Buyer's Guide: Webinars and Video Conferencing
In This Guide
Buyer's Guide: Webinars and Video Conferencing
Real estate may be a people business, but in some cases, you no longer need to physically meet and greet those people to establish the rapport that makes them clients, thanks to online conferencing tools.
This new dimension of the Web is the product of advances on several fronts: video cameras, now standard on the latest PCs and smartphones; ubiquitous broadband services that provide high-speed connections; and the evolution of systems that provide the framework for people to confer, collaborate, and interact through real-time voice, video, and data streams.
The most basic and immediate benefit: video chatting. With a webcam or streaming video camera, and a free or low-cost software download, you can see those you’re talking with in real time. Users can gain their trust more effectively than possible with a mere phone call, e-mail, or messaging.
Video conferencing takes that interactivity to the next level, allowing several others to sit in and be seen as part of the conversation. As if seated across from each other, you can use the camera’s eye to gauge reaction, and read what body language reveals about whatever is being discussed.
A Web conference adds a slightly different twist, and may or may not include a live video feed. Participants can always interact, but it may only be via an audio channel or even just an online chat. Regardless of media, it serves as a virtual gathering place where participants can review and comment on the same types of materials discussed in an actual sit-down meeting.
About the Authors
Michael Antoniak is a journalist and technology expert with a focus on real estate applications. He also writes about real estate technology at his blog, RealTechTools, and has published an e-book on Essential Technology for Mobile Professionals. He can be contacted at antoniak@dtccom.net.
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