Is America Ready For A New Lifestyle Virtual Tour?

SEATTLE - July 31, 2014 - PRLog -- “Ray Gonzalez is one of the most creative brokers I have worked with” said Keoki McCarthy, Designated Broker for Real Living Northwest Realtors.  Ray started his career after 20 years as an actor in Seattle.  His background and contacts were the perfect combination for someone looking to raise the level of marketing and partnership in the real estate industry.

“I felt compelled to do more than show potential buyers what the condo looked like. By making the home the star of the story, I wanted to show potential buyers and their agents what it actually would feel like to be in the home, to create a sense of what their life would be like living there.” said Gonzalez.  He went on to say “When people are sitting at home watching an online home tour with its soft music and tranquil pictures, it shows the "what" of the property, but it doesn’t tell a story.  I wanted to change that.”

The first thing Gonzalez did was connect with his friend, MJ Seiber, a very talented documentarian and filmmaker from Seattle. Gonzalez had recently seen excerpts of a film Seiber wrote and directed called TASTE, and knew he (Seiber) would be perfect for helping turn his vision into a reality. Gonzalez and Seiber set out to take marketing of homes to a new dimension. Gonzalez’ idea was to create a video that would elicit an emotion in the viewer and inspire them to want to visit the property.

Step one was finding the right property as a proof of concept.  The good news is the property he had in mind was an affordable condominium in a super hot, hip, urban part of Seattle called Capitol Hill.  Gonzalez and Seiber sat down and plotted a storyline to match the vibe of the property, and after a few meetings together, they had created a story that showcased a couple residing in one of the best places to live in Seattle.

There was one twist - some people were a little uncomfortable with the storyline.  Capitol Hill is a vibrant, diverse community that is home to traditional and nontraditional households.  Gonzalez thought it would be interesting to showcase a young, gay couple instead of a traditional couple living in one of the most eclectic neighborhoods in Seattle.  It was very important to him to create a story that celebrated the diversity of the community.  Gonzalez said, “frankly this is what makes Capitol Hill Great.”   Most of the people that saw the video agreed.  However, it was not without some controversy.  A few people remarked that this style may not be ready for the rest of country, but certainly in the Seattle area it went off without a hitch.

Unlike traditional virtual tours, most people found they watched it from start to finish because it was a compelling story and evoked an emotional response.  When Gonzalez was asked if it helped sell the home, he smiled and said “that his client happily received multiple offers and that it sold in days for more than the asking price.”

When asked about what he is working on in the future Gonzalez said “I'm lucky because I work for a firm that encourages us to push the boundaries of marketing and not be afraid to try new things”. He is actively looking for new listings, and hopes to keep innovating and pushing real estate marketing to new levels.  To check out this cutting edge video go to www.realliving.com/Ray.Gonzalez