Long Island Virtual Tours

Expanding your virtual tour business is very important especially since there are some months through the year where real estate is going to be very slow. We've already seen from the RTV webinars that it is very much possible to have nice income streams coming in year round as long as you're able to diversify. We found out early on that going into the Winter you see the virtual tour business start to drop off especially up here in the North.

It’s very easy to be complacent and just sit back and let other people decide your income and lifestyle.  Well in the virtual tour industry we need to be aggressive all the time.  Marketing is the most important part of most businesses  and especially for my Long Island virtual tour business. That is why we at Long Island Virtual LLC  decided to diversify and not only advertise heavily towards real estate agents but also target local business owners, commercial real estate agents, and Long Island for sale by owners.  Because today’s Real Estate property values are decreasing so drastically many people are trying to sell their houses on their own.  Business owners like never before are putting money into Internet advertising because of the cost to return ratios.  Virtual tours and especially our HD virtual tours are the perfect solution to this.

Being a RTV Virtual Tour Full Service Dealer has given us a tremendous advantage in the Virtual Tour Industry.  With our High Definition 360 Virtual Tours and our High Definition Stand Alone Slide Show no other virtual tour provider can compare with the quality our virtual tours provide.  Anyone who tries to view any other companies virtual tours and presses the “full screen” button knows what I’m talking about.  Their tours are so blurry and I am still shocked at how many agents use their services! Obviously they have not seen our virtual tour samples or their clients would become ours.  

Our job is to go out and show our product to as many agents we can and believe me, our hard work will definitely pay off.  Our next step will be to start marketing to the commercial industry, and I’m hoping to get into that shortly.  What’s great about our industry is the never ending number of opportunities available to us.

Scott Schwartz
Long Island Virtual Tours
Long Island Virtual Tour Company
516-586-4636 Office
516-456-6742 Cell
http://www.longislandvirtual.com








 

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The QR Code Skinny

Unless you've been living under a rock you've all seen these strange little codes popping up everywhere. Don't worry because your #1 source for Nova Scotia virtual tours Nancy Bain is here to help. Let me take five minutes of your time and give you the skinny on QR Codes. Recently we purchased a very cool software package we can’t wait to tell you about. No, not virtual tour software as we LOVE RTV! Expect more blogs on this subject.

What is a QR Code? - A QR Code is a matrix barcode (or two-dimensional code), readable by QR scanners, mobile phones with a camera, and smartphones. The code consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on white background. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QR_Code

The use of QR codes is exploding. QR codes have been big in Japan for years. Now they are going global. They connect the world of print to the world of e-media. They tap into the mobile culture and the youth market. They offer an immediate, trackable response mechanism for everything from marketing collateral to magazine advertisements to billboards.

How are QR codes used? - QR codes are 2d barcodes that act as a physical hyperlinks. Taking a picture of the QR code on your phone's internet browser will jump to the page described by that QR code. So say you put the URL of your Facebook profile or website into the QR code creator, the QR code created will take people to that page when they take a picture of it on their mobile phone using a QR code reader.

How to generate a QR code - I used http://snap.vu/ It's simple and it's free. Plus, they save all your codes for you in different file formats. Simply type in your url address (you will have to provide an email address at this site) and click a button to generate your code. Presto! Congratulations, you have just created your own QR code that you can display anywhere! How about using it in your outgoing email signature?  How about helping your customers put these on listing signs? Incorporate them into your virtual tour business and show people that you're ahead of the curve!

Where are QR codes used? QR codes are very flexible and can be used for more than just linking to a website or a virtual tour. They can be used to automatically send emails, SMS messages, upload someone's full contact details into your phone's address book and more. QR codes can link to text you have entered, a website URL, a social networking profile, a Google maps reference- anything you can think of!

What do you need? First a smart phone, then a QR Reader. To download a QR code reader to your phone, simply go to the page while in your mobile browser and click on the download button. From there follow the simple instructions and you're done! Google have created an excellent application for the iPhone and the G1 that is perfect for reading QR codes (look up ZXing on the devices) Blackberrys can use http://www.mobile-barcodes.com/qr-code-software/blackberry/

Why are QR codes effective? QRcodes use the cellphone as the response mechanism. For this reason, they capture viewers' interest at the very moment it is piqued. You don't lose eyeballs by requiring people to manually input URLs or scribble them down onto a piece of paper that might get lost.

Who is using QR Codes? Many of today's top brands are using QR codes. GMC, Ford, Google, Pepsi, Ralph Lauren, The Weather Channel, Best Buy, Chevrolet, Starbucks, Facebook, MacDonald's and many more.  Your virtual tour company can do this too!

Below you will see the QR Code I have generated for my Nova Scotia Virtual Tour website. First, ensure that your smart phone has a QR Reader. (most newer phones will) If not, download one to your phone from the links above. Second, simply turn your phone to camera mode and hold it up to your monitor "capturing" the QR code in the window. This should generate a link for you to click. Anywhere you see these codes you can do the same thing. My Blackberry requires that I take a picture of the code while IPhones you simply scan the code in camera mode.

