Browsing the archives for the Helpful Tips category

Please, let us take your photos

Comments Off on Please, let us take your photos
21 Aug, 2007
Helpful Tips, Home Staging, Photography, Real-Estate

It happens more often than I’d like – I come across a photo of a property, taken by a Realtor, that just… well… could be soooo much better.

If I had more time, maybe I’d start a collection of photos that shouldn’t have been used.

Here are my two examples of the day. The heading of the first photo made me laugh: “Spacious Dining Area”.

Spacious Dining Area

I hope the spacious dining area wasn’t too offended at my laugh – but it’s a photo of a window, and shows no spaciousness whatsoever!

This next one was used as the main listing photo:
Main Listing Photo

It looks like a picture of a doorway, doesn’t it? Could this really be the front of the property?

I’m sure that these Realtors are excellent at their job. However, they aren’t photographers. I certainly wouldn’t want to buy or sell a property without a Realtor – why should a Realtor market their photos without hiring a professional?

We have a very competitive Introductory Special that should encourage all Realtors to try our services… unless they are afraid of getting a taste of something they’ll want to eat a lot of. Was it Pringles that advertised “you can’t eat just one”? I definitely stayed away from Pringles after that, knowing that they were probably right.

However… getting to my point. We’ve got the best Real Estate Photography and Video in Vancouver. Try it out.

http://www.vopenhouse.ca/blog/129/please-let-us-take-your-photos/

Real Estate – breaking language barriers, it’s an international market! vTranslate that into sales!

Comments Off on Real Estate – breaking language barriers, it’s an international market! vTranslate that into sales!
14 May, 2007
Helpful Tips, News, Real-Estate, Site Updates, Technology

We have been quite busy here at Video Openhouse, not too busy to launch the occasional new service. We have spoken before about how our videos have been seen around the world. Well, now we have a new service to help capture some of that larger global audience. vTranslate allows us to display property information in various languages.

Have a property in an area dominated by specific ethnic groups? Have a buyer who’s English is poor? or who has family back home they want to get approval from? How about trying to sign your next client by cross promoting in Korean? Chinese? Farsi? Impress your buyers and sellers now, their friends and family will find you later.

On a video we recently produced for Kasha Riddle at 1061 Blue Grouse Way. We tested our new vTranslate service. vTranslate allows us to use show a translated version of the property description in almost any language you choose. All of our translations are created by people, not error prone computer software. If you would prefer to write your own translation we will gladly enter it into the system for you.

Translate you words into sales!

Example showing the ability to change languages in Video Openhouse Property Tours

http://www.vopenhouse.ca/blog/122/real-estate-breaking-language-barriers-its-an-international-market-vtranslate-that-into-sales/

Widgets, Widgets, Widgets…

Comments Off on Widgets, Widgets, Widgets…
May, 2007
Helpful Tips, News, Real-Estate, Technology

Ever wanted to show people some of your most recent videos, but don’t want the hassle of having to keep things up to date? We can help you set up a nice little customizable widget that will take care of it for you!

Here are some of Jim Noonan’s recent works!


Sorry it probably won’t work in email, you might have to come to the site for a visit!

http://www.vopenhouse.ca/blog/123/widgets-widgets-widgets/

Camera ≠ Good Photos

Comments Off on Camera ≠ Good Photos
24 Mar, 2007
Helpful Tips, News, Photography

Why is it that everybody and their mother thinks they are a great photographer? Just because you own a digital camera does not necessarily mean that you take good pictures. I own a great set of golf clubs, yet I am not Tiger Woods, Mike Weir or even close to a good golfer. Our $129 Introductory Special includes our photography services yet I have heard countless times that we “don’t need to bother with the photos”.

At Video Openhouse, we provide COMPELLING high-quality content for your mls/realtylink listing and website. Our photography is affordable, just $40 with a video tour. I suggest that you compare your pictures to any of our galleries.

Video Openhouse Photo

For those of you who insist on taking your own pictures for your listings, here are some tips:

Know your camera – Most cameras have a multitude of settings, most of which, we know nothing about. The automatic setting allows for allows for the widest variety of conditions, but rarely takes the best possible picture. A little bit of experimenting will go a long way to improving your pictures.

