360 photography, VR, virtual tours, etc. What do you use?

Question

I'm researching 360 image apps and cameras for my rental business. Curious to hear what others are using for image capture to market their rentals, flips, and other real estate listings?

Steven J. · Answer

I prefer to do a walk through video of the homes I'm selling and point out the defects if there are any. Keep in mind i'm selling on payments so its a slightly different approach than renting. The approach there is that I'm being up front and for those that don't mind whatever an issue may be they may be less annoyed by it when they actually see it.

Charlie MacPherson · Answer

@Stanci March I use good old fashioned photography.  A Canon 5D MkIII (full frame DSLR) with a Canon 16-35mm LII lens - very wide angle.

Any very wide angle setup will do, but combine that with a decent HDR in-camera function or HDR in post processing.

I can shoot most houses in under 45 minutes.  I can emphasize the property's good points while diminishing the bad.

Put some thought into what you want the client to know and use your camera to walk them through telling a visual story from the outside, flowing through rooms in the logical order that you would walk through.

With a little practice, you can do a respectable job in little time with great results.

Keith Eaton · Answer

I'm using a Nikon 5300 with a full frame fisheye lens for the spins, and a standards 18-55mm lens for the stills. I'm starting to use some drone footage for video outside and the DSLR for video inside. I've found the most powerful software to be Easypano Tourweaver but it is expensive. However, it allows the most customization. I would note that the MLS offers links to virtual tours, but there are so many crappy ones out there that many time people don't try them. We have the most success after the property manager has emailed the link. Having said that, you should put a lot of practice into the stills and compare against other similar properties.

Andrew Johnson · Answer

@Richard D. Well, in my case, the video isn't exactly high production value and I want my agent to zoom in on all of the bad areas.  So I can't reuse the video because a.) I'd fix anything bad, b.) lighting usually isn't great so it looks grainy, and c.) I wouldn't want to zoom-in showing former ugly/damaged areas.  So the video for me (as a buyer) has a materially different purpose than advertising it for rent.  Now if I had a high(er) quality production video that I viewed as a buyer and the property was freshly rehabbed, pretty, turn-key, etc. then I would probably ask for permission to use it.  That just hasn't been the case with the exception of the exterior drone photos that were taken of my apartments.

Chad Davies · Answer

Great photography will never be replaced when it comes to real estate marketing. I think 360 imaging plays an important role, especially with homes that have interesting layouts, or if the home is in poor condition. For best results, it isn't an either/or decision.

Andrew Johnson · Answer

@Stanci March For listing rentals, my agent just takes some standard stock photos of the apartment units.  They're all pretty much the same and I keep finishes, paint colors, etc. identical.  Maybe one will have a newer dishwasher but there really isn't any material change.  Consequently, it's super easy to post pictures at turnover.

When I evaluate a property (investing out-of-state) I have my agent do a walk through of the property via FaceTime.  It's horribly old-school (these days) but it does let her "zoom in" on any issues or features.  What I wouldn't give for all listings to just at least have a blueprint to try and match up the photos with.  So, for me, the walk-through is helpful as you never really know when the listing photos were taken.  I'm sure the world would be shocked to know that those photos are sometimes reused! <gasp>

I do love the 360 image apps when I see them on listings but I have to admit, those are usually on high(er) end homes.

Richard D. · Answer

@Andrew Johnson If the property is a buy; why would you not use a video of the property to either rent or sell the property on your social media site(s)?

My premise is that you should use the same tools to execute your marketing plan, that you used to execute your purchase of a property.

Andrew Johnson · Answer

@Richard D. She'll do a "live" walkthrough with me on Facetime and also record videos and send those to me via text.  I can download those videos and watch them on the larger computer screen if I want.  If there are things I want photos of she can take those as well.  The "live" walkthrough is really just helpful for me to get a flow of the place or to look out for anything specific.  I don't use it for a buy/no buy but rather to get a sense for how much of a hassle it would be for me to have her do any repairs, if it's worth flying out, etc.  I'm more of a "control freak" when it comes to real estate so I have a real mental block with buying anything that I haven't seen.  I did it once but I knew exactly where the building was, had driven by it a ton, and it was already on my list of "hey, if this comes on the market I think it would be super interesting".  So when it hit the market it was easier to make the go/no-go decision from a desk.

I know that you noted using stock photos.  What's really interesting is that I'm looking at an SFR right now which is maybe 6 years old.  The listing has both the original photos (from when it was new construction) and the current photos.  The look almost nothing alike.  The "current" photos are a little blurry, haphazard, and make the place really look awful.  The "new construction" photos aren't obviously reality either.  The truth is likely somewhere in the middle.

Richard D. · Answer

@Andrew Johnson do you record the walk through with your agent? I would think since your agent wants to show you the details, that you would want to share the pertinent details in a well edited video of that walk through on your site. I was reading another forum post and a member stated that all they use is stock photos and I quote "all rooms look the same." I bet many times his clients have done a tour and made a comment that the home looks nothing like the photos. I am sure that it has cost him in the long run in not only revenue but in reputation.

I think that having the opinion of a customers eye is how you want to approach the type of camera you should use. The first question I ask myself, is what would I want to see as a perspective buyer or renter. Andrew has a good point, blueprint (minimum a floor plan w/dimensions)  the house to give perspective of the photos. A wider angle can provide a better depth perception.

Remember they idea of your photography is that you want to build the right value to drive that perspective buyer/renter to take action to buy/rent the home.  Look at your pictures, and think if I wanted to live in a new home right now, would these home "turn me on?" If they do, keep them. If not, retake the pictures.

360 photography, VR, virtual tours, etc. What do you use?

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