David Melford replied with:
I have used a professional photographer every time. Not the tours for $99, but the products for a few dollars more, to get shots of the home that make it look like a magazine.
I use a Professional Digital SLR by Nikon to take the photos, then I fix any flaws in the photos with Photoshop, just like they do in the magazines. Then I up load the final product for viewer display on the Net and the MLS. I stopped using tours because of cost effectiveness and because of amateurish results and besides when you give the end user to much information they choke especially if there computer is not up to date with the most recent technology, like most people out there. I learned that lesson one time when a friend of mine, who dabbles in Real Estate, was let down when they got to the property and it didn't show as it did in the fisheye tour. I had a customer one time who was browsing the MLS through IDX in his office one day, he called me because the virtual tour locked up his screen and he had to reboot. I don't know what his technical problem was, but I do know this he didn't frequent that Realtors website again. Both of these clients would rather pass on virtual tours because they seem misleading or they fail to work, or it takes to long to download. The tours seem pretty neat but they also seem to create unrealistic results. Actually they call me when they want to buy or sell real estate, so to each their own. My prospects tell me, you can't beat real people who will take the time to show them some real property photos and property. I just provide enough visual effect in the photos to cause an interest. Isn't that what our business is all about, INTEREST? You can keep the tours and you can keep the cheap digital cameras. I look at it this way I have about 2 grand in the Nikon, plus a 20mm wide angle, 50mm and 70-200 zoom. I get plenty of detail and Photoshop cleans up the final product. With Photoshop you can take out all the uninteresting stuff and produce a palatable end product that creates interest to the end user. You got to work with what creates interest, people are board with virtual tours, and when they don't work, you have a lot of obstacles to overcome. Remember to catch fish you got to think like a fish.
Robert King
Member Login
Previous Discussion 
Create New Discussion
Digest Archive
To Top
Quote
Reply
Join RealTown
Single Sign-On
Request Password
Rules of the Road
Posting Tips
Help
RealTown RSS Feed
Submit Feedback
The Real Estate Network
