Social Ignition System Now Live

Are you ready to completely dominate the search engines? Would you like to be the #1 ranking virtual tour company or real estate site in your market? If you answered yes to either of those questions then you are ready for the all NEW RTV SOCIAL IGNITION SYSTEM! We have been very busy testing this system out over the past twelve weeks with BlueLaVaMedia and we are now officially ready to release it to any Full Service or In House provider of RTV technology!

Over the last year while Jim Blue has been in and out of several hundred homes here in Northern Michigan, I have been busy working on something truly unique, that is so powerful, and yet incredibly easy to learn. In fact, every time I show someone what I am about to show you they always wonder why they have not been doing it all along.

I must admit that I used to plug my ears anytime someone mentioned Digg, Delicious, Furl, Facebook, Technorati, Backflip, or Twitter to me. But that was before I realized the sheer potential for literally ANYONE...in ANY business...anywhere in the World to maximize their online exposure. So yes, this does mean YOU!

Like you, I used to hear these new buzz phrases and ignore them.

I used to see little symbols like popping up all over the web and, yes, I simply looked the other way. Do you remember when email was the same way? Back when you could still run your business without a website? Times are quickly changing and once again you need to do the same.

Don't worry because once you learn a few of the basics this will be just as easy for you to do as it is to send an email. I promise! If you would like to find out how you can start to leverage the power of social networking and bookmarking I highly encourage you log into your virtual tour manager RIGHT NOW and sign up per the instructions of our July Newsletter. The course is a 12 week course that you will be able to take from the comfort of your home via the web.

The only thing that our program will require of you is a bit of your time and willingness to make some small changes in the way your conduct business online.

Are you ready for Social Ignition?

Sign up now by logging into your virtual tour management system and find the instructions in our latest E-Newsletter! Once you sign up for our free social networking, blogging, SEO, and back link building course you will receive one email every week for the next 12 weeks. This FREE course is open to all RTV dealers!

Why pay for training like this when RTV gives it to your for FREE

If you're an Inner Circle member you can log into our marketing center and download ALL 12 weeks right away and won't have to wait for them. Why would you want all 12 weeks at once? Because you can do just what Jim and Jason over at BlueLaVaMedia did and that's build an opt in email list incredibly fast! Simply let your current prospects and customers know that you now offer a free course that will teach them how to better use social media sites, build up back links to their site, and teach them the basics of blogging. This is working so well that the Traverse Area Association of Realtors has even asked team BlueLaVa to speak in August to a group of agents on the basics of the course.

Not using aweber yet? Well sign up now at http://www.aweber.com and you can drop our ready to go course in and setup a form on your site! This is a tested and very easy weekly course jam packed with SEO tips, social networking tips, and blogging tips. What a great way to be more than just a virtual tour provider or just an average real estate professional in your local market.

Either way know this: You will NEVER have to pay for this material because we have it all right here for you for FREE! To sign up now join the RTV network or if you are an existing provider of our technology simply login and read our latest newsletter for detailed instructions.

Watch this video below and see Social Ignition first hand:



Thanks and good luck out there!
RTV Marketing
http://www.realtourvision.com
Property Marketing That Works!

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Goodbye to Google Rank

The days of Googling your keywords to measure the effectiveness of your SEO strategy are coming to an end. According to Bruce Clay of PubCon, there are big changes in ranking. In the name of Top Shelp Organic SEO, Google is tuning into the specific behaviors of individual users to serve up more customized results.

What this means to the end-user is better results and less spam.

What does this mean to SEO professionals?

Well, for the good ones it means more business. For those that have been concentrating on ranking without any reference to traffic, bounce rates and conversions it means a serious reality check.

At the end of the day, this is a change for the better. More individualized search results means higher conversion rates for companies that have a well built website. This does not mean that SEO is no longer important; it actually makes it more important! Tracking your marketing efforts will definitely require more diligence.

Q: What should you do?

A: Nothing that you should not have already been doing.

The most important part of a website is the ends result; attracting more leads and increasing business. To get there you have to attract website visitors, keep them interested in your website long enough to stay past the first page and finally get them to convert. By convert, I mean to get them to perform a specific action like sign up for a newsletter or request additional information. Conversions vary by website. A conversion for you may be a request for information about one of your listings while a conversion for amazon.com could be the sale of a bestselling novel.

I, for one, think this is a great lead by Google. It forces website owners and SEO professionals to take a closer look of what traffic is actually DOING when it gets to your website. It puts the emphasis on website content, navigation and functionality.

Sending people to your website and getting XXXXX visitors is one thing, conversion rates are a completely different (and more important) aspect. I mean, you can send all the traffic (paid or otherwise) in the world to a dilapidated home, but if they never get out of the car and go inside... it's not going to sell.

It's time to get your website to do what it's supposed to: SELL!

Go Google!

