Our New HD V-Slide Is A Big Hit in West Michigan!

Wow,  what a great year it has been for upgrading virtual tour software features and releasing new V-Tour technology! Teaming up with RTV was the best business decision I could have made for my Grand Rapids virtual tour company. RTV is always on the cutting edge of new technology and always quick to roll out upgrades or new products to its dealers, thereby helping us to quickly be able to offer these products and services to our clients.

We at Frees Frame have been providing quality professional property photography and virtual tours in the Grand Rapids market for 3 years now and business has been good, but why settle for good when you can have GREAT!

GREAT is what has happened thanks to RTV and the new HD slide show module! In mid-September, Frees Frame announced the release of the Frees Frame HD V-Slide and it’s been a huge hit with the Realtors here in West Michigan.

We have had many new clients call us to get their properties showcased in this new full-screen HD Slide Show! Many of them even mentioned the fact that they previously used other virtual tour providers UNTIL they saw the quality of our photography full-screen in the HD V-Slide.

One of the properties we shot for a new client turned out so awesome that the property was chosen to be featured in the Coldwell Banker E-Magazine. Another new client decided to give Frees Frame a try and was extremely pleased when the property sold very fast because our photography showcased in the slide show captured the essence of the home and the hearts of the buyers. This client quickly ordered additional marketing packages for other listings.

So A Big THANKS goes out to the Team at RTV for helping to keep my business, cutting edge in technology and the preferred property photography and marketing team in West Michigan!

Dawn Frees
Owner
www.frees-frame.com
6572 Vintage Drive
Hudsonville Virtual Tours
Order a Tour Today! 616.334.9750
“Exposing Your Property… Virtually Everywhere!”

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New From RTV Marketing

Unless, your site engages and captures a potential client immediately, a sale is lost. This simple postcard highlights how immediate consumers are.  Most importantly, it reminds potential customers that if their web content is not engaging and informative, then it is most definitely not effective. 

The new RTV HD V-slides and HD virtual tours are the logical remedy.  This postcard is applicable to all audiences.  Take a few moments to customize this postcard with your companies name and contact information, upload to Vistaprint and then distribute.  Easy enough!  If you have an idea or a need for a specific marketing piece email jill(at)realtourvision.com and I will see what I can do.  Remember all of our marketing materials can be accessed through http://www.RockPointeMarketing.com

Virtual Tour Software & Marketing
866-947-8687 Ext 4
http://www.RealTourVision.com

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Are We Too Likable?

Hi folks, your Nova Scotia virtual tours provider Nancy Bain and Supernova Studios http://www.supernovastudios.ca   with our love/hate relationship with the Like Button.

There's a fine line between love and hate. When the new social plug-in "the like button"  http://developers.facebook.com/plugins  came out I couldn't wait to add it to my virtual tour company website.  http://www.supernovastudios.ca/

Less than a month after the launch (of the Like Button) in April this year already 50,000 people had added the button to their site.  http://tcrn.ch/9HCEF5 And recently it was reported that over 2 millions sites world wide are using the plug-in. 
http://mashable.com/2010/09/29/facebook-like-stats/

Today Facebook announced a new Admin Interface to enable site owners to contact those who have liked their pages.   http://bit.ly/9EQ2H6

If you're not familiar with "list building" here's the skinny:  List Building: The process of gathering names and addresses and compiling them into a database for direct marketing purposes (e.g. telemarketing). http://bit.ly/9zeyvr

For marketing peeps like myself List Building is a must. Mandatory. Here's a great article http://scr.bi/9WjhFZ on list building which was prompted by Jonathan Rivera when Facebook shut down his Official Real Estate Referral Group with over 50,000 members without notice. http://www.facebook.com/RealEstateReferralGroup

But let's face it. Not all of us are marketers who get all hyped up about another avenue to expand our lists.

How many of us have been sitting at the dinner table after a long day at the office when the phone rings. You look at each other, "who's going to get that?" Frustrated, you catch it on the last ring only to find a telemarketer so skilled that even when you say "No" immediately they can keep you on the phone long enough that your dinner is cold.

Expect more of that. Every time you click like on a website the site owner now has a means to contact you.

All too often I'm posting links warning my friends of yet another Facebook Scam like this recent one. http://bit.ly/bZemAd If you are tempted to click links because they promise to show shocking content, it's most likely a scam. (Duhhh)

Remember when there was no like button? And you posted a picture or status update where the only way someone could respond was by actually communicating with words? I miss those times. Like - to me, seems a little lazy.

And what does like really mean? You've just posted a status update that Hurricane Earl has blown your front window in and 10 people click like! What is that?? Is like merely an acknowledgment that "I have read your status", or do they really like the fact that your window has blown in?

I miss communicating. Real words. Like, leaves me guessing... "what do you really mean by that". Remember folks, a few words go a long way. Like reveals nothing about you. It's ambiguous.

So there you have it. My love/hate relationship with the like button. Yes - I will build my list using the social plug-in, will continue to resent tele-marketers and be sad by the loss of real communication.

FYI folks, you can also see what all your friends are liking at http://likebutton.me/

Please call 1-877-745-TOUR to book your Nova Scotia Virtual Tour today.

Supernova Studios
393 Lower LaHave Road
Riverport, NS
B0J 2W0

Phone 902-766-TOUR (8687)
Toll Free 1-877-745-TOUR (8687)
Fax 902-766-4489

Got Facebook questions? Ask me on my fan page:
http://facebook.com/NovaScotiaVirtualTours

Are we following each other on Twitter?
http://twitter.com/ns360tours

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Does Your Website Bring You Top ROI?

Google is following a new kind of way to validate your virtual tour webpage rank. There is no longer just good content and a set of keywords that make people link to your webpage. Business now requires that business are more creative creating multimedia, posting in You-tube, placing photos on Flikr and tagging this multimedia as much as possible.

There is another problem since there is a new SERP on the left corner of the search page. This really distracts users from the rest of the first page. It is extremely important to be in the first rows to obtain attention to your webpage.

