Key Highlights
- Tools, tech and tactics needed for marketing properties and showing them safely at distance
- Tour types
- Tour cameras
- Tour software
- Tips and tricks
Part II of this series on the Inman Handbook on Creating Online Home Tours focuses on tour cameras. (Part I focuses on tour types.)
Now that you’ve decided what type of tour best fits your needs as well as your budget, let’s dial into the various types of tour cameras. If you already have a high-end digital single–lens reflex camera DSLR), chances are you’ll be fine as long as you get/have the right wide-angle lens.
Inman suggests that all an agent likely needs to do it yourself is a camera, an app and a good tripod. Inman also recommends that you read Amazon reviews for any product and/or app.
Most all of the brands summarized here are fairly ubiquitous in the real estate market and most are also found in the “action camera” category as well. That being said Inman says that smartphone are great options and that DSLRs may not always be the best option. Whatever your choices, Inman suggests investing in trusting brands and that you pay attention to portability. Dragging around equipment that is too large and/or too heavy quickly gets old.
Tour Cameras
Matterport
Matterport’s flagship Pro2 3D camera is the 800-pound gorilla in the room. It’s a 7-pounder and expensive but will likely prove its ROI after one sale. If shooting a lux property and large spaces, this camera created the industry standard. This camera does not require a lot of practice and can serve a brokerage for a long time.
Ricoh
Ricoh’s Theta camera recognized and reacted to the needs of the real estate industry years ago. That comes in several models and price ranges from top to bottom of the line extremely well. Its entry-level SC2 sells for $399. Theta V footage is very suitable for Matterport’s platform. Inman highly recommends this option.
Insta360
This camera is a new entry to real estate, has wide camera options and has cooperating apps for both iPhone (Nano) and Android (Air). Its new ONE R Camera officially interacts with Matterport’s mobile app, Capture. Inman sees this as a best bet.
Leica BLK360
Leica’s LiDAR or Light Detection and Ranging will be standard on the iPhone12 debuting in later October. LiDAR is also on the latest iPad Pro and some Samsung phone models. This camera is small, fast and expensive ($18,000) but worthwhile if you specialize in new construction, commercial and land.
DJI
DJO’s drone tech is to aerial photography as Matterport is to Inman’s handbook. Its cameras are ideal for video marketing and online tours. The DJI OM 4 is the most affordable option and is essentially an automated, handheld stabilizer for your smartphone, essentially a smart selfie-stick that can be used with a late-model iPhone or Galaxy and can be great for social media marketing.
Vuze
The Vuze+ and standard Vuze models are marketed toward VR headset content creation and live event broadcast streaming. They may be a bit much for an online property tour but have great engineering and are ultra-portable. The Vuze app is good for both iPhone and Android and its software Cast enables livestreaming tours on YouTube or Facebook.
Thanks to Inman.
Also read: Podcast: Sunday Special. Nothing Is Off Limits On This Sunday Special Podcast! | Tim and Julie Harris, Podcast: Zillow, Gary Keller Quits Being CEO And End of Buyer Agent Commissions | Tim and Julie Harris, Podcast: Top 8 Must Avoid Reasons Why Most Teams (and Brokerages) Fail | Tim and Julie Harris
