Technology tied to Google Earth is helping agents reach a larger client base, and helping them cut down on open house visits.
Liquid Galaxy — which started as a Google 20% project — utilizes a cluster of televisions connected to computers running Google earth, allowing people to fully explore any part of the world Google Earth has explored. And it’s being used by agents to allow clients to explore potential homes.
“It’s very easy and many brokers are using it; clients come into the office and ask about properties and they can view panoramic images of every room in the house,” Ben Witten, strategist for End Point, the company behind Liquid Galaxy. “It’s difficult to travel around and view every property, so this technology gives agents a quicker way to do it. It’s an impressive visual presentation.”
According to Witten, the most common configuration is a setup consisting of seven 55 inch screens, but the company has installed as many as 48 screens and as few as three.
“It utilizes large HDTV screens and it has a joystick that allows full control,” Witten said. “You can fly around the world and even go under the sea; anywhere that Google has taken images, you can view.”
But agents can make use of the technology on a much smaller scale.
Clients can essentially explore the entirety of home, moving from room to room, without having to visit the physical home. It allows agents to show a number of homes in a short period, and make better use of their own – and their clients – time before making actual visits.
It also allows agents to show homes outside their home market – and even home country.
“You are literally immersed and surrounded by the screens,” Witten said. “It’s really easy to use and it’s an impressive piece of technology that helps agents develop relationships with clients.”