The best way to achieve this will be to place as much content as possible on the different places of the Internet like YouTube, twitter, Flicker, etc. It is important to respond as quickly as possible to the comments and critics of your clients.

This is what will keep them coming to your place and increasing your SEO. If you need advice on how to increase the presence of your business on the Internet, you need to be in contact with those that really can help you get there by creating for you your own webpage and helping you find the right keywords and produce the multimedia that your business requires. Here are some results that might help you understand the advantage of good SEO. Section www.virtualfloridarealtours.com

Website Grade
83
Moz Rank
4
Google Indexed Pages
35
Traffic Rank
5,049,414
Blog Grade
97
Inbound Links
252

Finally, which statistics you should be looking at?
There are hundreds of numbers related to your website performance, the most important are:
1. The number of visitors (new and returning)
2. How many of those visitors become leads? Specially, what is the rate of visitors to leads?
3. The rank of your page. Google will rank your page between 1 and 10 based on a group of characteristics that you have to address.
4. You need to know which keywords are scoring better and if they are going up or down.
So how you can do this? It can sound as a monumental task, but in reality is an obtainable goal. To increase your presence on the Internet you need some knowledge of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Our personnel at Virtual Florida Tours are trained to help you optimize your internet presence allowing your company to increase the number of leads. To get help on your webpage optimization, do not hesitate it not more. Contact our specialists or simply make a phone call to 305 331 8960, help is just a phone call away.

Gabriel Duque
http://virtualfloridarealtours.com
Order a virtual tour today: 305 331 8960
Using the finest virtual tour software

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Virtual Tour Webinars to Inspire

Hi again from Challenging Designs, Hot Springs Village Virtual Tour Provider.  I was so impressed with tonight’s webinar, that I started thinking how I could best use the information that Jason and RTV once again motivated me with.  I just purchased a hosting site last night with Godaddy.com and have started studying WordPress to start offering my customers more website development.  But yet again Jason and Robin at 360ImageMedia a Wisconsin virtual tour company, have opened another door to me.  I went immediately and purchased Robin’s Social Media kit, before Jason could buy it up!  And I plan on contacting my MLS to see if they would sponsor a training seminar.

Then, I went online to figure out the best names for my area’s real estate blog like Nancy has at NSrealestatevine.ca offers.  I came up with the names HSrealestateTalks.com and HSVrealestateTalks.com and of course, the hosting site and WordPress templates I invested in will work perfectly with this endeavor.  I can not only get the agents to talk on the blog, motivating them to actually start blogging more, but the backlinks and staying in front of them is inspired!  I am even considering offering it to other distributors.  Again, so many possibilities to consider in the winter.

Now, when I went online with Godaddy.com to purchase the sites, I found Godaddy.com’s prices went up to $11.99/domain.  This is quite a bit of money but then I remembered that RTV had a talkshow on the ten minute single property websites that talked about how easy it was to find the discount codes like this, (I also purchased BentonVirtualTours.com, HSVvirtualtours.com and HSvirtualtours.com) for me right now (after last night’s outlay).

After 30 minutes of googling, searching, and praying, I was ecstatic to find even more domain deals and have to pass it on.  It says – Godaddy “non-expiring” coupon for domains for $7.49/each.  On the coupon put “FAN3”.  It worked and saved me $27!!   RealTourVision® is as always, supportive, nurturing and inspirational!  Thank you, Jason and everyone on tonight’s virtual tour software webinar.

Donna Bigg
Your imagination is your limit!
Hot Springs Village Virtual Tours
http://www.ChallengingDesigns.com
Order a virtual tour: 501-922-8009

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Improving Exterior Shots

You really can learn something from anyone if you're just willing to listen and set your ego to the side. Believe it or not one of the best lessons I've learned about exterior real estate photography came from a Comfort Suites hotel manager and his iPhone camera!

First a quick story and then a couple of tips.

Soon after starting my Tennessee virtual tour business I invested in a wide angle lens for my DSLR.  I was still getting used to the lens when I was dispatched to shoot a Comfort Suites property as part of the RTV Tour Track and Choice Hotels program.

The manager and I got along pretty well, but he was picky (but not unreasonable) and wanted to see my photos.  His reaction was positive until we got to the exterior shots.  I was so glad to have my new wide angle lens that I had used it outside.  "That shows too much of the concrete" was the manager's main complaint.  "This new facility has an awesome façade and your photo should emphasize that instead of the parking lot." With that he whipped out his iPhone and showed me a photo he had taken with it.  As bad as I hated to admit it, his photo was better in composition, if not technical quality.  While I was pondering this, he mentioned that he had taken the photo from across the street.

I decided to take his advice. I knew I'd be too far away from the building to use my wide angle lens.  Instead I replaced it with the 18-55 mm lens in my bag.  Using the longer focal length and moving back away from the building really helped!  This was a four-story hotel so it was tall and also relatively long.  The images were good, but not great.  I've since learned how to optimize exteriors (and why) so I'll get right to the formula that I use to shoot exteriors.

1.    I use an 18-55 zoom lens on my crop-sensor DSLR and use the longest focal length setting that I can. The kit lens that comes with many DSLRs will work just fine.
2.    Move back as far as possible (see #1) .
3.    Get as high as possible for the best perspective and minimize converging verticals (if this term is unfamiliar, Google it).

I've learned that wide angle lenses not only take in more side-to-side, but they stretch the perspective of things front to back and exaggerate the "lean back" look when you're looking up at a building.  Longer focal lengths tend to compress and flatten the image front to back, which is what you want on exteriors.  Do some experimenting by shooting wide with objects in the foreground. (e.g. Get up close to the front of your vehicle) and get a feel for it.

Software programs like Photoshop can go a long way to correcting converging verticals, but the better you can get it in-camera the less time you have to take correcting it later.  With a tall building or where the grade falls away from the front of a residential property, there's nothing like  raising your point of view.   Here are two solutions to this.