In my next blog I can't wait to share with you how I plan to be using QR Codes for my virtual tour business. But in the meantime here's a great idea for you: Use QR codes on your business cards! Your contacts can scan and save all your information when they scan your QR coded business cards!

Call Nancy to book your Nova Scotia virtual tour today. 1-877-745-TOUR or http://www.supernovastudios.ca

Supernova Studios
Phone 902-766-TOUR (8687)

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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Slideshow Apocalypse

Get the 50/50 while the getting is good!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

http://tinyurl.com/2akpsmm

RTV, Inc 

Virtual Tour Software

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The Pitch Rocked My World

Dear RTV:

Regarding last night's virtual tour webinar with co host Alan Fon from Corpus Christi virtual tours. It's exactly what I have been saying all along - its working together with other virtual tour dealers to become a stronger, more professional network of tour providers.

Even though our Scottsdale virtual tour & photography company focuses mostly on very high end architectural photographers, what Alan presented last night is true for every level.  We have a virtual tour & photography sales pitch, and it has been successful, but I think when we give it the digital marketing story, it will become wildly successful - especially since we have our new salesperson up and running.

I think the best part of your presentation is taking all of the technology we offer as RTV virtual tour providers, organizing into a methodology of understanding it from the bottom up and finishing with the dazzle of the newest technology.

By the time you get to mobile stuff, your audience is hooked.  Rather than saying this is what we offer and having no method to the madness or just guessing - your method is incredibly flexible and portable.  We will be designing a new presentation strongly based on yours. 

Thank you for all that you do!
Suzanne

Suzanne Feinberg
Owner / Organizer
PowerVision360
Scottsdale Virtual Tours
Order a Scottsdale Virtual Tour: 480-284-8177

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Learn to Take Advice - Starting a Central Coast Virtual Tour Company

You’ve done all the research, you have the experience, you’ve even got a back-up plan, so why would you ask for advice? And why would someone offer you advice when you didn’t even ask for it?!

Just when I thought I could do something on my own and use my own "creative" mind, I am smacked back into reality by the hand of humbleness. When I got married, I didn’t think I would ever need counseling. When I began learning photography, I would be able to figure out the camera on my own… maybe read a few pages in the manual. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

To help me perfect my virtual tours that I shoot here in California, I recently finished reading a book by Bryan Peterson called Understanding Exposure. It is short, very easy reading, and extremely informational. I bought this book because my camera manual did not challenge me in any way whatsoever, and I was frustrated I was not getting pictures nearly as intense looking as other people. AND I was tired of trying to use Photoshop and adding ‘Vibrance’ to everything!

It opened up my eyes, and has practically converted me into the avid bookworm I am today. I can now strive to be one of California’s best Central Coast virtual tour providers! I’ve also taken a lot of criticism on designing my virtual tour company website and logo. I was determined to do it myself, creatively and technically since I had the experience and got my degree in digital media.

Why would I need help with a degree and so much background!? The answer: Because I would still be working on both if I didn’t finally seek help. And I couldn’t be happier with the results. I was way off track several times when either my wife or mentor told me “That’s no good.” “Change that.” “Why did you chose that picture?” I wasn’t happy at first about all the changes, but every time I listened, something great happened. It truly was a learning experience.  When you have a moment please check out my Central Coast virtual tour company website and let me know what you think.  I could not be more excited to be with RTV and part of the winning team!

Kyle Murphy
Owner / Virtual Tour Provider
KM360 Virtual Tours
SLO Virtual Tours - A Central Coast Virtual Tour Company
Order a Virtual Tour: 805.709.5577

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Kid Dynamite's 2010 Summary

Just the other day I was in the virtual tour TMS and looking at my virtual tour numbers for the year. I like to look at my current year and compare to previous years. As of right now, I am about 38% above last year’s on total number of virtual tours shot from 2009. I thought wow!! How can that be? I thought for awhile trying to figure out why this year is going so much better than last, and came up with a few thoughts.

This year, RTV virtual tour software company launched the new High Definition virtual tours. I tried them out and after a little time of getting them mastered, I started marketing them to my customers. The HD virtual tours were a big hit right away. My customers were very impressed. When the tours look good, the agents look good to their sellers.  None of my competition can compare to the quality, and the crystal clear full screen feature.

A few months ago, RTV rolled out their new HD V-Slide. I thought it looked really nice, but after being a tour provider for 8 years, I was a little apprehensive. I am used to doing 360 panoramic tours, not still image photography.  RTV promised me that it would attract a crowd of people that I have not yet been able to reach before so I purchased the unlimited HD Slideshow package and put my trust in them.

I had to figure out how I could make money off of this product. I watched a few episodes of The FORMULA that talked about marketing the V-Slides.  I watched an episode of The IMAGE which talked about getting creative with the still image photography. And finally like the HD tours, I played with the new technology for awhile to make sure I had the process down before I launched the product in my market.

What happened was truly amazing. This new system and product had a zing for impressing people. In fact, over the last month I've easily recovered my tiny investment and had the pleasure of knocking the socks off of many new prospects. I am promoting my V-Slides at a slightly lower price than my Rehoboth Beach Virtual Tours.

