Now Even Technophobes Can Create Instant Property Brochures Online

Tech Check

Carlson Report

By Troy Strait, SCSM, SCMD

(August 1, 2002) Imagine sending color brochures of available shopping center spaces to your entire contact list within minutes of their becoming available. A new company, Metropole360, LLC (www.metropole360.com) has taken the virtual tour concept to new levels. Their brochures allow you display all the features of a property in an attractive, interactive booklet on the Internet. The brochure can contain still and special 360° pictures that can be panned to give a continuous interior or exterior view. Brochures can be set up to display information such as highlights, price, square footage, location and type. In addition, a Supplemental Information module can link driving directions, online maps, additional listings and digital files such as printer-friendly Adobe Acrobat PDF flyers, AutoCAD or GIF floor plans, building specifications, leases, demographics, multimedia files and even complete PowerPoint presentations. Full-featured brochures can be created in less than 10 minutes. A link to the brochure can be e-mailed to potential tenants or bundled into a portfolio with other listings and sent.

The 360° Camera

Unlike earlier continuous photos that used software to join numerous photos, this solution creates a continuous 360° panoramic photo with a single click. The 360° camera system uses digital technology from Nikon and a patented lens that reflects an entire 360° field of view in a curved mirror. The camera takes a photograph of the image in the mirror to create a seamless photo. This photo can be navigated on a website, creating an effect similar to standing and turning completely around while looking at a property. The process does not require a professional photographer or special photographic or computer skills, there is no need to process the photo with image stitching software and the photographer doesn't even pick a point of interest to shoot because the camera captures everything. Once taken, the photo is loaded into a PC where it is dragged into proprietary processing software and turned into an "immersive" photo which can be loaded to a website and navigated with a mouse. The whole process from snapping the picture to publishing it on the Internet takes about five minutes. In addition to being used for property brochures, the pictures can also be used to monitor construction projects and tenant buildouts, and document pro-motional events.

Brochures

Since Metropole360 brochures are completely web-based, they can be integrated into existing corporate websites or multiple listing service sites. The brochures are easily updated, allowing you to control the freshness of website content without employing a web design team. Creating a Metropole360 brochure is as simple as typing an on-line form and following on-screen requests for additional information and files. The Brochure Builder automatically collates the information into a comprehensive and professional document. Brochures are preset to include a company's distinct color schemes and logo. Using Metropole360 Brochure Builder, shopping center managers and leasing representatives can reach potential buyers quickly and reduce travel costs and time commitments. It can also enable potential lenders, appraisers, architects, tenants and others to walk through a property or entire portfolio. The company also offers a search engine module that brings up brochures based on customized search criteria. It can be integrated into an existing website to make it easy for prospects to find listings.

Portfolios

Metropole360 enables you to easily bundle brochures to create multiple listing portfolios. Brochures can be grouped by various criteria including size, type or location, and used to make customized portfolios that give prospects a full 360° view of a company's offerings tailored to their needs and interests. Each portfolio includes 360° thumbnail pictures and overviews of each property as well as property descriptions and other information. Viewers can click to detailed property brochures from within a portfolio. Once the brochures and portfolios are done, The Metropole360 platform can be used to host an Internet equivalent to an open house for anyone surfing the net or it can be set up for a private viewing by select prospects. E-mails or Metrograms can be sent to prospects directly from the online platform. The Metrogram is an interactive e-mail complete with photos and links that transport the recipient visually to available properties. Special reporting technology tracks the Metrogram's viewing traffic, so you know which prospects responded to which properties. Full-scale direct marketing campaigns can be mounted using a Mail Group feature and your existing contact list.

Easy Interface

The Metropole360 user interface is straightforward, with simple instructions and help menus that make it easy to use. Robert Siegel, CEO and co-founder of Metropole360, notes, "The real estate industry has lagged in its adoption of technology. The founders of the company have worked in real estate for 20 years, so this was designed for those with very little computer knowledge or experience. No knowledge of web development or HTML is needed." An "Account Manager" section lets you control various administrative features such as activate/inactivate users, view management reports and set the logo and colors of the brochures. Detailed reports track the traffic generated by Metrograms. You can measure the interest level of your prospective clients and determine which spaces or properties excite them most. With the knowledge of which clients are most interested in your properties, you know which leads to pursue first. A complete brochure package, the 360 Photo System-in-a-Box 5000: Builder Edition includes the camera and lens system and costs $2,000. It allows creation of five brochures and includes unlimited Metrograms and portfolios as well as online hosting of the brochures for six months. Additional brochures including hosting, are purchased in blocks of five for $125. Examples of the brochures, Metrograms and additional information including screen shots of the various elements and a list of recommended cameras is available on-line at the Metropole360 website.

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