Adam Garrett's Video Visuals for Out of Town Buyers/Sellers
Updated: Sep 11
Many buyers and sellers are aware of the fact that which agent you choose to represent you, should you not attempt a solo purchase or sale, has a high impact on your purchase or sale experience. Many are not aware that when buying or selling from out of town, which agent you choose to represent you matters even more. Here are some of the top areas of importance for those buying or selling from out of town:
Camera Phone with High Image Quality & Excellent Image Stabilization
I use the latest Samsung Ultra 5G (arguably the best phone out on the market for video & pictures, w/ review video in sentence comparing it to the latest best Iphone) for live footage and the S22 Ultra 5G for recorded footage at the time of this edit, 9/5/23.
Screensharing
You would think that in today's day and age, every agent would know how to screen share. Sadly that's not the case. Many agents are still not very tech-savvy when it comes to screen-sharing features via Zoom or otherwise. What that means is that with any paperwork with those agents, you'll have an obstacle in your way from smooth, fast & efficient communication.
Ideally, your agent doesn't just do screen sharing live, but has educational videos recorded. Here is a seller example & here is a buyer example.
Manual/Mechanical Stabilization
Using some form of device for manual &/or mechanical stabilization can significantly improve your showing experience. I have that which provides a fixed space for 2 camera phones.
Pointing Out Negatives
Did you know that some buyer's agents don't point out a single negative in a typical showing? Doing that, and moving closer to negatives so that the buyer can get a better visual themselves, is critical when performing video showings.
For more details, see:
Multiple Lights
I have some lights that attach to my camera assembly manual stabilization. Without that, it would make dark areas and places with no power much more difficult for buyers to accurately observe.
In addition to my lights that attach to my camera assembly, I also have an Imalent 13k lumen tactical flashlight that's the brightest flashlight sold for its size as well as the brightest flashlight sold, the 100k lumen Imalent MS-18 with a built-in fan to prevent overheating, with many cheaper competitors inflating the actual number of lumens possible with their light.
Drone
A drone is excellent for observing the following (if permission is granted by seller):
Roofs
Large acreage properties
Whenever considering adding a 2nd story in a place where the view is excellent (i.e. waterfront)
Related:
Ladder for scuttle access attics
I've seen where this one tool, that all agents should carry, meant the difference between a buyer and I writing an offer or not. In that scenario, the attic looked horrible, while the home looked fine. It had multiple offers, and because most agents don't carry ladders, the other buyers likely had no idea about the issues that they would face at home inspection time.
Wide Angle Video
Being able to do wide angle video is critical to effective virtual tours. Even if a camera can do it, doesn't mean that an agent knows how to do it & that they regularly use it. If you're working with an agent where they don't appear to be using it, ask them to. The virtual tour will be a lot better because of it.
Adam's Special Items that are more rare
2 separate cameras, 1 for live video and 1 for recorded video, since live video gets distorted by signal, and sometimes signal can grossly distort video to the degree that live video isn't even an option.
Dash cam mount for buyers to see the area on the way to properties
Thermal Camera (Flir One)
Laser Temperature Reader
Laser measurer
Moisture Reader
30' Boca Pole and camera attachment to go 30' up in the air with camera (ideal for places where drone isn't an option and for looking at roof condition during an extended showing)
2 boroscopes including Teslong NTS500
Instructions on how to go about digital showings. Details specific to viewing on Google Drive.
Many buyer's agents skip this step, but it's a critical aspect of what I do to represent buyers.
Front Hood mount for cameras
Ricoh Theta Z-1 to add to dashcam mount on way to properties if desired (I purchased it for >$1k).
Education in video: I've completed a bachelor's level course at Christopher Newport University in Documentary Studies.
Adam's Wishlist for Future Acquisitions
The top video related items on my wish list where I don't have great options currently are:
A tracked robot with 3 camera views for crawlspace tours that is waterproof, has great lighting, and solid image quality while sending a signal to my phone for control. Getting a good one is more than triple the cost of getting a similar quality drone.
A backpack that produces a solid signal boost for my phone. While there are plenty of options that would work for my car or my home, I've yet to find a great option for showings that doesn't require a significant amount of time for setup, when I need a signal boost the most. Ideally it'd be great to find an option that is ready to go in less than 15 seconds, thus the backpack idea. If one ever comes out that's available for purchase, I'd love to hear about it!
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