RTV Marketing
http://www.realtourvision.com/image

RTV offers full service national virtual tours

866-947-8687 Order a virtual tour today!

_____

My comments:

First off, I would like to say that this is a blog that my marketing department for http://www.realtourvision.com released at the end of last year. If you watch Bruce’s entire video he states that we will see these changes begin to take hold in the first six months of 2009 so this was a perfect time to push this out there again. This is indeed old news but it is happening right now I can assure you that. For the last ten years I have been actively working side by side with my SEO team to make sure both RTV and our national network of virtual tour photographers websites rank well.

To see this change firsthand, you can run a test on your own. It is quite simple to perform. For the next week google your business or real estate website using what I call you “Geo Key-Words” such as ‘Traverse City Real Estate’ or ‘Traverse City Virtual Tours’. If you continually run this search, and click on your site (not necessarily on the PPC ads you might be running) you will see that your results begin to change after a few days or so.

Your site will begin rising to the top of the SERPS. Is your site ranking better? The answer is yes and no. Yes, your site will be ranking better on YOUR computer and yours alone. You will quickly see that a clearing of your private data, cookies and temp files instantly returns your search to your actual google positioning. I try to clear out my temp files at least every day so I can run clean searches and view actual results. You should make habit of doing this too if you take an interest in your sites true google positioning.

At the end of the day, the people who don’t clear out their private data often, will certainly have unnatural search results. What can you do? Do what you have been doing all along and run a light PPC ad campaign, build strong back links to your site (this brings the spiders and the google juice), make sure that the architecture of your site is laid out properly, optimize EACH page of your site for a new keyword, and drive traffic and people to your site by blogging. Finally you should run tools on your site for fine tuning such as http://www.websitegrader.com.

Blog often on sites that give back link power. Active rain no loger does this unless you purchase a rain maker account. Take advantage of using social bookmarking sites. Big site linking to smaller site is good. Install the google toolbar if you don't already have it.

Google juice is now split by both traffic and spiders so you want BOTH coming to your site. The key with traffic is to get them to stay on your site and that is where the term bounce rate comes in. Your bounce rate increases when people come to your site and are not satisfied by their search results so the simply hit the back button. That is a bounce.

If you’re not already running google analytics on your site DO THIS NOW! This will show you your bounce rate and you can start working on it from there. The lower the number the better. My local RTV dealership for the Traverse City Market has a 50% bounce rate which I am pretty happy with. It does not sound good that 50% of my visitors are leaving but a lot of that comes from the thousands of back links that I have established out there. See what your bounce rate is and try to lower it by using some of Bruce’s subtle suggestions.

For example, at http://www.bluelavamedia.com we push nearly all of our virtual tour listings onto craigslist. I also include a small ad on this craigslist posting that goes to a special page on my site. This page educates the home shopper on the value of using online property marketing tools that work such as interactive virtual tours, single property websites, top notch photography and so on. You can’t get to this page unless you come in directly from one of these craigslist ads that I have posted. Here is a link to one of my pages off of craigslist:

http://www.bluelavamedia.com/traverse-virtual-tours.html

You can see that I have video on this page. I use the video to keep people on the page longer and get them to dive into my site more thus reducing bounce rate. Make sense? Finally, YES, content is still king but also you must make sure that the content is relevant to your website. Do you need to have videos all over your site? I don’t think, so but it does not hurt to have a few here and there. Video testimonials are great and so are power point presentations. You can turn all of your power points into video very easily using Tech Smith’s software found here:

http://www.camtasia.com

Finally, at RTV we offer free photography, blogging, social networking, and social bookmarking training courses for both real estate professionals and full service virtual tour providers who use our virtual tour system. Check it out and we would love to talk to you more about your property marketing program. Thanks everyone!

Jason LaVanture

Vice President / Founder

RTV, INC

http://www.realtourvision.com

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Pimp My Tour | SOLD

While Jim and I are swamped here at work this summer, we still take some time out once in awhile to think of really cool things that we can do to PIMP our virtual tours. The latest really cool thing is to continually make the best use of the agent virtual tour gallery and showcase SOLD properties as well as current listings. Over the last two years Jim and I have not been deleting virtual tours unless specifically requested by our customers. This happens every once in awhile, but for the most part all of our customers LOVE…yes LOVE showcasing SOLD properties in their virtual tour gallery.

Let’s also not forget that RTV virtual tours outrank any other virtual tour on the market due in part to our new SpiderLink™ technology. Simply put, the more tours that we have out there ranking organically in the SERPS the better that is for BlueLaVaMedia and the agent that sold the property.

