Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Agent Kim Barnes Pioneering the Use of Cinematic 3D Technology To Market Luxury Properties

Online, June 19, 2013 (Newswire.com) - 3D video technology has been used in $300 million blockbuster movies for a number of years, but now a San Francisco agent for Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage is helping to pioneer the use of cutting-edge 3D blu ray technology in marketing luxury homes in the tech-savvy Bay Area.

Kim Barnes, an agent in the company's San Francisco Van Ness office, has partnered with Golden Gate 3D, a locally based video production house, to create 3D virtual tours and other videos in her marketing of local properties. She is one of the first Realtors in the country to adopt the technology for real estate sales.

"When you market high-end homes, the focus is on making your clients' listings stand out from all the rest," Barnes said. "These films do just that. They are absolutely breathtaking and really make potential buyers feel like they are actually there inside the home."

Barnes said the use of 3D technology in marketing is appropriate given her target market. "The kind of people who are likely to purchase our high-end listings will likely own 3D blu ray equipment and all the latest and greatest technology," she said.

But even without 3D capabilities, viewers of the property will still be stunned by the quality. "The 2D version by itself is so gorgeous. There is such high definition and detail that you would never see anywhere else," she said. "Add 3D and it takes the experience to a whole other level."

Producing 3D videos for her clients is costly. On average, Barnes will spend $10,000 a day for production costs and videos can take upwards of three days to shoot. "Obviously we can't spend that on every home we sell, but for the luxury listings it is worth it," she said.

The reason for the high cost starts with the sophisticated production equipment, which can run more than the home being filmed. The ultra high-def 5K 3D resolution in the videos is higher than most still photographs, let alone actual videos.

The cost of the new high-definition 3D technology and the unique technical and artistic skill set required to capture and process content have prevented it from reaching the mainstream media thus far, according to Peter Chang, founder of Golden Gate 3D. Chang recently shot IMAX 3D films Panama 3D: A Land Divided, A World United and Jerusalem 3D, which will be released by National Geographic in IMAX and digital 3D theaters in September.

Barnes has long been enamored by technology, an interest that goes back to her days as vice president of sales for what is now Yahoo! Mail, and in online print and advertising. When she was approached to help test the use of 3D video in real estate marketing, she was enthusiastic about seizing the opportunity to be involved with Golden Gate 3D.

"I've always been a bit of a tech evangelist," she said. "The more I learned about this technology and what it could do for marketing homes, the more excited I got. The video quality is so far superior to anything thing else that is out there. This could be a game changer in real estate.

"I imagine a potential buyer sitting in a skyscraper in China watching this film and truly experiencing the feeling that he's actually in the home right now, walking through each room and taking in the panoramic city view from the balcony. Nothing else puts you there in the quite the same way as this technology."

Barnes first used the 3D technology for a tour of a mid-century penthouse located at 1998 Broadway St. #1605 in San Francisco's Pacific Heights neighborhood. Offering panoramic views of the City, the video is designed to immerse viewers into the unique beauty of the home. Click here to view both a 2D and 3D version of the tour for go to http://www.3dpreviewsestates.com.

Kacie Ricker, regional vice president of marketing for Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, said pioneering new technology in real estate marketing is nothing new for the company.

"Some 75 years ago, Henderson Talbot, the founder of Coldwell Banker Previews, redefined luxury real estate marketing by capturing prized estate homes on film and holding exclusive gatherings for affluent buyers to preview them," she said.

"I think it's only fitting that 75 years later, here we are again today, reinventing the way consumers view the finest homes and estate via video," Ricker said. "We are continuing to set the benchmark for luxury real estate marketing around the world."

Barnes is located at Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage's Van Ness office, 1699 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco. She may be reached directly at 415.730.2593 and via e-mail at [email protected]. For more information on 1998 Broadway St. #1605, please contact Barnes directly.