Many agents have started placing orders for V-Slides on properties that they wouldn’t have ordered virtual tours on. Maybe the homes were low priced or not furnished. So my new V-Slides are nicely filling a void for my business and attracting agents that in the past did not want to use 360 tours.  Here's a couple recent V-Slides:
http://rtvpix.com/slideshow/4335


http://rtvpix.com/slideshow/5251

Now is the time to take a look at your business for the current year. Compare to previous years. How does it compare?  Please comment on this blog and let us know.  RTV tell me that most dealers are up over last year.  That's fantastic! Are you using the new products to their full advantage of them? If not, start making a marketing plan to implement them in 2011. Between all the new developments that RTV has planned for next year and the improving economy, I can guarantee that you'll be up next year.

Good luck everyone and have a GREAT HOLIDAY SEASON!!

Sincerely,

Graves Carey



Graves Carey
Rehoboth Beach Virtual Tours
360 Visions Virtual Tours
www.360visions.com
Order a virtual tour today: 302-236-9876

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Virtual Staging – New Service Provider for RTV Dealers

Does your client need a cost effective way to list their vacant properties?  Why not consider our virtual staging services.   Rather than computer-rendered images, we use REAL pre-configured environments.  Your clients can select a configuration or give us the freedom to select an appropriate layout.





We charge $180 for 3 rooms and offer RTV dealers  a discounted rate (Look for the promo code in your next RTV Newsletter). 

Visit our website:  http://wix.com/mbasch/virtualstaging.   Play around.  Check out the samples.  Look through the catalogues.



As an incentive, if you place your first order by December 10th, 2010, we will throw in an extra virtually staged room for free (making it a 4 room order).  A value of $60!!!

We look forward to earning your business and developing a mutually beneficial relationship.

Sincerely,

Michael Basch
http://wix.com/mbasch/virtualstaging
Order your virtual staging today!

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The Community Tour Play

Does your marketing plan involve pro bono tours?  If not, you are losing out on some major sources of advertising that will keep your company in mind from sources that you wouldn’t think of.  Many places that either don’t have a budget or just don’t think of having a virtual tour are ripe for your innovative ideas.

AlamoAreaVirtualTours.com has just completed a San Antonio Virtual Tour for the Lighthouse for the Blind in San Antonio. Now, what did this cost me?  A tour credit. What did it get me? I received an indescribable amount of good will and exposure to an unknown number in the community and putting a seed of an idea in hopefully many minds as to the use of Virtual Tours from Alamo Area Virtual Tours. 

Now this I consider to be a brilliant move!  Why I didn’t think of this earlier??  RTV has a video about this here. I don’t know, but I’m glad I’m the one that finally did.  I questioned myself, what is the main thrust of my virtual tour business?  Real Estate agents! That is probably true for most of you as well.  And what is the single most unifying force for Realtors in your city?  Well in San Antonio it is SABOR (San Antonio Board of Realtors):   http://www.sabor.com/ .

To back track slightly, I am an affiliate member of SABOR.  If you are not an affiliate member of your local MLS group, you are missing out on an invaluable opportunity. I must admit that I receive more work through being an affiliate member of the MLS group than through my website. Anyway, on to the brilliant move. SABOR, as you will note if you open the link above, has NO VIRTUAL TOUR of their building. It was an opportunity just waiting for Alamo Area Virtual Tours to exploit.  Did I? You bet, just as soon as I woke up that morning after the idea exploded in my head at 3AM.

Now, what helped me get accepted so easily?  I’ve been involved in SABOR for close to a year, going to town meetings, going to breakfasts, being an exhibitor at the Realtor’s Rally, making my face known and what I do, WEARING my logo shirt EVERYWHERE, wearing my cowboy hat ALL THE TIME, i.e. people, getting BRANDED.  Oh, btw, the virtual tour is a work in progress and will be finished and published by blog #2 of this series.

JUMP OUT OF YOUR BOX
I want to hear from others how they have jumped out of their box, out of their comfort zone and what they did and gained from it.  Ciao from AlamoAreaVirtualTours.com an independent dealer of the RTV virtual tour software system.

James Hoback
L’oeil L’esprit (Mind’s Eye)
AlamoAreaVirtualTours
Order a virtual tour: (210) 325-2675
‘Let Us Do Our Best To Show Your Best!’

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Mobile Websites from DragonFly 360

DragonFly 360 Imaging, an Albuquerque virtual tour company announces mobile websites for Real Estate Professionals. DragonFly 360 Imaging , a certified Real Tour Vision™ virtual tour provider and producer powerful property marketing services is proud to announce the addition of Mobile Websites  to its line-up of on-line marketing tools.

The addition of Mobile Websites to DragonFly 360 Imaging’s current services will allow their current and future clients to have the competitive edge in marketing their property listings and businesses utilizing these advanced marketing tools in the Albuquerque-Rio Rancho area.

Dale Hart, Owner of DragonFly 360 Imaging stated: “We are very excited to be able to offer this new service to our clients. Our Mobile Websites offer Real Estate Professionals the opportunity to display all of their listings, photos, Virtual Tours and information in a format compatible with Mobile devices. In addition, it allows for lead capture. The addition of Mobile Websites to our already powerful line-up of marketing tools will give our clients the competitive edge they need in this tough market.”