To further highlight sold properties in the virtual tour galleries, Jim and I are making use of the “AFFILIATE” feature that is built into RTV virtual tours. The affiliate field allows you to select many advertisers to display on your virtual tour, only in this case we will be using a SOLD button. Like so:

If you would like to use this on your RTV tours simply save the above image to your hard drive and upload as an affiliate. It's really that simple! Judy Levin a Traverse City real estate agent uses our virtual tour gallery on her home page here: http://www.JudyLevin.com and here is a sample tour with our new SOLD Affiliate in place:

http://rtvpix.com/RE-5279-E7HUY5-01

Don't forget that when you save a virtual tour it will automatically push that tour to the TOP of the virtual tour gallery. This happens because as pricing and tour changes occur it will be important for those virtual tours to bounce back to the top of the list.

Have fun pimping your tours!

Team BlueLaVaMedia
Traverse City Virtual Tours
http://www.BlueLaVaMedia.com
Order a virtual tour - 877-941-TOUR (8687)

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Hot Springs Village TRUE Virtual Tours

Challenging Designs Inc, a Hot Springs Village Virtual Tour Company is up for ANY Challenge!

Residential and Commercial Real Estate - a virtual tour is not just a slide show and it is not just a few panoramas thrown together. At Challenging Designs Inc., we go beyond the mundane and offer true virtual tours which include multiple panorama views as well as still photos, flyers, descriptions, links, information and a way to contact the Realtor to request additional information. Additional options available are also CDI Living Photos(TM), personalized website, personalized highlight sheet master, virtual tours can be added to a business card CD's and much more. Challenging Designs also offers graphic design and web design as well to show off your property.

Business and Commercial - virtual tours are a great way for the public to see your business from their home. JD Powers has found that over 80% of consumers begin their search on the internet. Showing your facilities off makes a longer "memory" and increases your chances that they will chose to visit your business over someone who just has a phone number and address. It can create a personal connection before they even visit.

Insurance Documentation Services - Our "Vital Records Album(TM)" is great to have around in case of theft or disaster in your home or business. We take individual photographs of your valuables, then a virtual tour of the room where they are housed. We can assist you or do it all and take a written inventory log as we go. Then all the photos and the scanned inventory list is put on a CD or DVD, and you get the original disk as well as the written inventory list. We can also scan other important documents to be added to the disc. We recommend you store these in a fireproof box, or in your safe deposit box. Call us when you update your art collection, or want to update your "Vital Records Album.

Challenging Designs Inc. is your Hot Springs Village full-service design firm, from Virtual Tours, Photography, Graphic Design and Web Design. We take your Challenge and Manage It!
Designs for any Challenge!

Donna Haagenson
Challenging Designs Inc.
Hot Springs Village Virtual Tours
www.ChallengingDesigns.com

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Calgary Virtual Tours on RTV

Dear Barry,

What is your take on RTV and the current virtual tour market?

Sincerely,

Jim



Dear Jim,

There is definitely a need for RTV services. I held a photo seminar at a real estate company last week to show REALTORS that listings presented on MLS have bad photos and, in my city of Calgary, Alberta, there are few multi-media presentations and lots of terrible photos. (I would bet it's the same where you live).

We went live on the Internet to find some examples at random and went through a few with some suggestions on how to improve them. I'm not worried that REALTORS will learn something about photography, but they will regard me as a "expert". Of course, I told them about my company and RTV and got three bookings from the seminar.

I can't stress enough that you have to get your face in front of REALTORS with emphasis on service. To be right up front, Jim, when REALTORS take a beating in the market, you will too, especially if you don't have an alternative plan. RTV has that alternative with Choice Hotels and their national photography service tour track system, so when the market is down in real estate, you can be doing something else, like motels, hotels, resorts, restaurants, etc. I have done six senior citizen homes this spring at rates about five times a real estate listing.

Is the virtual tour business a good business? Absolutely. I have direct contact with Jason LaVanture, the vice-president and founder of RTV for counseling and advice. So would you. The management and new marketing department at RTV is very accessible.

As far as money is concerned, there is no limit. As I mentioned above, seniors home provided five times the revenue of a real estate listing and with baby boomers reaching 65 in a couple of years, the demographics are creating lots of competition in that market.

I can't say enough about RTV, their assistance, virtual tour product, webinars, dealer network and more.

My advice to you: Go for it!

All the best,
Barry Blick
SPINNERMAX, INC. Real Estate Photography
Tel: (403) 850-0801 Fax: (403) 398-1428
Calgary Virtual Tours

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Big Changes in Tallahassee

Tally Tours, a full service RTV dealer and provider of Tallahassee Virtual Tours, has made some major improvements and upgrades over the past month. We have a brand new office located at 308 McDaniel St, a new photographer Amy, and a new office assistant David. Our main phone number will remain the same, 850-491-3909 and will ring directly to David to set up appointments, answer questions, and provide support.

Before we continue with our great news, we want to take this opportunity to thank our loyal customers that had appointments during this transition period and stuck with us as we upgraded.

Until recently, Tally Tours has been a "one man show." A single person did the photography and office work. Keeping up with the workload had become increasingly difficult if not impossible at times for a single person. Our photographer can now focus on what she does best, taking great photos, while our office assistant David will do all of the computer work, scheduling and customer support.