1.    Ask for a ladder or bring your new PolePixie with you.  Even four or five feet higher really helps. Take a look at the examples below.  The difference is an eight-foot step ladder.  This shoot was fairly close to home so I brought my own ladder in my pickup.  I have heard of photographers standing on the roof of their vehicles.  Basically anything to get safely off the ground works. 

 

2.    Use a pole rig.  These solutions vary widely and until recently you really had to rig up something on your own.  I just got a paint pole adapter from Pole Pixie.  I then went to a local hardware store and got a Mr. Longarm 6'-18' "Alumaglass" painters pole.  The main section is fiberglass and the two telescoping sections are aluminum. My main criteria for choosing this setup is that it fits in my car.   I've got just over $100 in the whole thing and 18' will take care of most situations.  Plus it's much safer since my feet stay on the ground.

With a pole you have to decide on a triggering mechanism.  I haven't been brave enough to send my DSLR up the pole, but instead use a little Canon point and shoot (SD750).  I found a script at
http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/CHDK  that basically replaces the firmware in a non-destructive way. Once I hit the shutter I have the camera programmed to wait 10 seconds, then shoot five photos at 5 seconds apart.  I've had surprisingly good results with this method.  Here are a couple of before and after examples:



So that's where I am today with my exterior photography.  And it all started with some constructive criticism from a hotel manager and his iPhone!  Hope this gives you some food for thought.  If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact me.

Brett Weaver
Creative Engineer
SpotLight Virtual Tours
Middle Tennessee Virtual Tours
Order a virtual tour:  931-201-9328
http://spotlightvt.com

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GREAT Webinar RTV!!

Hey RTV - "GREAT virtual tour Webinar last night!!!"

I have been playing with this idea of using a painter’s extension pole since last years Webinar with Douglas and his elevated rig on Elevated Photos. I thought there must be a less expensive way to get elevated shots so I did a Google search. I found The Roller Aerial Monopod and built it but found it a bit unstable, the wood extensions too weak and difficult to control the direction of the shot. This made the amount of time used to get a decent shot not worth the $30 you could get for it.

Here are the before and after shots.  I don’t remember the height of the pole I used (I returned it). As you can see, Great shot but time consuming to achieve.

Before

After

I like what was offered last night much better. The Pole Pixie is shear genius with its protective foam plate, directional arrow and ease of use is simply a no-brainer! Less then a $100 with enormous potential, I ordered it right away and if you're an RTV dealer use the promo link above and snag one while the discount for RTV providers is still on.

I really believe this will boost business once Realtors start seeing it out there. I plan on offering this service and upgrading some existing virtual tours Free with any tour for the next 30 days to get the exposure. Then it will be a $29.99 upgrade.  I have a new client I’m working with tomorrow (a referral). An associate of hers asked why she didn’t use “0 pix”, because they give you 5 Panos (she ordered the 3 PanoTour, didn’t want to pay more...). I explained to her that what we do and “0 pix” does is Night & Day. I explained that we have HD Full Screen Virtual Tours with an additional HD Slide Show, Hit reports and a slew of other features they don’t offer. The photographers for “0 pix” are hired sub-contractors with no real investment in her satisfaction and will not be available to service any changes needed to her virtual tours.

She is now looking forward to showing her associate how much better her Virtual Tour is compared to “0 Pix” When I get my Pole Pixie and upgrade her tour, it will blow them away!  Can’t wait!

DragonFly 360 Imaging is your premiere provider for Albuquerque Virtual Tours. Real Estate Agents looking to gain an edge and WOW in a very competitive market don't wait! Contact us today.

Dale Hart
DragonFly 360 Imaging
Albuquerque Virtual Tours
Order a virtual tour - 505 962 2207
www.DragonFly360imaging.com

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Social Media Training - The Training Play

The Training Play, what can we say...WOW. If you missed the last RTV webinar, all we can say is WOW you missed a great show. Go download it now in your BRC and watch it right away. Social Media Teaching and Social Ignition courses. What a great way to broaden your property marketing offerings to your current customers as well as establish many new customers as well. Yes we are talking about you teaching your real estate agents,brokers, and other clients how to use and dominate social media.

How you ask? Well just with the basic knowledge you have already been taught from Real Tour Vision virtual tours, you have become very versed. Taking these teachings, and some acquiring some new knowledge as well, you can capitalize and create a little or a ton of extra income for your business. By offering social media courses to your clients you can add between $600-$15000 a year.

The amount of time you spend teaching is completely up to you, teach 1 class or 20. 360 Image Media the leading Wisconsin Virtual Tour Company is also helping you achieve the goal of becoming a master of the social media teaching. We have taken the original Social Ignition, and updated it to reflect the current conditions. As a special limited time offer for all RTV dealers, we are offering this to you for $5 THATS RIGHT ONLY $5. If you have taken the original social ignition you know how valuable this is. The NEW Social Ignition is delivered to you in a complete package outlining a 10 week E-Course, or you can use it as a in person class outline.

Just like the original Social Ignition course, this course is great to offer for your current clients and also to get the new ones. Everyone including Real Estate Agents, Small Business Owners, and other Professionals want to know how to use Social Media. Why not be the one that teaches them and get paid for sharing what you already know. So if you missed the show, go download it RIGHT NOW. Then go to 360 Image Media’s Social page and on the bottom of the page you can purchase the NEW Social Ignition. It will be delivered right to your inbox after checkout is complete.

Thanks and Teach, Teach, Teach

360 Image Media
Wisconsin’s Leader in Property Marketing and Virtual Tours
www.360imagemedia.com
www.wisconsinvirtualtour.com


P.S. If you were on the show, send us your questions and feedback.

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Thinking Outside the Box

When we all started our virtual tour companies it seems like real estate is where we focus most of our marketing efforts. Don't get me wrong I have always said that real estate is our bread and butter. As much as I love bread and butter I like gravy on top of my bread even better.

So what's the gravy? Commercial virtual tour work! Being that we are a Metro Detroit virtual tour provider our economy has hit us hard with many short sales and foreclosures. But the good news is that all the businesses are also down and they are spending marketing dollars to try to get new business in their doors. We have been photographing Hotels, Restaurants, Nursing Homes, Assistant Living Facilities, and who ever else needs help with their marketing efforts.