Since mid 2008, DragonFly 360 Imaging has continually led the way in the Albuquerque area with marketing implementations such as interactive HD virtual tours, virtual staging, panoramic listing sign riders, single property websites, listing syndication, mobile TXT marketing, virtual tour traffic reporting and social networking training.

Dale Hart
DragonFly 360 Imaging
Albuquerque virtual tour
http://www.DragonFly360Imaging.com
Order a Mobile Website Today: 505-962-2207 

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New in Town

Hello from the newbie folks, this is my first virtual tour blog as a tour provider with RTV.

I started my Port Moody virtual tour company this fall and I’m honored  to do real estate photography, Virtual Tours  in Vancouver, BC.  This was quite a journey from the beginning, when the idea of combining my passion to photography and background in IT started transforming to a new business. Luckily for me, in RTV – provider of a killer all encompassing virtual tour company start up package, hosting and virtual tour software I found people who think the same way as I am and have already developed the product that works. And most importantly, they offered what I was missing - tools and techniques how to sell it. Their recorded RTV webinars are priceless and I did not see anything like this on other virtual tour provider websites. In return I would like to  share some of my own mistakes and “tips and tricks” that I learned in the past as a photographer and in recent past as RTV dealer.  I hope my blog could be useful to people who just started in this field or looking into this opportunity and have a lot of questions.
  
 So below some bits and pieces of what I’ve learned so far:

Virtual Tour Hardware -there is a HUGE difference in results of your work depending on type of lens that you use. Particularly when you are shooting for realtors, they need to show properties wide and open- something that you can’t do with regular lenses and they will hire you in many cases only because you can make even small and dark apartment look presentable on pictures. If you don’t have the camera yet and need to choose one, choose the combination that is already tested by RTV engineers and they have a lens file for your camera/ lens. This will significantly speed up the set up process in RTV.
       
Workflow - Always use laptop to check your pics after the shooting. I had an accident  when  I turned the autofocus off for one shot and forgot to switch it on afterwards, as a result all the  following pics were out of focus. It took me hours to fix this tour in photoshop. When you shoot with wide lens, always check a viewfinder and find a position where your walls are straight, and parallel. Don’t use auto ISO settings, the camera may increase ISO to compensate for low light and you will get a noisy image. The most common choice – 200-400 for indoor and 100 outdoor.

Tough lightning- Shooting with aperture priority and flash disabled will give you an excellent results in room with even light, but will not work if you have bright background. For example, windows open on a sunny day.  To resolve overexposed windows situation, try to use external flash or HDR photography.  When you shoot HDR, make sure you set your EV points so you capture all spectrum of light, for example your darkest photo should not cut any of your shadows and brightest photo should preserve all highlights, use histogram on your camera to check it. There is a lot of excellent books available that can help you in the beginning, my favorites are “How to take photos that move houses” by Ed Wolkis and “Practical HDR” by David Nightingale.

And the most important what I’ve learned, -add a little art to your work, don’t make your pics dry and dull like a court evidence. Have fun!



Here is a recent virtual tour that I shot: http://rtvpix.com/RE-5061-EWTJGD-01

Alex Novikov
West Technolink- Vancouver Virtual Tours
http://virtually360.com
Order a virtual tour: (877) 577-8687

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A Virtual Tour Emergency

No...This is NOT Nancy. ;0

 I remember when I started my Nova Scotia virtual tour business http://www.supernovastudios.ca a year ago some of the naive misconceptions I had about the business.

First, I thought my phone would ring off the wall, with very little effort on my behalf. I was a FIRM believer in my product, had teamed up with RTV the leader in virtual tour software and was sure everyone would be scrambling to buy my virtual tours. Not so much. Nova Scotians are behind the times, real estate agents are not used to investing any money into their properties and didn't recognize the value of interactive media. Over 90% of agents don't even have their own websites!! YEIKES

It took a lot of hard work on my part by first; taking the social ignition course offered through the RTV Inner Circle Marketing, then rewriting the course for Canadians and finally offering classes to local Realtors. Bit by bit they were seeing the light.

My second largest misconception was that by purchasing an expensive DSLR camera (Canon Rebel EOS) I would magically become a professional photographer. Again... not so much. I read my manual - 3 times. I hired the local photographer to give me classes. I took online video tutorials, bought books from Chapters, but have never been happy with my photos. And, never relaxed while shooting the photos. One house I had to go back to 3 times. Another house the photos were all black and I had to lighten 200% in Photoshop. I had stitching error after stitching error and couldn't wait until the day when I could outsource my photography.

One of my biggest accomplishments in the past year is the number one spot on Google for my keywords. Go ahead and search for Nova Scotia virtual tours. I started on page 7 and it took a year of blogging, keeping the content fresh on my site, paying attention to keyword density and MORE blogging to get there. Blood sweat and tears - but it's a pretty powerful feeling to be able to control Google.

Last week I made my first 100% Search Engine sale because of that number one ranking on Google. Sotheby's International out of Toronto called this small town Nova Scotia virtual tour provider http://www.supernovastudios.ca to shoot a tour an hour and 20 minutes from my office. I was ecstatic, proud, but nervous. They are a top notch professional company with amazing photos on their site.