Our valuable customers will soon begin to see major improvements all across the board. We have retrained and retooled to have a more efficient work flow that will provide even better quality end products than ever before!

New Service Packages
When we were operating as a "one man show", a lot of time and effort went into a great product at as low of a cost as possible. With the new employees and office space, we needed to create new packages and prices that keep the business going at this level without sacrificing quality and customer service.

After surveying some of our customers, Tally Tours has come up with four new pricing levels for our residential virtual tour customers (previously there were only three). We’ve also created new marketing services to help our customers beyond just the virtual tour at a new lower cost. We are sure that the majority of our customers will agree with the survey group that the business upgrades warrant these much needed price points.

We would love to hear everyone's input and comments! Good luck out there!

Myles Lasco

Tally Tours Inc
Tallahassee Virtual Tours
www.TallyTours.com
Order a Virtual Tour (850) 491-3909

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Virtual Tour Marketing Tips

Need a New Place To Market Your Virtual Tour Business?

Jobvana is The Social Marketplace! Are you trying to grow your virtual tour business or just starting your virtual tour business? Check out Jobvana to market your passions! Increase your exposure, build credibility, and leverage our web presence, all FREE!

Jobvana is a network that utilizes user provided content. Their mission is to increase your value by creating a market for the skills you have, enjoy and want to share.

View our profile here: Real Vision Studio, a Detroit Virtual Tour Company in Southeast Michigan, and a full service virtual tour provider for RTV.

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Slow Market Yeilds BOOM For VT Business

Is this slow down in the Real Estate Market a Plus for Virtual Tour Providers?

I was worried when the Real Estate Market took some hits this year, what with everyone worried about what the economy would do. My fears seem to have been unfounded. I am busier than ever, (when it isn’t raining in Eastern Pennsylvania). My customers are referring me more and more, as other agents are asking them what they are doing to sell there listings. I find that not only are agents looking for Virtual Tours on the “High End” properties, but even on duplexes, and Condos, and other properties that we may not have expected to see VT of. This just goes to show that every home should and will benefit from a virtual tour and online distribution.

I have received virtual tour orders for from agents that when I approached them initially, they said they didn’t believe Tours really helped sell homes. Well I am here to tell you that Yes! Virtual Tours (shameless plug) do help sell homes. I have lost count of the number of times I have been told that someone saw a Virtual Tour of a listing on line, and called to see the home and put an offer on it. Recently an agent called to order a tour and told me that a house I had just done a tour on had sold on the first showing; the buyers saw the listing on line and looked at the tour and the rest is, as they say, History.

This same agent when I did the first tour for him a year or so ago, had clients from out of State who saw the tour on line and said that would be the first home they looked at when they came to town, and yep, you guessed it they bought that house.

So, don’t let people tell you they don’t believe in the internet or Virtual Tours as an aid in selling their listings. More and more agents are telling me their sellers are asking for Virtual Tours.
So as the Market gets more competitive, remember that Virtual Tours are a great enhancement to Realtors’ Marketing tools.


Have a Picture Perfect Day,

Mary Beth Finnerty
Allentown Virtual Tours
Yes! Virtual Tours
www.yesvirtualtours.com
Order a Virtual Tour : 610-597-9915

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Virtual Tour Company Phone Tips

Need to call a new virtual tour customer and explain your property marketing services or products? Get a virtual tour lead from RTV and are you ready to make first contact? Here at Real Vision Studio a Detroit Virtual Tour Company in SouthEast Michigan, a full service virtual tour provider for RTV, we get and make numerous business/sales calls a day. Phone skills are critical for the success of our business, any business for that matter.

The telephone is the most important point of contact with your prospects and customers. Improving your phone skills with these tips can make a big difference in the level of your success and how quickly your business grows.

The telephone can be one of the most valuable as well as inexpensive resources available to you. These practical tips will help you with becoming more productive and profitable, whether you are making the call or your customer is calling you!

~Prepare yourself by getting mentally set for the task ahead and by having a purpose and an agenda ready.

~Follow your script, but be flexible. Don't sound like you are reading.

~Create index cards (or cgeat sheets) with specific points that keep you on point. If it's more natural for you to just strike up a conversation, then just do it!

~Keep it brief, and get to the point right away. Make sure you are clear concerning your reason for making the call.

~Be friendly but try not to get off topic.

~Be a good listener. That way you will be able to help your customer with making the right decision, hopefully about using your services or products.

~Avoid the hype. Show enthusiasm, but make sure it is sincere.

~Smile! Keep a smile on your face, your attitude can show through the phone.

~Understanding how your business works will help you feel more confident when talking to customers over the phone.

~Don't get on the phone if you are in a bad mood.

~If someone is not interested, then don't keep calling them. This will only make you look desperate, not to mention waste your time.