So start thinking outside of the box and use your virtual tour software to the fullest capacity! RTV has been giving us many great new virtual tour products to offer to our clients, the only thing that is holding us back now is ourselves! SO GO GET SOME NEW VIRTUAL TOUR BUSINESS TODAY!

 
Thank You
Michael Thompson
Real Vision Studio
www.RealVisionStudio.com
Detroit Virtual Tours
Order a virtual tour - 734-727-2276
Cell Phone  - 734-560-0213

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Back to Basics with Listing Solutions

After attending the Realtourvision® webinar tonight, I was amazed at how much I have learned in the past three years from RTV … and how much I have not learned. Blogging is essential to any successful online marketing campaign and I stopped about 6 months ago when we started to get busy. No excuse, I know better! As easy as blogging is, I can’t believe that I ignored the least expensive and most effective form of marketing available. Blogging is what put Listing Solutions on the map and when properly done, generates awesome “Google Juice.”

Listing Solutions (I just pulled rank on our name) recently launched our new High Definition Full Screen Slideshows (loving the back link). Our clients can now market their listings with eye popping images that are pushed to many real estate portals, for only $29.99 per slide show. These awesome new marketing vehicles are branded with the Realtor’s information and have social networking icons built in, making them extremely viral. St. Augustine real estate (oh, this is just too easy sometimes) professionals are now leveraging the power of our cutting-edge technologies to gain a competitive edge in today’s real estate market.

St. Augustine virtual tours (oops, I did it again) differ than most of the real estate tours that you often see. First of all, we have some of the most amazing scenery here in the Nation’s oldest city. From miles of beautiful and relaxing beaches to the abundance of History, photographing homes for sale in St. Augustine (this is just shameless) is truly a pleasure. Last month the city celebrated her 445th Birthday. If you have never visited St. Augustine, you are definitely missing out!

Just thirty minutes north of St. Augustine, is Jacksonville, Florida. Our Jacksonville virtual tours (cha-ching) reveal one of the best kept secrets in all of Florida. Surrounded by a mind blowing amount of waterways, beaches and industry, Jacksonville is rapidly becoming one of the busiest cities in Florida. You will be pleasantly surprised when viewing some of the most beautiful homes in Northeast Florida. Oh yeah, Jacksonville is also home to the NFL Franchise: Jacksonville Jaguars (waiting on my tickets for the link Mr. Weaver).

Palm Coast lies just 20 minutes south of St. Augustine and is a Golfer’s Paradise. Our Palm Coast virtual tours (why did I stop doing this) showcase a variety of scenic Florida homes. Whether viewing an amazing Golf Community home or homes with Ocean Views, Palm Coast offers something for everyone. We are blessed to live in such a place and our business benefits from the ability to photograph homes year round.
Listing Solutions is laser-focused on helping our client’s achieve the success online needed to compete in today’s challenging market.

We are one of St. Augustine web designs (don’t mind if I do) emerging companies and a Full Service Dealer with Realtourvision® makers of the finest virtual tour software (some love for the RTV Staff) in the World. We are one of the premier virtual tour providers in St. Augustine (I own this one). Our online real estate marketing (thinking of owning this one) skills allow us to help our clients dominate the search engines. We would love the opportunity to help you. Call us today to schedule your next High Definition Full Screen Virtual Tour or Slideshow.

Thanks for the kick in the butt, Jason!

Dave Hall,
Listing Solutions
Order a virtual tour today! (904) 540-9962

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4 Pillars of Effective Social Networking

Last week your Nova Scotia virtual tours & property marketing expert was asked to speak by the Chamber of Commerce on Social Networking for Home Based Business. The following blog is a result of that speech.

We've always had the desire to connect, even in the days of cavemen we were forming tribes. Back then the tribes were limited by geography. Today human civilization has evolved to where we are now because we have mastered the art of continually grouping together into teams, tribes, cities, and nations. We have catapulted past the barriers of time and space into a whole new world.

Every individual in this massive network is doing what he or she is pre-programmed to do - communicate, collaborate, and continue the march of our civilization's evolution.

Ten years ago it was nearly impossible for us to share our "art" with the world. Today any one of us can have our own television or radio station (on the net.)

What has happened recently, particularly with Facebook, is that it has become far easier to transport your REAL identity around the web. This means that increasingly people are joining new social networks with their 'real identity': their real name; their place of work; and other details that define them as a person in a movement - sometimes referred to as the 'Open Web.' Naturally this makes people think more carefully about what they say and how they behave on social networks - because they 'own' their comments the common rules of society come into play. When a person's reputation is attached to what they say it makes them think carefully about what that comment might mean to others.

When considering your approach to Effective Social Networking do it right the first time:

Plan - How will Social Networking complement your overall marketing strategy? Who is your audience? What are your objectives? What Social Networking tactics (conversational, promotional, trial, feedback, etc.) will get you there? Which Social Networking tools and technologies make sense? And finally, how will you collect and analyze your results?

The 4 Pillars of Effective Social Networking

1. Transparency - Transparency provides the only window - A window lets light shine through and allows us to see what might otherwise be hidden. This is what transparency is all about — letting the real self be seen. It's unwise to share our innermost thoughts indiscriminately, but the greater tragedy would be to never allow that real self to be known

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines transparent as: free from pretense or deceit; easily seen through; readily understood; characterized by visibility or accessibility of information, especially concerning business practices.

The foundational element of transparency is truth-telling, being open, honest and sincere in putting one's self out there. The essence of truth-telling is being comfortable in one's own skin. Why the need for transparency? Trust. All conscious, healthy relationships thrive on the basis of trust, integrity and transparency.

2. Personal Branding - You are your brand - "Be you because others are already taken" ~ Oscar Wilde. Few things are more powerful than someone who knows who they are. If you know what you're all about and where you're heading, authenticity and credibility naturally result. For one reason. People trust you. Plug in, listen and trust the sound of your own voice.

