WellcomeMat Drops Beta Tag, Starts Charging
Online real estate video resource WellcomeMat officially threw off the training wheels this morning and announced it has emerged from Beta.
The company, which I first previewed in 2007 (see WellcomeMat – The Killer App for Real Estate Video) has taken huge strides over the last few years and built out a fantastic network that connects Realtors and brokers with video professionals.
In addition, their video player technology still remains head of its class and as big brokers are starting to wake up to the new world of online video, the company has had some success helping them power their own video plays (see WellcomeMat Powers Halstead Property Real Estate Video).
So what does dropping the Beta mean? Well, not suprisingly, given the current economic times, the site is no longer free.
Their entry level Premier plan now runs $14.95 a month and they also have an Pro account which costs $19.95 a month. Neither of which should be particularly onerous if you are serious about integrating video into your marketing.
But, as a way of saying thanks to its Beta testers, all existing 10,000 members of the site were upgraded to becoming lifetime Premier members for free.
Since I did my last Real Estate Video Shoot Out many of the free video hosts profiled there have disappeared or introduced pay-for-play models. Video streaming is an expensive business and the age of free looks like it may be coming to an end.
Other online video providers include ZIPVO.
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
Make sure to follow Inman News on Twitter too!
Sarah Taylor | Jan 23, 2009 | Reply
I’ve been using Wellcome Mat for about 7 or 8 months and have really enjoyed their service. Their “Hood” is a great place to learn a lot about video and get a good critique.
When I found out today that I would get a free lifetime member account I felt so honored to be grandfathered in. On top of that, all the new perks make the service even better!
Ryan | Jan 23, 2009 | Reply
Wellcome Mat is cute but it is a very crowded space that’s almost entirely free. I just have a hard paying for something I get get for free anywhere else. Viddler, google video, youtube, and on and on.
Joel Burslem | Jan 23, 2009 | Reply
@Ryan – They may be free now, but the point is I suspect they won’t be for very much longer. These companies are going to be increasingly under pressure to find revenue to offset their bandwidth bills. Even Youtube is now inserting ads into videos hosted on their site and as a professional I’m not sure you’d want ads (potentially your competitors’ even) inserted over top of the videos that your potential clients are watching.
If you’re serious about using video in your business, I’d look be looking at a solution like WM’s or any of the other dedicated real estate video hosts.
Fred Light | Jan 23, 2009 | Reply
Ryan:
Keep this in mind….
Google Video is shutting down any day…. AOL Video and Brightcove shut down last December, Vimeo, Blip.TV, Spike.com do not allow real estate videos and will delete your account, etc… That’s just what I can remember.
As I have said repeatedly for three years now…. if these companies cannot monetize their business, they will not BE in business. It’s just that simple. And I felt that way before the economy collapsed – it is even more true today.
Even YouTube is trying to figure out how to monetize THEIR business! It’s not easy. The free sites will either start to charge or will disappear (with your videos I might add!).
$150 a year really isn’t bad for WellcomeMat – and if people are seriously interested in real estate video, this represents a good choice. When Brightcove eliminated their free services for a paid model, their cheapest option was $300 per MONTH.
Overland Park Real Estate | Jan 23, 2009 | Reply
Wellcomemat is a great service, even if you ate paying $15 a month. The ability to create chapters is really great for home tours. Giving a buyer the ability to jump from room to room not only is convenient for them but also makes the viewer feel
in total control of their video viewing experience.
Atlanta real estate | Jan 24, 2009 | Reply
I have never tried Welcome Mat but have heard some great things about it from co-workers. Is it really worth the money when you can get the same type of service still for free elsewhere?
Anthony Barba | Jan 25, 2009 | Reply
Congrats Phil. Smart move getting out of beta.
Niche Digger | Jan 25, 2009 | Reply
Glad I found this site – I’m finding the content very useful – thanks!
Laguna Niguel Real Estate | Feb 1, 2009 | Reply
The coolest thing about it is that WellcomeMat is also targeted to event planners and local businesses. We’d love to use its improved, final version.
Dustin Nay | May 26, 2009 | Reply
Hey Everybody!
Wellcomemat still has a FREE standard account. This doesn’t give you access to MLS compliant players and all the cool video widgets, but you can still upload all your real estate videos for free. I have the pro account myself, but that’s my business (and I think it’s worth it!). Wellcomemat has a great platform!