Marketing Savvy: Virtual Tours That Showcase and Sell
Here’s how one sales associate uses a 3D virtual platform to present her listings in the best light and attract buyers.
Veronica Bard was scrolling through Facebook one day when the platform’s algorithm displayed an ad for Giraffe360 in her feed. “I’d hired a company to handle my social media, and they did an OK job, but I wanted everything I shared publicly to meet a certain quality standard,” says the team lead of Veronica Bard Group by La Rosa Realty in Winter Haven.
Intrigued, Bard clicked on the ad and arranged a Zoom call with a customer service representative. “Knowing Matterport was all the rage but pricey—something my photographer had mentioned—I assumed Giraffe360 would be, too. [The rep] explained that the pricing was based on the number of listings you have, which was surprisingly inexpensive. Yet I was skeptical.”
“When I finally reached out to request a refresher, they kindly went through everything with me again,” she says. “I thought the small package of 24 projects a year for $223 was a great starting point. So, I decided to give it a try.”
She has used Giraffe360 for a year and recently upgraded to 60 projects annually for around $300. “When you consider the cost of hiring a photographer to take photos, add a virtual tour and create a website, I was paying almost $500 per listing,” she explains. “What I was getting was good, but I knew there had to be something better. Giraffe360 is affordable—you can recoup your investment in one listing.”
Here are three ways Bard uses the platform:
1. Make every listing shine
Giraffe360 helps Bard maintain consistent standards for all her listings. “Every property gets the same level of quality, whether it’s a $200,000 listing or a $500,000-plus home,” she says. “It also has features like floor plans that include room dimensions, which you need when adding listings to the MLS.”
The platform’s dashboard streamlines the process, with access to photos, virtual tours and tools for writing listing descriptions. “When you take photos, they’re uploaded to Giraffe360’s system, where AI edits them to a consistent standard,” Bard explains. “You don’t have to mess with anything.”
She also can add interactive tabs to virtual tours that highlight features buyers might otherwise miss. “You can note things like solid wood cabinets, crown molding or that the kitchen was remodeled,” she adds. “For one home with a finished room over the garage, I added examples of what you could do with the space—a man cave, diva den or home school. It felt great to sell the home by telling its story, even when I wasn’t there in person.”
2. Win over prospective sellers
Bard credits Giraffe360 with helping her get more listings because she can share posts with links to her existing listings on social media. “I had a seller call me and say, ‘My contract is ending with my current agent and what they’ve put out is nowhere near what you’ve done,’” Bard explains. “They even paid a cancellation fee just because of what they saw me post.”
One recent listing came to her after the sellers canceled with their previous agent. “The listing pictures were [likely] taken on a cell phone,” she says. “When I take over, I guide my clients on tweaks like painting [rooms] and take photos and virtual tours that no doubt help it sell faster. You can even blur out sensitive information, like a diploma or a photo of a child.”
3. Actionable analytics
One of Bard’s favorite features is Giraffe360’s analytics. “I can track where my efforts are performing. When I post a link to a tour, I can see who’s clicking on it and where the traffic is coming from—whether it’s Zillow, Facebook or Craigslist.” This data helps her provide meaningful feedback to sellers. “It’s a huge selling point,” she says. “For those who want real stats, I can show them exactly how their house is performing.”
She also values how the platform connects her with potential buyers.
Giraffe360 has become an integral part of Bard’s business. “I’m the least tech-savvy Realtor®, which is why I didn’t sign on during my initial call. I thought, ‘I’m going to get this camera and it’s going to sit in the corner because I‘m too intimidated to use it.’ The company is amazing—they’re always here to help, and they’ve made the process so easy for someone like me and even came out and spent a day in the life with me.”
Leslie C. Stone is a Vero Beach-based freelance writer.
Florida Realtors® does not endorse or recommend products mentioned in this article.