And what a day I had. I organize the night before. Empty all photos off the camera, charge the battery, load the car, print out directions - everything is ready to go. So when I set up in their living room 10 minutes ahead of schedule, I was organized. Imagine my surprise though, when after 3 photos my camera died! That's right! Deader than a nit! I broke out in a sweat, turned if off, turned it on, took out the battery, rubbed it - breathed on it, shook it - NOTHING! OMG!!!! Imagine my embarrassment to have to go to the home owner and tell them I can't shoot their tour today.

Of course the first thing they asked me was, "Didn't you bring a spare battery?????" "No" I said, "It's not the battery, it had a full charge". They were insistent the tour be shot that day, she had worked hard to clean the house, and I really wanted to accommodate her. So, back in the car I drive 45 mins to town to the ONLY camera shop in miles and buy a point and click!!! That's right - this "professional" virtual tour photographer bought a point and click camera. (Nikon P7000) The photographer and store owner assured me he had never heard tell of a Canon Rebel just dying like that....

I had been speaking with Daniel McAllister (a fellow RTV dealer and friend) about my photography woes just a week prior. He had sent me a link to one of his BEAUTIFUL virtual tours that he shot with a point and click. A seed had been planted and I had no idea just how quickly I would have the opportunity to make a decision that would be a complete game changer for me. As I was driving in to town, I knew.... there would not be another DSLR in my future.

Point and click in hand I leave for the 45 min drive back to the property and I realize - OMG my rotator is calibrated to the Canon? These pictures will NOT stitch. I put in an emergency call to RTV and had Jason, Torie AND Ben all working on my behalf. Ben dropped everything and talked me through calibrating the rotator on the spot. What was supposed to be a nice morning on the shore had become an all day affair.

With baited breath I downloaded the photos, opened them all in Photoshop and prepared to stitch. Praying, crossing my fingers, making promises to the Camera Gods. The photos looked good in Photoshop. I highlighted, removed shadows (by mid afternoon it was very overcast) but now it was the real test. Tour Builder.... And guess what? Yep - they didn't stitch as perfectly as they do when properly calibrated.

I had held it together all day. Was so proud of the way I accommodated the vendors and maintained my professionalism. In fact we became friends, exchanged home phone numbers and are going to dinner together this weekend. But when the pictures didn't stitch after a 9 hour day, this emotional girl was spilling tears on the keyboard. A quick glance at the clock and I realize RTV has gone home for the day. Plan B - my RTV family on Facebook!

I quickly write a status update (that only RTV dealers can see) and ask for help. Daniel McAllister was immediately there offering for me to send my pictures and he would try to stitch. (Daniel - I have mad love for you baby, you rock my world. xo) As I'm sending the photos to Daniel I'm looking at them, they look odd to me. Aren't they supposed to be on their side? I rotate them all in Photoshop and re-stitch, this time they stitch PERFECT! Duhhhh....

Check it out - http://rtvpix.com/RE-2536-JS8EB8-01  Not bad for the first time with my new camera and a calibrated rotator on the fly. But I couldn't have done it by myself. Without the team at RTV headquarters, Daniel and the other RTV Dealers who were quick to come to my rescue on Facebook.

So, I guess my largest misconception about my virtual tour business was that I was in it alone. I've NEVER been alone at RTV from day one. I belong to a team. A family. That stop what they're doing to be there for me. A team I can count on.

My little point and click is a game changer for the camera-phobic Nova Scotia virtual tour provider. The best in it's class it offers amazing resolution, HD video, and all you have to do is POINT AND CLICK! hahahaha No more stitching errors, no more re-shoots, no more black photos. I'm lovin' my point and click and I love RTV. Thanks guys! xo

To book your Nova Scotia virtual tour call 1-877-745-TOUR or visit our website at http://www.supernovastudios.ca

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

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A Virtual Tour Testimonial from Canada

I have been associated with RTV for five years now and I couldn’t be happier with the arrangement.  Jason is a dynamic and creative leader and we keep in contact with one another on a fairly regular basis.  He is also a listener, so ideas or suggestions are well received and technical support is only a phone call or email away with response immediate or at least same day.  Also, every Tuesday, RTV hosts a Virtual Tour Webinar which covers changes in the RTV virtual tour software, their products, camera procedures, virtual tour company marketing, photography tips and more.

The cost to start up your virtual tour business is minimal, especially if you already own camera equipment.  Be sure to set aside enough capital so you can promote yourself to the real estate industry and to senior’s residences, hotels, resorts, golf courses, RV Dealers, and others.

If you’re keen, a hard worker, and enthusiastic, you will have opportunity knocking at your door and remember, once you get started, or have any questions whatsoever, don’t hesitate to contact me.

Go get ‘em!

