are there other ways to do meet and greets other than the traditional way?

The real purpose of the meet and greet is to meet the owner and the dog not so much to see your home so I don't see the purpose of a virtual tour. Yes you are not covered with Rover insurance for the m&g that's why many sitters purchase their own independent insurance policy, actually, it makes good business sense as the Rover insurance is pretty crappy in covering sitter liability. Can I charge for the m&g, no not really, it is considered business development and the platform doesn't support what your propose - best of luck to you

I enjoy meeting owners at a nearby park with their dogs and then walking over to my home. This allows me to watch them interact with their dogs in a populated area, see how their dog behaves on the leash and what commands/language the owner and dog use to best communicate. I also ask the owner to turn the leash over to me for a little while so their dog understands that their human trusts me to guide them. I never charge for the Meet and Greet. If you develop a secure and lasting relationship with the client, the payoff is in the good relationship and repeat business.

I like your idea of a virtual tour of house I think it doesn’t have to be a full house tour, just mostly common living areas and yard most clients are on concerned with size of yard and fencing height and gaps. I really like this idea as my initial meet and greets have to be in a neutral territory like dog park as my dog needs lots of dog sniffing if it’s in the house like way too much lol but I don’t like having to go show my house after as some clients did request that and a virtual tour would help eliminate that need. I would not charge for meet and greets as it is helpful to you as well to get to know the dog and client.

Technically, yes. You CAN charge for a meet and greet by setting up a drop-in visit. But realistically...the market isn't on your side. No other sitters are likely charging for a meet and greet. The whole purpose of the meet and greet is to ensure that both parties are comfortable with the arrangement before money is exchanged.

Like Walt said, definitely look into getting your own insurance.

Second, there are other things you can do to limit the odds of something bad happening at a meet and greet:

-Don't allow children to attend meet and greets. Client children or your own (if you have any). I tell clients children under 13 are not allowed on site for liability reasons.

-Never let M&G dogs interact with your guests. Prior to the meet and greet, you don't know if the dog is reactive, aggressive, snaps out of fear, etc. Don't let an untested, uninsured dog interact with paying customers. I always keep boarding/daycare clients in a bedroom or in the backyard while a meet and greet proceeds.

-Ask the owner to arrive with the dog leashed so that you it is under the control of its owner. Once you meet the dog and have a sense of its anxiety level, you can proceed to do leashed introductions with your dog(s) if you have any.

-Allow the dog to sniff around before introducing other dogs to the mix so that they can settle down a bit before being overwhelmed with a new pup to meet.

-If you host multiple dogs at a time, ask if the dog is used to being around multiple dogs in an off leash setting (dog parks, daycare, etc). If not, be extra cautious with introducing them to the high stimulation scenario of multiple dogs. Book a test day of daycare/overnight or ask to meet at a dog park so you can see how the dog does in a group situation.

Do you have a local dog park? Neutral territory is really what you're looking for and you can't get more neutral than a local dog park. Dog park dogs tend to be far more socialized. Everyone at the dog park is relaxed and they get to have fun and you can talk and walk with the owner. No dog park? Meet at a local park! The owners are sometimes not so much wanting to see where you live, but how you respond to their dog, and if you have a dog, how your dog responds to their dog. This gives you the opportunity to also ask questions and they can ask questions of you.