If you've ever wondered why great leaders, companies and brands are able to emerge and endure, trust is always the common denominator.

Great brands become that way because they know great marketing begins from the inside. Besides the ability to inspire trust and be open to possibilities, enterprising personalities make their own brand of music.

3. Service - Make and Keep a Promise that Matters to your Customer - Being of Service. Think of social networking as more of a personal relations play than a sales strategy. If you “give” value — in terms of content, advice, insight and service — you develop relationships and trust that will very likely lead to sales and/or advocacy down the road.

You must nurture your customers to the point where they become:
~ loyal and raving fans
~ your very own brand ambassadors
~ a free sales and recruitment force ~ at no cost to you

Identify your target market. "If you try to be everything to everybody, you will be nothing to nobody". Determine "what matters" in your community.

If we don't take care of our customers, someone else will - Unknown

2. Engage - Identify the emotional fuel to engage your customers. Customer satisfaction is just the minimum; your goal is to engage your customers. An engaged customer is the most valuable asset of any organization. Engaged customers assure a business of sustained and profitable growth. They are the first who will continue to repurchase your products, and the most likely to recommend you to other people.

Research from the Gallup Organizations suggest the 4 emotional dimensions to create customer engagement are:

1. Confidence. You will gain the customers’ confidence if they feel that the brand or company is trustworthy and keeps its promises.

2. Integrity. Your customers must feel that your business treats them fairly.

3. Pride. More than snob appeal, your customers must feel good about your product or service.

4. Passion. You are able to instill passion in your customers if they view your product as irreplaceable. This is the point when customers say that they “love” you.

Think of social networking as another tool in your marketing mix — and not some kind of magic pill that will deliver results overnight — and you will naturally discover ways in which social media can complement and enhance everything from customer relationship building to brand promotion.

I welcome you to connect with me, Nancy Elizabeth Bain on Facebook. Or view my fan page at http://facebook.com/NovaScotiaVirtualTours

Book your Nova Scotia virtual tour today!

Nancy Bain
http://www.supernovastudios.ca
Order a virtual tour: 1-877-745-8687 (TOUR)
Super Nova Studios uses only the finest Virtual Tour Software Available!

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The FORMULA 37 | A Secret Weapon

Relying 100% on virtual tours as a source of income for your property marketing business is downright silly.  We all learned on the last episode of The FORMULA that your business can bring in three to ten thousand dollars of additional income every year just by teaching classes at your local associations.

You should always be on the lookout for powerful property marketing tools that you can offer your existing customer base.  While some customers just love getting ten to thirty listing CD’s others will rely on the power of your single property websites to measure the effectiveness of marketing efforts.  Many will order an Exposure Engine on every listing while others entice sellers with your text connect program.  No matter what property marketing tools your business is currently offering its import to diversify your offering.

Please join me on Tuesday October 19th at 7:00 Eastern while I chat with John Hokkanen, real estate broker, property marketing genius and inventor of what might very well be the most affordable property marketing tool you’ll ever own.  If you do google him up ahead of time, (and I know you will) don’t make a purchase until after the show as he will be offering a show special to any and all RTV virtual tour providers.  I’m warning you now that you better talk to your business partner and spouse before the show because this little doohickey is so awesome and inexpensive I know you’ll own one right after our show. 


Sign up now in your TMS!

See you there!

Jason

Real Tour Vision Virtual Tour Software
866-947-8687 Ext 4

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My First Virtual Tour Shoot

Dear RTV.  Thank you so much for the virtual tour lead. The virtual tour and entire shoot turned out very well yesterday.  Weather was perfect!  The house was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!!  It could not have been more perfect.  Immaculate and well-decorated!  I really had fun doing this and it was surprisingly easy. It was a pretty large house and I was there almost 4 hours.  Not too bad for my very first virtual tour shoot. I ended up doing a lot outside too.

As it turns out the home that I was doing a virtual tour of belongs to a famous country music person but I was not familiar with them. Anyway, the realtor and the homeowners were all there and actually the realtor had others coming to preview the property.  Everyone was so considerate and stayed out of the way while I was going about my business. Overall the virtual tour is going to turn out well and there's a good chance that I'll do more work for this realtor down the road.

Again RTV thank you so much for the lead and this has helped me really get confidence that this is something I can easily do. I've already sent some stills to the realtor for the mls so she can get that up and I'm in the process of  making a cd of the finished virtual tour for the home owner. Thanks for your support! Now I need to get cracking on my website!

Thanks,

Glenda Oshop
Murfreesboro Virtual Tours
Order a virtual tour: 615-482-1733

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Virtual Tour Technology Tip

This month's tech tip is about backing up your virtual tours. One of the most common calls I receive is from a dealer that has had a catastrophic computer problem that caused them to lose everything on their system. All too often the answer is "No" when I ask if they back their tours up regularly. Backing up tours is quick and external storage is cheap, so if you are not already backing up tours on a regular basis then you need to start now. Pick a day each week to back up your tours and make this simple but very important process part of your daily business routine.

Use the steps below.

Open My Computer
Open the C drive
Open the RTV folder

Locate the following three things: Projects folder, Eyecons folder, and TourBuilder.mdb file. Copy each item, one at a time, and paste them to your backup location. The Projects folder will take the longest to copy because all the photos are stored in it.

That's it! Now if you are ever in the situation where you lose a computer or hard drive, or you have to re-format to fix an unrelated problem, you will have a back up file that is good to the date you made it. If you are buying a new computer or otherwise have a planned move to a new system then do a fresh backup at that point.

The process for using your backup is simple. You will need to install the virtual tour software on the new system. You should be able to use the disk you received with the system if you purchased from 2008 forward. If you purchased prior to that it would be best to download a new installation since we had a major change in 2007 to the installation files. If you need help with installing the software contact setup or support. Once the software is installed you need to go to your backup location and copy the Projects folder and then browse to the C:\RTV folder on the new computer and paste it in. It will prompt you to overwrite. Say yes to this message. Repeat the same process for the Eyecons folder and the TourBuilder.mdb.  Make sure you do this before adding new tours into the software, otherwise you will lose your new tours when you copy in your backed up info.

