Eric Manthey is the founder of Vid2r (pronounced VidTour), an innovative company in Denver that produces narrated videos of properties for sale. Over the years, photography and virtual tours have helped sell their share of homes, but just recently video has picked up momentum.
What’s the difference? Virtual tours are moving slideshows developed from still photographs. Video tours, on the other hand, are like using your personal video camera to tell the story of your home, room by room. Great idea, isn’t it. So why hasn’t someone done this sooner? Some said it was too expensive to shoot video, edit it, narrate it and post it on the Web. Others maintained that video of inanimate objects doesn’t play well. Both camps have changed their tunes.
Inexpensive camera and computer equipment now make high-quality video tours easier to produce and more affordable than ever. Founder Manthey says video tours “give a better representation of the home’s features.†He also notes that voice-over narration is a major plus because for the first time you can hear someone guide you through the home, pointing out the can’t-miss details.
Manthey started Vid2r in 2006 with just a few clients, but now he boasts almost a 100. At the end of this year, he’ll be entertaining offers from venture capitalists interested in his product. Manthey reaches out to real estate agents and consumers alike. For the buyer, he says “it’s a much more entertaining way to look at homes.†And for the seller, what better way to showcase your home?
Vid2r is absolutely affordable for agents and consumers. For as little $149 you can get a fully narrated, produced video of your home, plus 20 still pictures. Vid2r will also post the video to the MLS as well as 11 other sites like Yahoo, Realtor.com, Meta Café, AOL, You Tube and Google.
Remember, the challenge in today’s market is gaining a competitive edge and getting your property in front of as many people as possible. Which means, maybe you should be Vid touring.
