Adam Mott
Sarasota, Florida
Residential Real Estate isn’t the only place that iGUIDE shines. Adam Mott saw the potential in iGUIDE’s 3D tours, floor plans, and visual storytelling as a key part of his marketing strategy for his luxury rental businesses in Sarasota, Florida. Being able to show not just photos, but immersive tours of the space ensure that his clients arrive at their tropical paradise happy and with all the information they need!
iGUIDE Helps Company Grow in the Luxury Vacation Rentals Market
During winter months Canadians, Europeans, and Americans from Northern States flock to the white sand beaches on Florida’s Gulf Coast.
And thanks to iGUIDE technology Adam Mott’s companies pull in their share of that market and then some.
The iGUIDE camera is used by real estate agents and brokers around North America to provide virtual tours, 3D tours, 360° tours, and highly detailed floor plans with accurate square-footage measurements.
But Mott thought it would help his luxury rental businesses in Sarasota, Florida, which include Tropical Breeze Resort, Siesta Key Luxury Rental Properties (SKLRP), and Lido Key Vacations (LKV).
It all started in 2016 when Mott and his partners purchased the Tropical Breeze Resort in Sarasota, which has 56 units spread around three blocks near the white sand beaches.
They added 30 more vacation homes on Siesta, managed by SKLRP, ranging from small condos to 8-bedroom homes.
Last year, Mott’s team developed five more rental homes in Lido Key. That part of the business is called Lido Key Vacations.
It is a diversified portfolio of properties. In the past it could be challenging for a potential customer to navigate the online offerings that ranged from 8-bedroom houses, to condos, or suites at their resort. And the popular online platforms such as Airbnb and VRBO—vacation rental by owner—limit how much information can be displayed.
Some of Mott’s units have beach views, some have pools, others beautiful courtyards and common areas. Mott was looking for a way to get more information to potential customers, quickly, and easily.
Enter iGUIDE.
Last year his team bought an iGUIDE camera and quickly had 3D tours, 360° tours, and floor plans on its websites. So, there is no guesswork and no surprises for the renters. It was a huge help with bookings for the Tropical Breeze Resort, which has 56 units on 11 different properties on a two-block radius.
Some units are near the front office, others near the beach, and some closer to the village.
“We wanted to show our guests where they would be besides doing a Google Maps search, and what the property looks like,” says Mott.
“We were able to get tours for our courtyards and community spaces; we were able to get tours set up for our pools. We were able to do some Google Maps items where they could navigate through the grounds to include the public streets,” says Mott.
“We wanted to be able to show them exactly what they were booking, and limit some of that confusion. So, Planitar and iGUIDE gave us that opportunity with the 3D tours,” says Mott.
The iGUIDE also helped with bookings for the larger homes. Some of the luxury rental homes have eight bedrooms. Some online rental platforms limit each property to 51 pictures. That sounds like a lot, but it’s really not when you have a big home like that.
“When you spread it across all of the homes that we have, a 100-plus home portfolio, the IMS-5 camera initial purchase isn’t a very large cost. And while it is hard to monetize what the return is, from a user-relations standpoint, the conversations that we have had with guests justify it all day long,” says Mott.
“People have said: ‘I know exactly what I am booking,’ and I think that translates into a great user experience when somebody knows exactly what their view looks like, exactly what their courtyard looks like, what the pool is like, the location, and then being able to navigate the entire interior and exterior of the unit,” says Mott.
Business is very good— each of their companies has increased its market share, exceeded expected occupancy, daily rates are going up, revenues are fantastic, and the guests are happy.
“Which is always the biggest tell, and they keep coming back which is great,” says Mott.
The company is adding 22 more homes to its portfolio in Lido and Siesta Key.
“We are excited to keep growing, and iGUIDE is going to be part of our growth as long as they are there,” says Mott.
The iGUIDE camera is easy to use, the product is up on the websites within 24 hours, and it makes Your Vacation stand out in a competitive market.
“I think the more knowledge you can give the consumer about your products and the better that you can display your products for them, the more opportunity you have to convert that consumer and keep him. You’re going to make them happy when they arrive because they know exactly what they are getting, it’s exactly the experience they thought it was going to be, and they are going to come back because they trust you, I think that’s the biggest thing that iGUIDE has been able to offer us,” says Mott.