Following this process will give you back your tours current to the last backup. If you had done tours since the backup you will lose those, but that is much better than losing several months' worth of tours.

Virtual Tour Software
RTV - 866-947-8687 Ext 4

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The FORMULA 36 'The Training Play'

 It’s a well known fact that RTV teaches our virtual tour providers to become property marketing experts better than any other company out there.  It’s also a well known fact that RTV does a better job pushing out leads and getting HOT marketing materials into the hands of our dealer network better than anyone else out there.  Now it’s your turn to be the best and use the teachings and instruction that we’ve given you in the areas of Blogging, SEO, Social Media, Property Marketing, and more to your advantage.

You would be amazed to find out just how many people there are RIGHT NOW in your neighborhood that are dying to know more about SEO, Keywords, Google Analytics, and META data.  There are countless people just around the corner from you right now who are worried sick because they don’t have a Facebook fan page setup for their business. Enter the Training Play.

It’s time for you to take what Mother RTV gave you, spread your wings and fly to higher levels.  And make some really good money while you’re at it! Did you know that BlueLaVaMedia made over 3k last year teaching social ignition classes?  And that was with VERY limited time.

Please join us on October 12th at 7:00 PM Eastern as we discuss how you can get more involved with your local chamber of commerce and MLS board by teaching classes.  Don’t think you know enough to teach? Think again! By now most of you have already taken the RTV Social Ignition Course and already know more than 98% of the other local business owners in your area.

The time to share your knowledge is now and on October 12th we’re going to show you how!  I’ll be joined by guest speakers Robin Duran and Dave Hall of www.listingsolutions.net (Saint Augustine Virtual Tours). Be sure to bring your notepad and get ready to take LOTS OF NOTES!  See you on the show!




Sign up now in your TMS!

Sincerely,

Jason

http://twitter.com/BlueLaVaMedia
http://facebook.com/VirtualTourGuru

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Secret Sales Tips Every Dealer Should Know

Hello fellow RTV virtual tour Dealers.  This is Donna with Challenging Designs a Hot Springs Village virtual tour company.  I cannot begin to tell you what a difference “HD Gallery Showcase” (as I call them) is making for me! My prices are low to stay competitive here in this unique market.  We are a resort/gated/retirement community.  Our target group, up until lately, has been retirement age.  This means less smart phones, less regional marketing and more national marketing.  We can’t use Panoriders, and that $100 mark seems to be a wall with our older Realtors. 

HOW IT ALL BEGAN

I was THRILLED when the team over there at Real Tour Vision (RTV) made my year!  I have seen a MARKED improvement and increase in business since I started offering the all new RTV Standalone Slideshow or the  “HD Gallery Showcase” as I call them.  It is really making a huge difference for my virtual tour business. I can now offer a technologically elegant and slick presentation with 30 still photographs which I professionally shoot for $69.00.  Then I offer a Fall Special, $9 discount for grouping the orders (more than 2 at a time).  Real estate agents are getting a fantastic deal for $60 and let me tell you RTV...IT IS WORKING!!

MILK THE YOU-PROVIDE MODEL

I also offer a self-service for $39, but so far the agents are only sending me the optimized photos they send to the MLS, so I had to start putting a disclaimer on the “Self-Serve Gallery”, high resolution, not less than 700 kb per file and if you're smart you will use this image to let people know that YOU did not take the pictures:

Click on the image above - Right Click - Save Image As...

 

 ELIMINATE THE COMPETITION

Want another KILLER way to use the Standalone Slideshow Module to your benefit?  Most of you have at least one or two agents in your area who prefer to do their own virtual tours right??  Well why not set them up on the new RTV Slideshow module and sit back and collect your 20% sales commissions for life on those accounts.  It's an easy way to take advantage of RTV's existing reseller program and get people off of competing technology in your area and onto yours! Besides, once you have those people as customers, who do you think they're going to call for additional property marketing services...YOU!!

$$ MAKE MONEY $$

Now to the breakdown, how does this impact my bottom-line when I shoot full service? It takes me approximately 1 hour (including driving time) to take the stills. Then approximately 1 hour to choose the photos, rename & clean up any shadows or color corrections, and save in HD & web resolution, upload and create slideshow. I also email the agent the optimized photos for the MLS with both URLs and then copy to a disk.  For two hours of my time I'm averaging an easy $30.00/ hour! Not too shabby!

Before I made my purchase of the standalone slideshow module, I was afraid this would replace the virtual tour with many of the REALTORS, but I am glad to say it is actually bringing in more virtual tours because I'm able to reach out to agents that I was unable to reach before, my customers now they have the option to have less photos with panoramas, or more photos with no panoramas. The REALTORS love my property marketing tools and the diverse offering now.

SUBTLE TOUR - A GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING

My final tip to you all is to create what RTV calls a 'subtle tour' Here is one of Traverse City that Jason and Jim did over at BlueLaVaMedia. After I saw how well that worked for them I started creating a tour of Hot Springs Village and purchased the domain, www.TourHotSpringsVillage.com  Take a look at it and you'll see that I've essentially  made an HD Gallery Show that highlights Hot Springs Village.  Since I created this I started offering it to REALTORS for free to be used on their websites, emails, business cards, etc. It has my information in the name area.  I will be creating more smaller slideshows with REALTOR specific information for a cost.  It works to give it a try. Remember that RTV is giving you UNLIMITED HD SLIDESHOWS to take advantage of that and put them to use for you sooner than later!!!

Since I purchased the Standalone Slideshow Module, I have already sold 10 slideshows in less than 2 weeks and more are coming in.  I'm still selling virtual tours too! I can see the possibilities in neighborhoods, businesses, storefronts, dealerships, restaurants and have already had some interest from non-real estate companies.  I'm so excited and hope that you all out there are too.  In fact I just got word today that the slideshows now have the weekly hit reports in them working. Yay!  I'm really happy that I got setup on the module under it’s current pricing and hope you do too. It's boosting my business tremendously and I highly recommend it to everyone out there....unless your close to me! :)  I can’t wait until Real Tour Vision adds the new video export to the system.  That's going to be fantastic! Thanks for all you do and please RTV dealers out there don't hesitate to call me with questions and other ideas you might have for taking advantage of this awesome property marketing tool. Thanks RTV!!


