:
-Video tours are not aggregated or distributed effectively on the web.
-Video tours lack visual quality: most RE video is poor to average.
-Video tours are too difficult for a DIY tour.
-Video tours are not cost effective for most listings.
I agree that virtual tours are widely used.
I’m just saying 2008 will have a ton more video.
What were people saying when virtual tours were new? “still photos are better”
Virtual tours used to round the corners, distort the images, etc. But they got better and became widely used.
To me, video is the next level of virtual tour.
1/17/2008 at 5:20 pm
Consumers-Buyers, sellers, Realtors-have chosen virtual tours-360 degree photography coupled with stills/slideshow and a stated marketing program as the preferred way to market RE on line.
This is obvious by market share, tour volume and placement: Photographic tours are the most widely used form of web RE marketing in the world.
This is what the consumer wants because this is where the consumer money is being spent.
That being said, there is a small niche for RE full motion video; for showcase properties-location or architecture, building an affinity for a community and maybe for branding a dynamic brokerage or Realtor.
Video tours do not work for the vast majority of RE listings because their impact as a marketing tool cannot be effectively measured:
-Video tours are not aggregated or distributed effectively on the web.
-Video tours lack visual quality: most RE video is poor to average.
-Video tours are too difficult for a DIY tour.
-Video tours are not cost effective for most listings.
And consumers run from a bad experience.
Obeoman
http://obeoman.blogspot.com
1/17/2008 at 8:54 pm
@ Obeoman – I think video is coming fast. New digital cameras allow you to shoot video, there are video websites popping up all over the internet that are similar to youtube but much higher quality. There will always be a place for still pictures, but video is coming fast. Professional or DIY – it is still coming.
Ubertor has some very cool tools coming out very shortly that are all about video and your feedback would be great when we launch them.
Your points:
-Video tours are not aggregated or distributed effectively on the web.
-Video tours lack visual quality: most RE video is poor to average.
-Video tours are too difficult for a DIY tour.
-Video tours are not cost effective for most listings.
Most if not all will be solved in 2008.
Thats my prediction.
1/18/2008 at 9:50 am
Stephen-You can call me Steven!
A great debate all over on this.
Dollars do not follow predictions.
Consumers direct this market and they have made their choice with their dollars for photographic virtual tours.
We aren’t predicting-we know what buyers want and have already giving it to them. Take a look and see-we are easy enough to find on the web!
Steve
http://obeoman.blogspot.com
1/18/2008 at 9:52 am
Pardon my syntax there – haven’t had my second cup of coffee yet.
Steve
1/18/2008 at 9:53 am
Could we change it to “and we are already giving it to them?”
Thanks!
Obeoman
1/18/2008 at 11:17 am
I agree that virtual tours are widely used.
I’m just saying 2008 will have a ton more video.
What were people saying when virtual tours were new? “still photos are better”
Virtual tours used to round the corners, distort the images, etc. But they got better and became widely used.
To me, video is the next level of virtual tour.
1/18/2008 at 2:31 pm
A quick commercial that is showing the ease of video – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQoEQpAwrL0
1/19/2008 at 12:41 pm
I think Video will be king. VT’s are fish eye fools (Fred Sanford)
no perspective no flow.