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Some really neat inexpensive technology for real estate

By
Industry Observer with WideOpen Networks 250784

Boat on lift at Bluewater CoveAs our industry continues to struggle, I am certain that we need all the innovation and effective technology that we can find.  I have built a very strong Internet presence through lots of hard work and late nights.

Perhaps because of that, I hear from many people who have never visited our area but are interested in comparing it to their needs.  I have tried a variety of methods to help people understand the area.  The Crystal Coast Living blog that I write is a good start for people, and my Crystal Coast, Saltwater on my feet blog digs a little deeper into the moving decision.  Then for those who want to see what life is life on a daily basis, The Crystal Coast electronic village is almost a daily journal.  I even have a site with lots of photos, information, and an interactive map of the area.

While these are effective at getting information to potential clients, there seemed to be something missing.

I recently found an inexpensive way to add another dimension to my information about the area and place some listings at the same time.

At Christmas my oldest daughter gave me a GPS logger called i-gotU.  The device is under $70 and is essentially a GPS device that tracks you and has software to help geo-tag photos that you take and place them on a map which can be a Google earth map.

You can read more about my experience with the device at my View from the Mountain blog.

The easy way to understand the potential of the device is to take one of the 3D trips.  I have figured out a number of tricks to make trip creation easier, but it still takes time especially if you are working the trip into your daily routine.

This trip covers Bluewater Cove and Cape Carteret.  It show a few listings and many of the services and landmarks of the area.  I find the 3D trip, which is the button on the right, the most rewarding.  I have gotten some good feedback from potential clients so I have embedded one of the trips in my real estate website.

I have also added to my real estate website a link which provides a MLS view of the properties on the virtual tour.

You can also take the geo-tagged photos and post them to something like Picasa Web Albums.  It gives you a very easy and quick way to show someone in another state a location that might impact their buying decision.

I think this technology is a powerful way to let people experience an area without traveling to it.

Comments (4)

Jeremy De La Garza
Corpus Christi Realty Group - Corpus Christi, TX
Corpus Christi, TX

There are some cameras that GEO-tag now, great for ranches or remote places, nice blog.

Jan 24, 2010 02:14 PM
David Sobotta
WideOpen Networks - Emerald Isle, NC

Yes there are cameras available but most of us already have good cameras.  You can also add a Nikon GP-1 GPS module to some Nikon cameras.  However, it costs almost $195. I just bought a new camera recently, and it has become my favorite because of size and 12X zoom capability. It is a wide angle Panasonic camera that only cost me $250.  You can get a Nikon Coolpix P6000 for somewhere in the mid four hundreds, but I am not certain how well the software works for real estate needs, and it is only 4X zoom.  I love my Nikon cameras, but I have never cared for their software.  The i-gotU has the advantage of working with any of my current cameras.  It's cheap and the software and website seem to work well for real estate needs.

Jan 24, 2010 02:48 PM
David Sobotta
WideOpen Networks - Emerald Isle, NC

The choices are pretty clear, you either get involved with the Internet and work to create your own brand there, you can watch as others do take advantage of the Internet.

While social media is time consuming, it is the way many people stay connected today and cannot be ignored.

There are many ways to utilize the Internet, but I do not think it is an option to not be involved.   Traditional print media has disappeared as a source of buyers in our area. Blogs are a very mature technology and widely utilized.

I might push the edge using new technologies, but I have found that the amount of information that I am able to provide to computer literate buyers is something that they really appreciate when they go to make their decision.

As we move to the next generation of buyers, this trend is only going to accelerate.

Jan 25, 2010 03:38 AM
Kathryn Gorham
Green Key Realty - Emerald Isle, NC
Emerald Isle NC Crystal Coast

David, Interesting gift you received. I've heard they are building similar technology into cameras too now a days. Hmmm. I will have to watch you video to get a better understanding. I got the concept readily. By the way - we'd love to have you come to the CCAR board office and teach social networking (you certainly have done a lot with it) - speaking as a member of the Education committee.

Feb 03, 2010 11:22 PM