How One Realtor Uses Giraffe360 for Listing Pics & Videos

Robin Raiff, broker-associate and team leader for Robin Raiff Team at Douglas Elliman Real Estate in Sebastian, is an early adopter when it comes to technology. She’s always on the lookout for the latest tools to provide the best service and set her team apart—and photography is no exception.

At a conference two-and-a-half years ago, Raiff learned about and began using Giraffe360, which offers a 360-degree photography and virtual tour camera plus photo editing. So far, she hasn’t looked back, leveraging the technology for every single listing.

Robin Raiff

Here’s what she likes about Giraffe360:

Get listings up quickly

Ever since her team started using Giraffe360, they can get listings up in as few as 24 hours. Once a seller is ready, Katie Nottage, the team assistant, takes photos.

She then sends them to the service for editing, receiving them back within 12-24 hours.

“If we take the pictures by 11 a.m., they’re often back by 6 p.m., edited and ready to go,” praises Raiff. “Sellers are pleased we get their listings up so quickly.”

This has been a dramatic improvement from the last system she used. Since that system required a much higher level of photography skills, Raiff needed to hire professional photographers.

Between coordinating a convenient time and the photographer conducting the photo shoot, the process would take a few days. Then, Raiff would send away the pictures for editing, receiving them back in two to three days.

“The Giraffe360 cuts down our prep time by almost a week,” she says.

Ease of use

Giraffe360’s camera is so easy to use, it simplifies processes, according to Raiff. “I have no photography training or prior experience with photography,” admits Nottage.

That’s why, when she was on maternity leave, other agents on her team easily filled in for her and took photos.

To start using the device, just watch a 10-minute online tutorial, she says.

“You can’t mess it up.” After your shoot, turn off the camera, and the pictures will automatically upload to the system (if you have a WiFi signal), she adds.

Impressive images

Raiff says that listings with high quality photography get more views and sell more quickly.

Walk-through tours are smoother compared to videos taken by other cameras, says Nottage. Since floor plans resemble blueprints, they capture room sizes and illustrate how rooms flow, she adds. The simplified black and white renderings remove the distraction of sellers’ belongings.

Plus, Giraffe360 fixes issues, removing reflections of picture-takers and improving colors, she adds. One case in point: When Nottage photographed dark tan walls in a home with little natural light, they appeared an unappealing mustard yellow in her shots—but the edited Giraffe360 images reflected the real-life color. “I was so shocked. Giraffe360 had fixed it,” she says.

It’s economical

Compared to other services, “the Giraffe360 is so much less costly for an equal or better product,” says Raiff. “Before, we were spending a fortune on photography.”

They needed to purchase a special camera (for several thousand dollars) and pay the service more than $1,000 per year for data storage. Plus, for each listing, they had to hire a photographer (which cost $450-$500 per listing).

Now, all they pay is $1,500 per quarter for unlimited listings (the price is lower for fewer listings). There’s no charge for the camera or tripod and no need to hire a professional photographer, says Raiff.

“You could list 100 properties in three months and the price wouldn’t change,” she says.

Great customer service

“We just got the latest Giraffe360 camera—they’ll send you a new one whenever they update it,” says Raiff. “If anything happens to the camera or tripod, just reach out to your rep. They’ll send you a brand new one. We know from experience,” she adds.

When Raiff messaged the company on a Monday morning that her camera had broken, they sent a replacement, which arrived two days later.

Dina Cheney is a Connecticut-based freelance writer.