Sincerely,

Barry Blick
SPINNERMAX, INC. Real Estate Photography
Calgary Virtual Tours
Order a virtual tour: 403-850-0801

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Lenawee County Gets Social With D' Force

Toursdforce, a virtual tour provider for RTV (Real Tour Vision) the recognized leader in interactive 360 panoramic virtual tours and virtual tour software, Michigan, has announced our 2011 Social Networking Package called the Social Ignition. This package is Comprehensive and especially tailored to cater to small businesses and real estate agents who want to completely dominate the search engines.
Toursdforce, a Lenawee County virtual tour company and #1 property marketing firm has announced that it has launched the all new 2011 Social Networking package called the ‘Social Ignition’. This Social Networking package is its most comprehensive one yet, and is especially suited to businesses and real estate agents alike.

It includes: (1) Measuring your growth and setting up shop (Analytics & Tools), (2) Letting your voice be heard (Blogging), (3) Telling everyone about your current status (Micro-Blogging), (4) Showcasing yourself, your company, and establishing new contacts (Social Networking), and (5) Building STRONG back links to your website and blog submissions ( Social Bookmarking), among other topics.

Explaining the rationale behind the introduction of the new ‘Business’ 2011 Social Ignition course, Hal Holubik, Owner/ORGINIZER of Toursdforce says, “There are a lot of different ways that business owners and real estate agents can build social equity online. I want to share with them some of the best ways to build social equity online. Once business owners understand how to build social equity through this compact yet comprehensive guide to understanding and utilizing social media sites for industry awareness and to promote their characteristics and mission, they will have online consumers anxiously clicking on the link that will take them to their websites.”

What sets the ‘Business’ Social Ignition course apart is that it 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.

If you would like to find out how you can start to leverage the power of social networking and bookmarking I highly encourage you contact ToursDForce The course is a 10 week course that you’ll 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 contacting; Toursdforce! Once signed up for our free social networking, blogging, SEO, and back link building course you will receive one email every week for the next 10 weeks. This FREE course is open to all cliental of TDF!

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

Or if you’d like you can receive ALL 10 weeks right away and won't have to wait for them.

Not using Tours D’ Forces powerful marketing tools yet? To all other interested parties the E-Course is provided for nominal fee of $25 which is a great value for what you receive.

In addition to our E-Course, we also offer our in person classes which run’s $40 per person, or $600 for a brokerage (up to 15 agents).

Either way know this, if you use TDF technology you will NEVER have to pay for this material because we have it all right here for you for FREE!


Hal Holubik
Owner/Organizer
Tours D’ Force
http://www.toursdforce.com
Monroe Virtual Tours

Visit today to find out how Tours D’ Force can help your company leverage the depth and interactivity of the Web to create a memorable relationship with the customer that is available to them 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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The Right Tools

I've been working with Photomatix for at least a year and really like the results it gives me.  The colors are crisp as long as the exposures are bracketed properly.  I found another product that is great for upgrading your virtual tours to HDR too. If you are familiar with the Nikon NX2 software then you will enjoy these products as well.

NIK software is GREAT!  I can't say enough about this company.  Here is a link and see for yourself.
http://www.niksoftware.com/index/usa/entry.php

I purchased the complete edition and received the HDR Efex Pro for free.  If you attend the webinars prior to making your purchase, you get a 15% discount on what ever you purchase.  The webinars are great as well, they are very informative and provide an insight to each software version and how they work together. 
I still use Photomatix pro but my first choice is Nik HDR efex pro.  With the photos I have included one is with Photomatix and the other is with Nik HDR efex pro.  You should see the difference and why I prefer one over the other.

How does this apply to being a virtual tour provider with RTV?  I try to provide the best quality photographs to my clients as possible, no matter how few they may be.  Once an agent or broker sees my work and compare it to what they are currently getting, I should be able to get their virtual tour business.  (if there is any to get)  It's not always about price.  I believe having the right tools is how I can provide the best quality to my clients.  Nik software is a complete set of tools you may want to consider.

Good luck out there!

Real Tour Vision
Virtual Tour Software
888-947-8687

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The FORMULA 40 - The Pitch

 

When is the last time you had an appointment at a real estate office?  Furthermore; when is the last time you had an appointment in front of twenty to forty people and kept them ‘eye-poppin’ captivated for a full half hour. 

It’s a fact that you must go into your virtual tour meetings like this fully prepared to deliver a factual, well organized,  content rich presentation.  Your pitch means the difference between getting one virtual tour order at your meeting and landing five 360 tours with many more to come. 

Please join us on Tuesday November 23rd at 7:00 PM as Alan Fon, owner of http://www.IslandDigitalImages.com performs his start to finish sales pitch that has built his Corpus Christi virtual tour company to be one of the largest in the world.  All in the small town of Corpus Christi. 

Because of the invaluable contents of this show it will be an Inner Circle only event.  All Inner Circle members will receive their invitation via email prior to the show.  See you there!

Sincerely, 

RTV Virtual Tour Software

http://www.RealTourVision.com

Order a virtual tour today: 866-947-8687

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Supernova Studios 'Plugs In'

Greetings fellow RTV virtual tour Dealers from your Nova Scotia virtual tours provider Supernova Studios and Nancy Bain. http://www.supernovastudios.ca If you’re anything like me you stay on top of what’s new in Social Media AND can easily get caught up in the hype.

I watched the one hour video (below) for Kajabi a couple of weeks back and was reconsidering Aweber and planning how I could incorporate an online Social Networking course through Kajabi.

