Property Tour AI is a marketing tool that uses computer-generated “agents” as property presenters. The on-screen avatar hosts the video tour, reciting a script of highlights and features.
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Property Tour AI is an online tour and listing marketing solution using virtual listing presenters.
Platforms: Browser
Ideal for: Listing agents, teams and brokerages
Top selling points:
- Wide array of faces, demographics
- Hands-off production
- Video services for property portals and social media
- Available in 50 languages
Top concern:
Primarily, it’s a lot to get used to. I can’t help but think most buyers will spend the first 30 seconds trying to understand what they’re seeing.
What you should know
Property Tour AI is a marketing tool that uses computer-generated “agents” as property presenters. The on-screen avatar hosts the video tour, reciting a script of highlights and features. A presenter can be rendered in up to 20 demographic personas and is fluent in up to 50 languages.
Bots and automated conversational software have been used in business for a number of years. They became common helping us navigate tech support departments and filter problems to the proper technicians, and evolved into helping salespeople better understand the needs of a prospect.
Today, the technology is widely used in real estate to help agents save time in understanding where and what a lead is looking for. A new brokerage called Torii relies heavily on chat and remote conversation to service buyers, as does Localize to help quickly define a person’s wants and needs.
A little bit of qualification goes a long way. The levels of sophistication across the industry vary quite a bit, with some triggering live takeovers when certain keywords or conversation objectives are reached and others attempting to look human by using emojis and the occasional typo to enhance the realism.
But chatbots are not actually artificial intelligence, regardless of how often companies selling them use the term. They can’t learn or adapt without human intervention. Some companies can use this technology more effectively than others based on how often they’re updating scripts and defining keywords and phrases. But again, they’re not “AI” in any real sense.
So, what’s next in this category?
Well, I guess it’s this.
Proerty Tour AI, a product of London-based digital marketing company, Victor Purple, has rolled out a virtual tour product that applies a computer-generated human narrator to online home tours.
I won’t beat up this company for its flippant use of the term “AI,” because it’s simply too late to put that snake back in the bag. Everyone uses it as they will. I’m tired of this fight.
There’s little interaction needed on the part of the customer and the agent to get a video produced. Property Tour AI uses any raw footage and stills provided, and your input on a presenter look, to create a draft version for approval. The script can be provided or written by the company using any existing listing website content. Turnaround time is about 72 hours.
Like all marketing video, the most effective tours are under a minute in length and focus on the best parts of a home. No one needs to see a virtual agent explaining the better parts of a downstairs half-bath.
Videos can be created for use on multiple listing service pages as well as for your website and social channels. Subscriptions are $999 a month for 10 listings or $199 for a single listing video. Brokerages can pay $2,199 for 25 listings/month.
There are all kinds of ways to apply personality to video walk-throughs, from branded footers to slide-in graphics with headshots, as well as voice overs and soundtracks.
I understand some people aren’t comfortable showing themselves on camera, or aren’t technically capable of manually creating an effective video tour. However, there are countless vendors and apps that do it for you, quickly and affordably, without an oddly distracting robot talking to your audience about well-lit kitchens and ample storage space.
It’s impressive that the virtual presenters can use so many languages, and there’s a clear advantage to those agents who work in large urban markets where multiple languages are common. This is a powerful feature that I think could be elevated to become the company’s lead pitch. There’s real value in being able to sell in a person’s native language. Use the robot as a value-add.
I showed this product to a couple of agents and friends, and the reactions were the same: They can’t stop looking at the computer-generated presenter. “Is he real? No, wait, he sounds like a robot. That’s weird.”
I can’t help but think this is kind of a cool idea — a gimmick — seeking a solution. I don’t see how it betters the industry in any way other than adding to the already deep pile of online tour options. And I can’t see it rising to the top of the stack.
Have a technology product you would like to discuss? Email Craig Rowe
Craig C. Rowe started in commercial real estate at the dawn of the dot-com boom, helping an array of commercial real estate companies fortify their online presence and analyze internal software decisions. He now helps agents with technology decisions and marketing through reviewing software and tech for Inman.
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