Hold The Camera Still – Any camera motion when the shutter is open will result in a loss of the sharpness in the photo. Try to keep the camera as still as possible. Purchasing a tripod can help you accomplish this for those of you with shaky hands.

Practice, practice, practice – The great thing about digital cameras is that it doesn’t cost anything to develop the pictures. So fire away. Take lots of shots with different settings, at different angles.

Try Picassa – Google offers free software, Picassa, to find, organize and share all the photos on your computer. It also has a great set of tools that allow even the novice user to dramatically improve their photos easily.

Rumour has it that Adobe will be offering an online version of Photoshop in the near future. They currently offer a similar service, Adobe Remix on the Photobucket website. Stay tuned. For all us photo enthusiasts, stay tuned.

http://www.vopenhouse.ca/blog/118/camera-%e2%89%a0-good-photos/

Real Estate Photography, The NY Times & Open House’s

Comments Off on Real Estate Photography, The NY Times & Open House’s
12 Feb, 2007
Helpful Tips, Photography, Real-Estate, Testimonials

We found an article in The NY Times titled “Making Every Pixel Count” about how photography may be your best chance at getting people to come view a property. This reinforces what we have been saying about listing pictures,

In the first paragraph they get straight to the point

“Less-than-flattering pictures can turn buyers off and lead to lonely open houses”

and

Good photos will grab people’s attention and help you sell a home.

Our photos stand out. People who know us tell us that they can spot our pictures immediately, that they stand out from the rest.

http://www.vopenhouse.ca/blog/112/real-estate-photography-and-the-ny-times-porticos-carrara-building/

Canadian New Housing Site (Forums & Websites & Blogs, oh my!)

Comments Off on Canadian New Housing Site (Forums & Websites & Blogs, oh my!)
10 Feb, 2007
Helpful Tips, Real-Estate, Technology

I recently came across a website that claimed to list new houses & condos Canada wide. This site had listings in Ontario, Alberta & BC. I wanted to learn more so I entered their forum area to see what people were saying. To my dismay, the forums were littered with spam, I could not count a single legitimate post.

Real Estate Blogs & Forums can be a great addition to a real estate website. If you are thinking of starting or maintaining a blog or forum, I would suggest getting advice from someone who can help you maximize the benefits. Dara Sklar of Realty Support can assist you with all of your website needs & questions.

http://www.vopenhouse.ca/blog/111/forums-websites-blogs-oh-my/

Google Tools For Real Estate Professionals

Comments Off on Google Tools For Real Estate Professionals
8 Jan, 2007
Helpful Tips, Real-Estate, Technology

I had a friend forward some interesting information about Google’s new Tools For Real Estate Professionals webpage.  It seems that Google has increased interest in the real estate industry.  And they have some very impressive statistics support their cause.  They claim that “over 56% of all Internet searches on ‘real estate’ and related terms are conducted on Google … and the majority of those searchers are actively looking for listings or referrals to brokers and agents.” 

By providing a suite of useful tools for professionals in the real estate industry, is Google attempting to bolster their listing service, Google Base?  That would seem to be the case.  Recently, Google Base upgraded their interface and created tools to easily publish real estate listings.  Posting a listing on Google Base also ensures that the property will be indexed by their search engine.  Google’s listing service is a great tool, but it is a distant second in comparison to the free listings leader, craigslist.

Most of you will already be familiar with the tools:

Google AdWords – Cost-per-click keyword advertising for effective local lead generation

Google Maps – High performance mapping experience

Google Earth – Harnesses the power of 3D satellite imagery

Local Business Center – Submit business listings easily

SketchUp – A powerful tool for creating, presenting, and modifying 3D models

The Tools for Real Estate Professionals webpage failed to mention their other free products such as Gmail, Google Calendar, Online Spreadsheets and Picassa (photo organization).  By providing easy to use tools, Google will be able to attract more real estate listings, and ultimately create a better search experience for anyone looking for real estate.  But can they catch craigslist?

 

http://www.vopenhouse.ca/blog/92/google-tools-for-real-estate-professionals/

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