As owners and property managers, we are finding it increasingly important to use high-tech solutions to separate our properties from the many possible options. As important to us is providing prospective renters with a true understanding of what to expect with our property and its location.
Have you ever been disappointed in a vacation home because listing photos you saw gave you a false impression? The home you thought was a historic home turned into a house of horrors? There are a lot of tools and tricks out there for photography. These images are often a staged snapshot in time of a home under ideal conditions. Software filters are often applied to make the sky or water bluer, zoom lens used to make the ocean appear closer than it is, and Photoshop used to remove power lines or anything that might actually be obstructing a view. Meanwhile, furnishings become worn, or even broken, by the time you arrive you find the condition of the property is something less than what you had envisioned.
This is where 360-degree panoramic images and virtual reality can help. It is perhaps, possible to edit these images as well, but it is far less practical to do so. By being immersed in the environment, you see everything around you as well as how close things are in relationship to each other. What you experience is both virtual and reality.
It is for this reason, when we visit our properties, along with our Bissell carpet shampooer and other maintenance tools, we bring our 360-degree camera and tripod as well as our drone to shoot panoramic images and videos.
Our condo, Emerald Oasis, is located on the quiet west end of Panama City Beach. We are on the 20th floor of Celadon Beach. And we love it! It provides expansive views of the beach and the Gulf and it is very much like looking onto your own aquarium. Flocks of pelicans zip right past our window and we enjoy watching cow nose rays play in the surf or to see a pod of dolphin passing by. We aren't going to give you a false sense of what it is like to be up so high. In fact, if you take the time to meander out onto our balcony in this virtual tour and point your view downward, you can start practicing getting used to peering over the rail now. Our guests have noted it takes some getting used to, but they always do. And you can start now!
Note: Whether you have inexpensive Google cardboard or VR glasses, you can select WebVR Mode within the tour and completely immerse yourself in our vacation rental home. Here is a direct link to the virtual tour: https://roundme.com/tour/379862/view/1303996/