~Be aware of two things as you speak, what you say and how you say it. The sound and tone of your voice is just as important as what you are saying.

~Alway's leave a message! Let your potential customers hear your voice and know that you are available.

~When leaving a message don't speak too fast. Slow down so your message is not hard to understand.

~Say your name clearly. If it's not common spell it, just make sure the caller understands your name.

~Slowly leave your phone number. Assume that the listener is writing it down, so make it easy! Repeat the number at the beginning and end of your message, if possible.

~Most importantly, if you don't get an answer, leave the reason for your call. Why would they call you back if they don't know what you want?

~People can be very impatient, so it is important to answer your phone by the third ring or make sure your voice mail is set to pick up by the third ring.

~Your answering machine greeting should make a good first impression. Be short and to the point and don't drag it out. Leave clear instructions and what information they should leave. Such as their name, phone number and the best time to call them back.

~Check your messages often. A customer may be waiting on information to make a decision, and by taking to long returning their call they may choose someone else.

~Return all phone calls! This could be the most important thing that you do to build your business. Set a goal to return all calls within 2 hours.

~Avoid using a speaker phone. It will make the caller think that the call is not private and that you are not concentrating fully on them.

~Put together a list of answers to frequently asked questions (Virtual Tour Prices List, Tour Features, etc.) and post it by your phone.

~Decide what you will say if someone answers the phone other then the person you are calling. Should you leave a message with them or call back later?

~Don't type or shuffle paper while you are talking, it can be distracting to the other party.

~If you must put the phone down for any reason, do so gently so you don't startle your caller.

~Never chew food or anything else while talking on the phone.

~Cover your mouth and the receiver, if you have to cough or sneeze.

~Always speak directly into the receiver.

~Don't hang up if you dial the wrong number, just explain yourself and verify the number to avoid repeating the call.

~Avoid any background noise such as TV, radio and computer beeps and clicks.

~Listen to how people talk and not just to what they are saying. You can learn how to connect with a person over the phone by reading "between the lines".

~Be prepared. Have a list of calls that you need to make including the name, phone number and any other information that you may need.

~When you first begin using the phone rehearse in your mind what you are going to say. Once you do it enough, it will come naturally.

~Know what your schedule is before making any calls. That way you can set up any follow up appointments if necessary.

~Do not procrastinate. Get you calls done first thing in the morning. Putting them off may mean losing business.

~Make sure you are not hungry, cold or need to go to the bathroom before making any of your calls.

~Record whether you left a message, if you need to make a return call, who you talked to and what was said.

~Leave an email address as an alternative communication option. Many people will use email to get back to you rather than the telephone.

~Always enunciate clearly keeping the volume of your voice moderate. Speak slowly and clearly.

~Speak properly while sounding professional. Avoid using slang or jargon.

~Think before you speak! Offending potential customers will not encourage them to use your service or product.

~Never say "I don't know", instead say, "Let me find the answer for you". This is a great way to set up a return call.

~Don't do all the talking. Give the person on the other end of the line an opportunity to answer you, to ask questions, or to make comments. Never interrupt your customer.

~Remember the Number One Rule Of Selling Anything: Ask for the order. The reason most often given by people for not buying is, "No one asked me to."

~Have fun! Remember that some will and some won't, just keep at it!

Good phone etiquette is good for your virtual tour business. It can set you apart from your competition and it can actually get you the results you want much faster. Many customers are calling on an impulse. They have developed a sudden need and want that need filled. You have a great opportunity to bring additional revenue to your business. People buy where they feel comfortable and appreciated. Give them that feeling when they call. It's just common courtesy.

Good luck out there!
Mike and Joy Thompson
Detroit Virtual Tours

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New TrueBlue Technology by BlueLaVaMedia

As most of you already know Jim and I are always working very hard to bring you better and better technology and improve your online image among your customers.

Our new TrueBlue imaging does just that. In fact it goes well beyond just having a home photographed and displayed online. Our new TrueBlue technology entices and plays directly to the imagination, sweeping online shoppers off their mouse pads while they are temporarily mesmerized by the sheer beauty and elegance of the colorful scenery.

We have literally hit a home run with this new release of technology and for now there will be no additional charge for the added service. Jim is busy perfecting the art for both inside and outside shots and we anticipate no additional fees for the service until sometime in 2010. In the meantime we are going to sit back and watch the compliments keep pouring in over the images. To see an online sample of the technology visit the link below.

See our TrueBlue Video on YouTube and give us your feedback!

Good luck out there everyone.

Jason LaVanture
Traverse Virtual Tours
http://www.BlueLaVaMedia.com
Order a Virtual Tour: 877-941-8687

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Get Yourself Connected

Online social networking use among adults has more than quadrupled in the past four years according to a December 2008 survey from Pew Internet & American Life Project.

