Four ways to offer virtual video inspections for real estate properties

1. Matterport or Ricoh360

Best for: High end, styled properties

What will be interesting to your audience? Think of questions they may have asked in the past and popular services or products

2. FaceTime or Google Duo.

Best for: one-to-one video inspections.

Video calling apps are the technology most people are familiar with. Whether it’s the partner doing a tour around an open house, or an agent conducting a virtual inspection for a remote buyer FaceTime is the go-to app (or Google Duo on Android devices). Junior agents are usually tasked with taking directions from the person on the other end of the phone and giving a personalised walking tour of the property. Savvy agents are embracing FaceTime at the moment as a way to build chemistry with interested parties and understand their unique requirements. . And I’ve seen many who will do potential interviews with potential vendors also via FaceTime. So you can get that sort of chemistry and a rapport with someone. Great for building trust.

3. Facebook Live.

Best for: Shortlisted applicants or contract takers

Facebook Live is a a video call to a few people simultaneously that can also be available for review by those on a curated list. Because most people have Facebook accounts, you probably don’t need people to install new software to view. The main benefit is that you schedule a viewing for many people, adding some level of excitement around a scheduled time. All those on the call can ask questions, allowing you to sort out the serious from the tyre-kickers.

4. Vloggi

Best for: First impressions

Vloggi is a tool that allows people in different locations to all submit video clips that are then spliced together inside a professional-looking template. For the real estate sector, the platform offers a number or pre-made video templates with which to make video brochures. Film each room or feature for 10-15 seconds, then merge the best clips together easily and quickly when you initially list a rental property or have an off-market campaign for interested buyers. You may not want to go to the expense of a professional video, but instead make a 90-second walk around combining brochure copy with handheld video footage to give a first impression of a property. As agents learn to do more marketing themselves in leaner times, it’s a very cost-effective way of adding the wow factor. The added bonus is that you can now quickly add the finished video brochures to the listings sites via YouTube or Vimeo, which makes them appear in a Google search as video, quadrupling your likely enquiry rate from casual browsers.