Donna Bigg
Your imagination is your limit!
Hot Springs Village Virtual Tours
http://www.ChallengingDesigns.com
Order a virtual tour: 501-922-8009

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The Best Single Property Website On The Market

First of all, Virtual Vista has to thank the other property site providers for inspiring us to develop the best single property website available.  So many companies deliver websites of such inferior quality that it detracts from the property instead of enticing potential buyers.  These same companies design sites that market only the agent, not the property itself, and those that DO market the property are NOT what we like to call “Eye Candy.”  Our Philosophy is SIMPLE…Give the buyer everything they need on ONE page.

So, what are the keys to making a property website an excellent tool for the realtor as well as an outstanding asset to the seller, in addition to being an enticing marketing piece for potential buyers? 

Well…Let us start with a “.com” domain name, i.e. www.47SleepyHollowDr.com, not only is the “.com” more memorable and recognizable, but using the property address is very important when optimizing the site for search engines. 

Once we have created this high-quality domain, a successful single property website needs to be COLORFUL.  You will notice most property websites are dull, and no matter which company the agent is with, you rarely see proper branding.  With each Virtual Vista Single Property Website, you will find custom agency branding, as well as a prominently placed photo of the agent. 

Next we add the West Chester Virtual Tour and/or Still Photographs of the property.  The most popular version of our property website includes a Virtual Tour (Hi-Definition or Standard) and a Slideshow.  Now, the virtual tour is not a must, but what a tool…at the bare minimum we include a slideshow.  Our website slideshow also provides another huge advantage; where other websites, even Realtor.com and the MLS, limit the number of stills you may use, we allow you to incorporate as many as necessary.  Note:  should you already have a virtual tour, our sites support:  Visual Tours, Obeo, and Circlepix…let us know if you have questions.

Now that the main pieces of Virtual Vista’s amazing property website are in place, it is time to add the extras that really set it off.  So the buyer likes the house, they need to know where it is located and how to get there, so we add a Google map where they can easily get directions to the property.  “Hmmm, what are the schools like?”  We added school information.  “Honey, do you think we can afford this place?”  We added, in our opinion, the coolest mortgage calculator around.  All of these features make our custom single property website a comprehensive buyer resource for your listings.  If you are not sold yet, keep reading.   

“Besides being the most versatile, eye-catching piece of marketing I have ever come across, what other features are included?”  Well, for one, we have added a very accessible “Schedule A Showing” button.  This button opens a nice little form to grab the potential buyer(s)’ contact information, desired showing time, or even a question he/she may have.  Once submitted, this information is forwarded directly to the agent.  We have also created a readily available, up to the minute website traffic report.  Last, but definitely not least, each website is 99% editable by the agent from within our user-friendly interface.  With the first website purchase, we provide the agent with their very own username and password.  These features create a “WOW” factor proven by our satisfied clients to be an excellent tool for, not only marketing the property, but also for giving you an edge when competing for new listings. 

In conclusion, as I am sure you will agree, these single property websites have EVERYTHING and are sure to be a hit with BUYERS, SELLERS, and AGENTS alike!!!
Virtual Vista is also extremely excited to report that we are mere days away from kicking off the addition of our highly anticipated NEW Hi-Definition Slideshow.  This is an excellent new product with tons of features that are sure to increase your listing(s)’ exposure and sharpen your edge over the competition…          

Until Next Time,

Brian Castro
Your Virtual Vista Marketing Team
Order a Virtual Tour Today: 610.429.0288
www.VirtualVista.net
Philadelphia Virtual Tours

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The WOW Factor

The WOW Factor is a term tossed around quite frequently these days pertaining to every thing from entertainment competitions to business practices. I will use it here has it pertains to Virtual Tours and Real Estate Photography in general.
In Real Estate photography the “WOW Factor” is very important element in marketing a property.

Many Real Estate Agents/Brokers & home owners, when listing a property, tend to photograph every nook & cranny of the home ad-nauseam. A close-up of the archways, cornices, the hallway, shots of the half circle window and yes, even the kitchen sink. Boring!

The purpose of interior photographs is to give the perspective buyer a sense of what the house looks like and move them to make an appointment to view in person.

The Virtual Tour is a marketing tool designed to get buyers to view the home not a sales tool designed to sell the home from the internet.

A 360 panorama will give them a sense of a home’s layout in conjunction with stills that will show a particular room’s design. Together, this interactive presentation should motivate them to see the home in person.

This is when the WOW Factor comes into play. You want to reserve some highlights of the home to WOW the buyer. When the buyer sees the photos and/ or Virtual Tour, likes what they see enough to view the home and then they are WOWED by features they didn’t see in the photos, well, it’s just a breeze to closing the deal!

A professional Real Estate photographer uses the best virtual tour software, knows the best areas to photograph, what areas to show and which areas should be reserved to WOW the buyer.       (Such features are more then likely mentioned in the Realtor’s description anyway) A Professional Virtual Tour Producer can create the WOW Factor with HD Full Screen Virtual Tours or an HD Full Screen Slide Show.

DragonFly 360 Imaging is your premiere provider for Albuquerque Virtual Tours. Real Estate Agents looking to gain an edge and WOW in a very competitive market don't wait! Contact us today.

Dale Hart
DragonFly 360 Imaging
Albuquerque Virtual Tours
Order a virtual tour - 505 962 2207
www.DragonFly360imaging.com

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Marketing Your HD V-Slides - New From RTV Marketing

IF you have not yet announced the new HD V-Slides for your virtual tour company, this versatile flyer (and the postcard we did last month) might be just what you need to get started and launch. As RTV continues to develop the World's finest virtual tour software we will also continue helping you market your virtual tour business by creating new material each and every month for you to use.

