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The Future is Tablets and Flash Virtual Tours are Dead!

Reblogger Tom Davis

Real Estate Agent with Harrington ERA,DE Homes For Sale, $$ Save $$ Buy Today !

April 05, 2010 12:57 AM

David gives us some insight into the future technology for real estate... Strong Numbers don't lie!

Estimates for Saturday's intial release of Apple's iPad are coming in much higher than expected. Analysts are now estimating between 600,000-700,000 units have sold in one day. They now estimate full year sales of 6-7 million units!

As Realtors, I think we need to see how a tablet device like this can impact our business and influence our clients and customers.

Think about this...you walk into a listing presentation, with iPad in hand. You go through your routine...but instead of showing them colored printouts you are interactively showing them your presentation with charts, pictures, active listings and virtual tours all from your wireless device. You might even let them hold the device to browse pictures. I think that might make a big impact on your prospective client.

So what does this have to do with Flash Virtual Tours you ask?

Apple iPads (or iPhones) do not support Flash websites...which means forget about showing them your Flash virtual tours. The iPads do support full HTML 5 in their built-in Safari browser. This will allow for direct embedding of certain video formats and lots of "Flash" like effects (if the website is designed for it). So my suggestion would be to look for a Virtual Tour company that will support HTML5 (non-flash) tours sometime in the near future...because it's obvious that not just Realtors are buying into this technology.

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Linda Graves Arnold

Coldwell Banker Gundaker-St. Louis, MO - Chesterfield, MO

St. Louis Real Estate Pro - 314-422-2762 - Referr

Thanks for reblogging the good information about a new technology. We better check out our virtual tour technology now!

Apr 05, 2010 02:27 PM

Bob & Carolin Benjamin

Benjamin Realty LLC - Gold Canyon, AZ

East Phoenix Arizona Homes

Always changes and one must keep up. Thanks for sharing.

Apr 05, 2010 02:28 PM

Vickie McCartney

Maverick Realty - Owensboro, KY

Broker, Real Estate Agent Owensboro KY

I would like to get an iPad, but not sure of the advantages regarding boosting my business and how it could impact my clients positively...

Apr 05, 2010 02:29 PM

Tom Davis

Harrington ERA,DE Homes For Sale, $$ Save $$ Buy Today ! - Dover, DE

FREE Delaware Homes Search!, $$ Save $$ - Find Homes! Delaware Realtor

Hi Jim and Linda,

Your welcome! Also be sure to go to David's page... This Was HIS FIRST POST! He did a great job!

Hi Bob and Carolin,

So True! Your Welcome!

Hi Vickie,

I know it's one of those technology things.. we always need to be sure we are adding our personal touch and although technology is important... it is also important to guage the customer personally and never lose sight on that too!

Thanks!

Apr 05, 2010 02:34 PM

Barb & Sal Dragotta

Macomb, MI

Macomb County Michigan

Tom....OK who made it 'open-season' on old folks; first we had to learn How-to load those virtual tours; now you state that they are "OUT" --that is lol funny in this house since we never did purchase the tablet anyway. Still use Sal's & the CD's power point presentations that I designed. So World, just slow down here for a few; For those of you--including the Father & 12 yr old daughter combo here in MI seen in our local paper & on the cable / news channels--enjoy your new toy /tool. Have fun for me.
Good info. [I'm waiting for all the first buyers to work out the jinks, mess-ups, & problems, then I am going to buy my own---LOL]
Barb & Sal

Apr 05, 2010 02:35 PM

Bryan Watkins

LRA Real Estate Group - Mesa, AZ

David, very nice info. Remains to be seen how it will play out.

Apr 05, 2010 02:51 PM

Lol Barb and Sal!

What a mess..hope it works out! Lol!

Hi Bryan.

We will certainly see! Time has the way of telling us the direction!

Apr 05, 2010 02:57 PM

Anonymous

Maxx N

Seeing this made me laugh a little (being a flash programmer). While I'm totally for new technology it is my firm belief that you can not simply dismiss a great technology without replacing it first. This is exactly what Apple has done. While I love the concept of having a virtual tour without any plug-ins, it is currently not possible with HTML 5.0. As a matter of fact it's not even close. Apple claimed that the ipad was going to revolutionize the way we browse the internet. They were wrong. All they did was successfully prevent you from seeing a lot of online content.

Again, while I appreciate their concepts (iphone & ipad) they are selling us short with the browsing experience. What this has done is create a split in the industry. I currently use an HTC Droid Incredible as my phone. My web browsing experience is great and I can view all flash content with no problems. Does this make my phone a better phone then the iphone? Maybe. Maybe not. It just gave me more options.

And like the ipad, the industry is putting out many different tablets/slates with choices of Android OS or Windows 7 (both btw fully support flash). One of my main sellers is my high-definition full screen virtual tours (all designed in flash).

So should I choose not to develop my tours anymore bacause apple doesn't support them but every other device out there does? Flash virtual Tours are NOT dead. Flash is NOT dead and probably wont be for a very long time. Give me a technology that will work on all systems and I will gladly use it instead.

Bottom line...I will stick with devices that support and not hinder the work that I do.

Oct 05, 2010 03:39 AM

Bartley Wilson

Virtual Pictures Corp. (VPiX) - Monument, CO

VR Software and 360° Solutions

Hi David,

Timely post. At the risk of tooting my own horn for a firm I am associated with, we've been doing very well with HTML 5 Virtual Tours at Voyager.

We worked with Apple Computer on the new HTML 5 code and we built a stupid simple Control Panel that lets any REALTOR upload a JPEG panorama, stitched with any software package.

Here's a few sample of an iPhone and iPad virtual tour you can see right now.

Anyone from ActiveRain wanting to sign up, call our Santa Fe office, mention this article and get a month of hosting FREE. No credit card, no payment.

My gift to AR members.

-- Bart Wilson

Jan 23, 2011 04:34 AM

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Tom Davis

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