This is a huge jump in the amount of people taking advantage of these kind of sites. Approximately 35% of American adults use social networking. While this number is heavily skewed toward younger adults, the popularity of these kinds of sites cannot be ignored.

Social networking is an excellent way to get new business contacts as well as keep in touch with current clients. Social networking is a great opportunity for a business person to have a virtual 'calling card' available all the time to prospective clients.

A well planned Facebook page or Twitter account can help 'sell' you to the client and convince them to use you for their real estate needs. Since these accounts are free to use, though they do cost time to maintain, using social networking to advertise yourself can be very cost effective.

If you have not already I highly recommend that you sign up for our FREE online social networking, blogging, and search engine optimization course. Our course will help you setup what we feel are the most important sites, set up your profiles, build back links to your site and learn how to blog. Whether you decide to go it on your own or take our online course you should always be sure to include a nice photo of yourself. Make sure you use a current one, and add in your website and other contact information.

These social networking pages are like mini-advertisements for your business so always be professional and maintain yourself in a good light. This is a great way to show off your expertise in your field through blogs and posts about real estate, buying a new home, or even the general market conditions.

Prospective home buyers or sellers may see your profile through a "friend of a friend's" profile and if you have impressed them with your knowledge and business savvy then you've got them interested in YOU with very little effort.

Thanks for your support!

Jason LaVanture and Jim Blue
BlueLaVa Tours
http://www.BlueLaVaMedia.com
Order property marketing Tools Today!
231-877-941-TOUR (8687)

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Home Selling Strategies

What do buyers look for, or look out for when purchasing Traverse City real estate and the five county surrounding areas? This article is designed to help sellers evaluate the important aspects of selling a home and what potential buyers want.

The way you live in your house is not the way to sell your house. So, what makes a house a home for sale on the market, and one that soon has a “SOLD” sign out on the front lawn? And what aspects are important to look at because potential buyers will ask the question, “How much work are we going to need to do prior to moving in and beyond?” The appearance and cleanliness of the home are significant.

Always have your home in show ready condition. It is critical to be prepared so you have the least amount of stress when you get the call that an agent wants to show your home. Sellers need to know that today, buyers have high expectations. An updated home in excellent condition is critical to getting your home sold in the least amount of time and for top dollar. Buyers love updated kitchen and baths, new lighting fixtures and it is amazing how new paint and carpet can transform a home.

Here are some things a buyer will look for when dealing with the purchase of a home. The buyer will consider the following:

• Exactly what personal property is included in the sale? Lighting fixtures, drapes or blinds, refrigerators, and washers and dryers.

• Is the neighborhood quiet, friendly? Are the homes well kept?

• Are there any development plans that will affect the property?

• The inspection report - are there any substantial problems with the house?

• Real estate taxes - what are the current property taxes, and what impact will your purchase have on the taxes?

Another issue that raises concern regarding buyer appeal is that sellers often mistakenly think that viewing empty properties will give the buyers an accurate sense of the space available. On the contrary, sometimes it is more difficult to judge the size of a room without furniture and other objects as reference points. An empty room even allows buyers to focus on negative details instead of getting a sense of the overall space and the flow of each room to the next. Buyers need to ask themselves the question, “Can I see myself in this home?” Therefore, staging really helps buyers envision themselves in the space.

The idea of “staging” a home to make it look alluring to buyers has become popular during the last decade, as manifested by the proliferation of numerous home staging companies offering advice about how to make the house more attractive to buyers. Check out next’s month’s article about “Staging a Home.”

Finally, once your home is in perfect "SHOW" condition be sure to have your home professionally photographed with an interactive 360 virtual tour. Virtual tours that can be converted into video and distributed across many outlets will put more eyes on your home than ever before when it is in it's best light.

When selling your home Julia Lilley and Linda Zajac will work with you to put your home is the best showing condition possible. Our goal is to create the Wow factor so that buyers can envision themselves in the home and want to put your Traverse City home or property under contract.

Julia Lilley Real Estate

Century 21 Northland | Traverse City Real Estate

Website - www.TraverseCityHomeGuide.com

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What is a Virtual Tour?

Many virtual tour companies lately have been advertising a “PowerPoint” like slideshow as a virtual tour. The “Virtual Tour” tag line is powerful and many companies with inferior solutions are trying to cash in on it. We at www.frencksolutions.com and others belonging to the RTV network of dealers use proprietary software and hardware to produce real virtual tours – a 360-degree panoramic moving picture of a room or location.

We are able to provide not only the high-resolution photos that the others supply; but we also deliver high quality moving panoramic spins that will be sure to impress your customers. We are all looking for the one thing that will seal the deal. There is nothing more impressive than a Realtor being able to “walk” their clients through a home in the manner in which it truly exists. Bonus benefits include not having to drive all over town to look at homes because of the inferior slideshow quality. Homebuyers can decide to look or not look at a home based on true to life images.