This month's virtual tour marketing piece is a two page document that's easily customizable with your company information and can be printed or sent out as an e-flyer.  I personally think e- flyers should be used frequently in addition to print advertising, personal calls, visits and so on.  E-Flyers are fee to send, are immediate and most importantly they're effective. Plus you can add in hyperlinks to samples like we have done with this piece. Finalize your e-flyer, create your email, load your contacts into your Aweber Account and blast out your new product to your customer base.

In this e-Flyer each picture is linked to an amazing HD V–Slide. If you've already started creating your own HD V-Slides samples, you can swap the samples that come with this piece out with your own. Your customers (and new prospects) can then instantly understand the difference between your HD V-Slides and your virtual tours.

REACH NEW CUSTOMERS

What many of you are finding out is that the V-Slides appeal to an entirely new audience that you've most likely never been able to sell to with your 360 virtual tours.  Well now you can! This new product is also packed with all of the same powerful features as your interactive 360 tours giving you lots to talk about after you catch their attention. Don't worry; your virtual tour lovers will still be attracted to (and purchase) your interactive 360 virtual tours.  You will just be reaching out to a new crowd of people who prefer still images over panos.  Your V-Slides will bring new people into your showroom that you simply couldn't reach before.

Remember that the key is to catch your prospects attention within a few moments whether you are sending out an email, making that phone call, or doing an in-person presentation. These V-Slides of a car dealership, large marine vessel, gated golf community, hotel and million dollar homes will do just that!

If you have an idea or a need for a specific marketing piece email jill(AT)realtourvision.com and I will see what I can do.  Remember all of our marketing materials can be accessed through www.RockPointeMarketing.com 

Real Tour Vision
Virtual Tour Software, Marketing, Leads, National Account, Training, Killer Hardware...EVERYTHING!
Order a Virtual Tour Today - 866-947-8687 Ext 4

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Being a Leader Means Becoming an Instructor

Island Digital Images Provider of Corpus Christi Virtual Tours offers extended education classes at local MLS

It is important for today's agent to understand what digital marketing products are available, when the usage of each product is appropriate and how to integrate all of the marketing tools to maximize sales success.   This information training class features both instructor-led presentation and interactive student participation.  Success for the class will be for the students to be able to describe the three types of buyers and understand which digital  marketing practice appeals to each type.

 Instructor:  Alan Fon
******************************************
    Course Topics Include

1.    Analyze the Market (Evolution of Marketing)
2.    Cover the market = Reaching the Maximum # of Prospects
3.    Using Print Media
4.    Digital Marketing Framework
5.    Virtual Tours
6.    Single Property Website
7.    Syndication to Traditional and Non-traditional web Sites
8.    Social Networking = Increased Visibility = Increased Business
9.    Virtual Staging
10.   SMS Text Marketing


Registration Contact

    Mimi Altizer, Rockport Asso. 361-729-6002 
You must register for the course even if you are not taking for MCE credit....we must know how many handouts to provide.

Alan Fon
Corpus Christi Virtual Tours
Order a Virtual Tour: (361) 749-0901 ) 749-0901361) 749-0901

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Are You Setup to Sell Mobile Websites Yet?

Is your virtual tour & property marketing company setup to sell TXT Connect and Mobile Agent Websites yet? This is an amazing opportunity for RTV virtual tour providers to really connect with their Real Estate clients to offer a service that they will love, and, promote their virtual tours at the same time!

In an effort to continue to provide agents with the best tools and information available in the industry, we have introduced a new service that will improve an agent's productivity, professionalism and relationships with buyers and sellers. Its important to note that access to real estate listing information while on-the-go has become mission critical to today's active buyer. Mobile Websites for Realtors is an industry first that not only helps meet the ever increasing demands of mobile buyers but promotes the name and brand of the Realtor while saving them time and money.

Some of you may not be aware of this yet but accessing the internet on a mobile phone is like night and day vs. using a standard computer and website. Unless a website is specifically built to work on all operating systems and for each of the thousands of mobile phone handsets, it will be a horrible browsing experience for any user. The mobile phone is here to stay and as they get smarter and smarter, and people continue to access the mobile web, Realtors and all other businesses need a mobile formatted website to continue to capture users and promote their services.

RTV's TxTConnect mobile solutions help real estate professionals win more listings, acquire more leads and close more sales, bottom line, make more money. Mobile Websites for Realtors is one of our most exciting property marketing tools available today next to our new HD Slideshow Module. It puts all of an agents listings in the hands of an active buyer and at a time when it is most advantageous. The built in GPS functionality will also identify the nearest properties available to where the buyer is at that time and show the next closest properties to them at that time. This added feature makes it so much more convenient for a buyer to view an agent's other properties nearby for sale.

The mobile site is created automatically and gives buyers instant access to the agent's bio, photo and contact info. In addition, the site promotes the virtual tour of every property listed by that agent.


So why should you purchase the Text Connect program for your virtual tour company and pitch Mobile Sites?

1. Mobile sites and TxT Connect is a GREAT way to promote your virtual tours
2. Any RTV provider reselling this service will make reoccurring 30% sales commissions
3. It is the most advanced tool on the market today to appeal to the mobile buyer
4. Every listing is displayed with a location map plotting all their listings, a video or virtual tour upload option, up to 10 photos, GPS activation, a full property description and "Click-to-call" links to contact the agent by SMS/Text, Email or Phone
5. It is all automatically created as they upload their listings and they are live within just a few minutes
6. Buyers access this mobile site either by using 1 single SMS/Text keyword or by an automatically generated QR barcode we create in each account.
7. They can then promote these in all their ads, signs, TV, radio, business cards, etc
8. Custom colors are available for the branding most of the major brokerages
9. This captures leads of all inquiries made to the mobile website
10.SMS technology and mobile sites raises the profile of the agent using the service

The time to get out there and start selling TxT Connect and Mobile Agent Websites is now! All of those looking to start offering this, along with the other TxT Connect 10 code plans, you can sign up right now at http://realtour.txt2look.com/subsite_signup.php and start selling right away!

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