" Kajabi is a powerful platform that helps marketers store and deliver content, set up product launches, squeeze pages, sales pages, run membership sites and so much more". Check it out - but warning, it's hard not to get caught up in the hype. http://get.kajabi.com/sales_pages/1240

I've been loving the new Facebook Groups, and have been invited to some pretty elite and powerful "places" to share and learn.

One of my favs is the "Internet Marketing Mastermind Group -- a place to share and learn".  I've been following a discussion there with some very informed members who have taken the time to "get to the bottom" of Kajabi. The newest bang in Social Media marketing platforms.

With permission from my new friend Marvin Webster, I'd like to share with you a discussion at the group I mentioned above:

@ Marvin Webster - I did a spreadsheet analysis of Kajabi vs Wordpress and virtually everything it does can be done with Wordpress with the right plugings. The difference is setup/ and research since it takes more time to figure it all out with Wordpress. Kajabid also did not handle upsells and downsells well in my opinion and that was one area FusionHQ was very strong.

@ Marvin Webster - Some other points of comparison between Kajabi and FusionHQ was the number of sites you could build. Kajabi required the $199 monthly package to build more than one and then limited you to ten.

@ Marvin Webster - The content delivery network was mandatory with Kajabi and I am a little nervous losing control of my content. It was optional on FusionHQ. FusionHQ allowed an unlimited number of sites and was a one time cost of $997 a month instead of monthly. Future plugins were going to cost additional with Kajabi and with FusionHQ futre improvements are included. Still, when you compare what Wordpress will do for free it is hard to find a better value than Wordpress.

@ Johsua Zamora I think people really need to evaluate if they truly need and will use kajabi and products like it in their business today! And be able to monetize it today. I think there's been alot of people falling into the recent *buzz* surrounding kajabi and most people won't actually use or need it. They've used alot of the big names in IM to generate the buzz of course I don't doubt it's a great product but will you use it today or be paying $200/month for something you'll use 3-6 months from now.... Just my 2 cents 8)

There are two messages here folks: 1) Seek out and find like minded individuals (or groups) on Facebook, they can be a wealth of information. 2) When considering any new Marketing platform, do your homework, and try not to get caught up in the hype.

I use a self hosted WordPress site http://www.nsrealestatevine.com I provide this site as a service to local Realtors® to blog about their properties, current events and virtual tours. You can be guaranteed that I will be looking in to the plug-ins mentioned above and utilizing this VERY site to market my upcoming Social Networking classes.

Book your Nova Scotia virtual tours today: 1-877-745-TOUR or http://www.supernovastudios.ca


Supernova Studios
Pone 902-766-TOUR (8687)
Toll Free 1-877-745-TOUR (8687)

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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Lincoln Virtual Tours on RTV Webinars

After watching the "Great Exposure 2"  and the "Rock the Shot" virtual tour Webinars I felt the need to submit my first blog.  Ben and Jacque hosted some great shows that will help improve all the photography done for RTV.  I also want thank  Brett Weaver for sharing his tips on editing photos to create a great exposure as well as Mike Metzig's photographer who supplied us with sample images to show us the advantages of shooting in RAW.

Everything I've done for RTV to date has has been shot in jpeg but there is a difference in the end result along with preserving the quality of the original image. Unfortunately the attached pictures were not shot in RAW so the quality is not as good as it could have been.  Two of the things learned are shown in the pictures.  One, Straightening the picture gives a much more professional look.

Ben shared the story about Jim Blue submitting the pictures to a client that they ended up straightening.  That's a good example of how, even someone of that talent, can miss something when involved in looking at so many pictures for a long time. A good reason to have someone else look over your shots before submitting. A fresh set of eyes will see things from a different perspective. Two, Correcting the White Balance will also make a big difference. It's a very easy step, with most software, that will greatly improve a picture without over editing. The attached pictures were shot for Tour Track. By straightening the picture before cropping I was able too show more of the room, something the client wanted, without cropping out any crooked walls or lines. Correcting the White Balance also gave a more appealing look.  Not as dark or dingy.

Good luck out there everyone!

Randy Washam
Lincoln Virtual Tours
Order a virtual tour: 217-871-2130

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A Creative Sales Approach

Virtual tours produced under the umbrella of RTV www.realtourvision.com  are fulfilling the needs of the real estate industry. Keeping up with virtual tour technology and keeping ahead of the curve is what makes our work stand out above others.   The support is phenomenal, call anytime and a call back/answer is forthcoming within hours, if not immediately.  The Webinars are cost free and full of information that could be sold to us as dealers, but is given free and freely as well.  What an organization, almost family!!!!!

The latest Webinar on Fusion and HDR was great. I personally missed the first part due to finishing up a shoot, but I made it back and got in on the half way point.  I use Photomatix and like Ben said, it is free to trial use, but is relatively cheap, compared to a lot of others and it performs well and is soooooooooo easy to use. (Always Google for coupons for any software before you commit to buying it. I do and I save quite a bit of money!!)  Photomatix has HDR and Exposure Fusion. 