Wayne Frenck
Tampa Virtual Tours
www.frencksolutions.com

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The FORMULA | Create a Virtual Tour Feed - Hot Sheet

Join us on TUESDAY July 7th, 2009 at 7pm EST. Jason LaVanture will reveal just how easy it is to create a virtual tour feed or Hot Sheet for all of your newly posted virtual tours. Once setup, the feed is 100% automated and is sent out to all of your prospects and current customers for viewing. YOU CAN DO THIS TOO!! See you there on the FORMULA.

Find out how easy it is to apply ‘The Formula’ to your business!

PS. Please notice that we have moved all of our shows to Tuesdays.
Title: The FORMULA - Creating a Virtual Tour Feed | Hot Sheet
Date: Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Time: 7:00 AM - 8:00 AM EDT
Space is limited so reserve your Webinar Seat by logging into your TMS!

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More Virtual Tour Customers With Email Marketing

Tips For Writing More Effective Emails For Your Virtual Tour Company

Most business people receive dozens, even hundreds, of emails each and every day. As email has become the primary means of communication in the business world, it’s very important to create messages that effectively communicate your point while presenting a professional image.

Have you ever needed to email someone - a stranger, a business associate, asking them for a favor? How can you compose an email such that they will be read and responded to? How do we effectively email someone who gets a lot of email?

Here are some helpful tips for writing emails:

~Keep it Clear & Concise. To write with clarity it is essential to keep the message no longer than necessary. Keep it concise, including only the most important details, and be sure to get straight to the point. If an in-depth discussion is needed, schedule a phone call rather than trading drawn out emails. It’s more efficient. Also, try to stick to just one point. If you want to cover several topics, write different emails with the title showing the correct topic. This also makes archiving emails easier.

~Use proper spelling and grammar. Poorly spelled or grammatically incorrect emails make you appear unprofessional and reduce the effectiveness of your message. Always double-check your emails before sending them, and make use of spelling and grammar-check tools. Remember the quality of your English will also have a subconscious impact on how you are perceived by others.

~Think (and read) before you write. In our swiftness to respond to all our emails in a timely fashion, many of us neglect to fully read the mail we’re answering and consequently overlook vital bits of information. Most people will have had the experience of sending or responding to an email, which soon after, they regret writing. So before you send a message or respond to one, make sure you’ve completely read and understood the original email or the text you are writing; if not, ask for a clarification to avoid further confusion.

~Be polite. Email is a convenient way to communicate, but convenience shouldn’t be an excuse for overlooking manners. Remember that an email can easily be misinterpreted because it is a very limited form of communication; usually when we speak we have the advantage of using facial expressions. When communicating with clients or superiors, it’s important not to ignore fundamental courtesies. Address the recipient with a salutation like “Hello” or “Dear”, and be sure to include a closing like “Regards”. Always use “Please” and “Thank you”!

~Use subject lines effectively. Your subject line should be a concise summary of the content of your email. The recipient should directly know what the email contains or what the request is.

~Keep it Simple and Short. Simplicity is the essence of a good email. Try and convey the point using the smallest amount of words and sentences. Don’t be afraid to use bullet points or numbers to better organize your thoughts.

~Set Time Aside for Writing Emails. Just because we have a few minutes to spare doesn’t mean we should check our email again and again. The trouble with that is if we try to respond to emails when we have a lack of time, our replies will be rushed and perhaps inappropriate. It is better to set aside time during the day when we can write the best response without any unnecessary time pressure.

Mike & Joy Thompson
Detroit Virtual Tours
http://www.realvisionstudio.com

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Awesome Tiny Tag Generator

It is so funny that I ran across this little tag generator... Mike (Detroit Virtual Tours) worked on a tag for his web site for numerous hours using Adobe Photoshop and it has been repeatedly "stolen" for use on other virtual tour web sites.

So, now you no longer need to spend hours looking for a tag graphic to modify for your web site and then spend more hours trying to get it the way you want it! Check out tinytags. Tinytags will generate a tag graphic with the words of your choice and then you can download it to your computer for use on your web site, newsletter or e-mail marketing. Easy, cheap and time-saving!

Good luck out there!
Mike and Joy Thompson
RealVisionStudio

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Bald Head's Positive Swing

I am sure that the past year’s economic circumstances have undoubtedly tested you. For some folks, fear caused them to sit on the sidelines. Fortunately, I have been witness some incredible success stories despite the economy. The key to succeeding in a down market is to find the opportunity that everyone else overlooks!

Instead of focusing on the negative side of the news, I want to call your attention to the incredible reports that are becoming more frequent:

• In April existing home sales increased 2.9%
• In March Fannie Mae eased their restrictions on second homes and investment property from 4 to 10;
• In March, April and May, retailers have seen spending growth and observed better than expected sales; and in May, both Ben Bernanke and Alan Greenspan agreed that the economy is turning upward.
• In May consumer confidence hit an 8 month high and the NASDAQ posted a 30% rebound compared to the 2008 lows;
• On June 12th the DOW posted a year-to-date positive return;
• $8000 Tax Credit for first time home buyers has spurred the market into overdrive.
• Foreclosures are being gobbled up by savvy investors which is stabilizing the home buyer market nationally.
• Interest rates are still very attractive
• Home prices have come down and are very affordable to working Americans.
• Housing Starts up in 17% New home construction jumped by a better-than-expected 17 percent in May, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday, which would put the annual pace of housing starts at 532,000 units.

With news like this coming in, who can be disappointed? If you are looking for Franklin Real Estate please visit my website and let's chat a bit. I use some of the most powerful property marketing tools when listing and selling homes such as RTV virtual tours.

Thanks and have a great day!

John Becker/Bald Head
Exit Smokey Mountain Realty
557 E. Main Street
Franklin, NC 28734
Office: (828)349-6118
Cell: (828)506-3719

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New RTV Training Videos

At RTV we now not only offer unlimited toll free technical support to keep your virtual tour production at it's best, we now also offer our all new training videos! So often virtual tour providers will add a new person or coming out of the winter months they may need to 'brush up' on certain topics from time to time. We have created training videos on how to use the Tour Builder software and how to edit a virtual tour on TMS (tour management system).

The videos can be accessed by clicking the Training link on TMS. It is located on the top menu bar to the left of Help.

Click on View to view a flash video or on Download to download a Zip file containing a Windows media file version for viewing offline.

These training videos take you step by step through the different processes and should be a great help to new dealers as well as those dealers who haven't built a tour in awhile. We highly recommend that you check them out.

If you have a support question that can be answered by viewing a video we recommend watching it. The longest one is almost seven minutes but most are around four minutes. These are a great resource for middle of the night and weekend issues as well!

Keep up the great work team!
Team RTV Support

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New RTV Phone System!!!

Yes that's right! It is finally here my friends. I have personally been waiting for this for the last ten years and now we finally have a New Phone System!!!!

Our new state of the art VOIP phone system from AT&T is a great upgrade for us and we hope it helps us serve you better.

PLEASE NOTE:
The 0 (ZERO) button will NOT connect you to an operator. We do not have an operator set up in this system so please do not press 0.

Our extensions and the auto attendant options have changed so please do not use the old extensions or shortcut keys any longer either.

The fastest way to reach a person is to dial 866-947-8687 and then use their shortcut key to go directly to their phone. The auto attendant will list the shortcut keys but if you already know the one you need you can press it as soon as the auto attendant picks up.

If there is anyone else at RTV you need to contact not on the list press 8 to speak to Eve and she can give you the right contact info.


Good luck out there team!
RTV - http://www.realtourvision.com
An International Virtual Tour Company

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RTV Marketing WORKS For Listing Solutions

As a St. Augustine virtual tour provider, I realize that our value to our customers is only as good as the products and services that we bring to them. That philosophy was one of the determining factors in becoming a Full Service Dealer with RTV. We are in our second year with RTV and I have just uncovered the best tool and product to date. I know that most of you have heard the saying, "You can lead a horse to water but, you can't make him drink." Well, saddle up and meet the horse that was standing at the water refusing to drink.

I can't tell you how many times Jason LaVanture has told me about the "Inner Circle Membership" and the benefits of joining. He told me about the webinars that would help us grow our business. Not thirsty! He told me about the free search engine optimization tips and tools that we could benefit from. Not thirsty! He told me about the never ending supply of marketing tools and flyers that we could incorporate in to our marketing strategies. Not thirsty! I finally decided to join and see what all of the fuss was about. (Two days ago)

I spent several hours exploring our new membership and the tools that were available to us. True to form, RTV delivered what they promised. I was like a kid on Christmas morning! Marketing Materials, Marketing Systems, Newsletters, Press Releases, did I mention that I was thirsty? Email Campaigns, Professionally Voiced PowerPoint Presentations, webinars, webinars webinars....did I mention webinars? I'll have that water now! I downloaded a few flyers to start distributing and decided to take one with me this morning to a meeting that I had with some Realtors®.

The flyer that I chose was titled, "Social Networking Built In." Perfect! That was exactly what we were meeting about. After our discussion, I gave each person in attendance the flyer. I know that I will get some business off of that flyer that I handed out. How can I be so confident that a simple flyer will result in business? I walked away with THREE new orders!

I can't wait to unleash the new arsenal that the Inner Circle Membership has provided. I never really considered myself to be a slow learner but, why I didn't sign up earlier is haunting me. RTV has been and continues to be the BEST business decision that we have made. They are truly one of our most valued business partners. In closing, I have one question for Jason: "Dude, I'm thirsty! Why didn't you tell me it was water?"

Dave Hall
Listing Solutions, Inc.
http://www.listingsolutions.net
(904) 540-9962

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