I tried HDR on some home fronts, but it is tricky to work with compared to the Exposure Fusion.  Exposure Fusion works great for those Elevation shots front, side &/or back.  While I was waiting for the bad news about my truck at the dealer, I had the bright idea of taking some shots on new cars in the showroom. I gave the salesmanager my card, explained that I just wanted to try out some shots with the idea that I’d send them to him and perhaps there could be something that could work for both of us.  I went back the next day to pick up my truck and made a point of talking with  the Sales Manager. He said, send those pics to me to look at.  I’m sending a couple of fused shots for comments, if you’d like.

Here is a link to a slide show with the front and side shots fused. I don’t mess with the settings,  yet!    http://rtvpix.com/slideshow/3133

Jim Hoback
Alamo Area Virtual Tours
San Antonio Virtual Tour Company
http://alamoareavirtualtours.com
Order a virtual tour: 210-325-2675

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The IMAGE | Shoot Like a Pro

Sign up for the next episode of The IMAGE!

Would you like to Shoot Virtual Tours Like a Pro? Plan to join us for a fantastic new series of The IMAGE - Shoot Like a Pro. This next series of training webinars is really exciting to me because we are going to cover the aspects of photography that some of you struggle with.  Frequently dealers ask me, "What can I do to improve my photography?"  After looking through many of your photos and speaking with our Tour Track team, I created a series of webinars to address the specific areas that we see many of you struggling with.  Shoot Like a Pro is the answer!

This webinar series is for all skill levels, from the beginner to the seasoned photographer. Even a great photographer has room for growth.  During this live webinar you can ask your specific questions and get them answered right there on the spot.  Join us and begin your journey to shooting like a pro!

Sign up for the next episode of The IMAGE

Real Tour Vision is...
Virtual Tour Training
Virtual Tour Software
Virtual Tour Marketing
Everything Virtual Tours
866-947-8687
http://www.RealTourVision.com

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HD Slideshow Technology Tip

This months virtual tour software tech tip covers a few updates and hints regarding the new HD slideshows.  We are continually improving how the slides function and recently adjusted the Ken Burns effect so that it no longer zooms in on random points. The overall effect is much more pleasing. In the near future we will add a control option so that a specific point on the image can be chosen for the zoom effect. We also made the thumbnail carousel area less sensitive to mouse location and reduced the speed of the slideshow.

Look for more changes to come as we fine tune this new technology. We are very pleased with how far V - Slides have come and are appreciative of your feedback.  Keep sending comments our way so we can create and deliver the features you want and need!

We also want to make sure you are aware that our standalone slideshows can be sent to Realtor.com.  Our slideshows generate automated hit stats reports that are sent out on Sunday, just like the virtual tour reports. The slideshows also have a "Slideshow created by" credit in the lower right corner.

Last of all, if you plan on putting a slideshow on a virtual tour make sure you upload your HD images BEFORE you make the slideshow. If you make the slideshow first, the low resolution images from the tour will be used.   If you do not add HD images, the slideshow will look pixelated when viewed in the full screen version.  So take advantage of the full screen option and make sure your images are NOT pixelated by uploading your HD images BEFORE creating your slideshow!


RTV, Inc
Virtual Tour Software Company
866-947-8687 Ext 4
Order a Virtual Tour Today!

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The FORMULA 39 - Tour Talk

Do you have one of those really stumper questions burning inside you?  Do you need advice on how to roll out or price your products?  Are you confused as to how you should be selling one of our marketing tools?  Perhaps there's a competitor in your town you just can't seem to shake. 

Whatever the case may be, by now most of you have sat in on an RTV webinar only to find yourself yelling out a question that was left unanswered. Now it's your turn and time for you to 'Stump the Chump' on our very first episode in a series called Tour Talk.

Please join myself and a member of the RTV IBA (Independent Business Advisor) staff on Tuesday November 9th for the FORMULA 38 - 'Tour Talk'.  This Episode of The FORMULA will allow you, the listener, to participate in the show by asking questions during the show.

Participants will be chosen randomly and will have an opportunity to ask a sales and or marketing related question.  We highly encourage you to write down a question or two that you would like to have answered prior to the show so you're well prepared.

See you on the show!! Sign up now in your TMS!

Sincerely,

Jason

Like us! http://www.facebook.com/RealTourVision

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Aerial Photography for RTV Dealers

After the webinar from Tuesday October 19th were John Hokkanen from SurfTheTurf.com presented the PolePixie I called him the next day to pick-up my Pro Adapter Three Piece Kit.

John’s business is located in beautiful Encinitas just about 15 miles North where my San Diego Virtual Tour is located. Being that he is so close to me, I had the privilege to meet John in person. I learned that he is not only selling his PolePixie creation, but he is also a great photographer and real estate broker. It was a pleasure meeting him.

The PolePixie brings us elevated or aerial photography. Best illustrated with the following pictures (courtesy of SurfTheTurf.com). The picture below is taken at eye level and the picture below that is taken with an 18 ft pole.

Photo Travel Trips is now offering this great aerial photography service. In our next blog we will show sample photo’s and talk about our experiences with the PolePixie.

Thank You,

Mathieu Jonkers
Photo Travel Trips
www.PhotoTravelTrips.com
San Diego Virtual Tours
Order a virtual tour: 858-348-4746

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