Dizzy? Stop Using 360 Tours!

Comments Off on Dizzy? Stop Using 360 Tours!
News

I was looking at real estate video tour providers in other cities and I stumbled upon Nashua Video Tours. They are a New Hampshire based company that services the New England area including Boston. They have a promotional video that starts off by asking, “When was the last time you walked into a house and spun around like a top?” I have yet to hear of anyone that truly likes the experience of using a 360 tour (panoramic tour) to view a house. With video on the Internet quickly approaching the broadcast quality of television and consumers wanting the convenience of video on demand, video is without a doubt, the ideal medium to showcase a home on the Internet. Stop making potential home-buyers dizzy, get a Video Openhouse Tour!

Here is the Nashua Video Tours promotional video. Enjoy!

Unique Vancouver Condos – Arthur Erickson’s CHOKLIT

Comments Off on Unique Vancouver Condos – Arthur Erickson’s CHOKLIT
News

We have been so fortunate to produce real estate video tours of some of Vancouver’s most interesting and unique homes. In a previous post, Modern Condos In Vancouver, I wrote about the video we produced for Jim Noonan of Macdonald Realty for ROAR_one in Point Grey. Last week Andrew Hasman asked us to produce a real estate video tour for CHOKLIT, 1174 West 7th Avenue, an Arthur Erickson designed concrete building that houses 3 unique and exclusive residences. The Fairview Slopes home was incredibly spacious, with 30 foot ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows and a huge roof-top deck. The views of downtown Vancouver were as spectacular as they get. After filming such an incredible home, I am looking forward to seeing the new Concord Pacific luxury condo, The Erickson, also designed by Arthur Erickson. The tower twists as it rises skyward. It is really a striking design. I am interested in how he will be applying his design philosophies, providing a modern urban experience with a european influenced neighbourhood feel, to a tower.

Please have a look at the video for CHOKLIT.

CHOKLIT - Dining RoomCHOKLIT - Office
CHOKLIT - KitchenCHOKLIT - StairsCHOKLIT - Family Room
CHOKLIT - View

Can Woodward’s Revitalize Gastown?

Comments Off on Can Woodward’s Revitalize Gastown?
News

I have lived in Vancouver for a year now. I am still enamoured with the city as I was that first sunny day last February. But I am mystified by the urban decay that exists in the corridor between Gastown and Chinatown. One of our first video shoots was for a unique loft space on Water Street. I remember thinking how interesting Gastown was, refreshingly different than the rest of Vancouver. Still to this day, I am drawn by the narrow streets, the brick-lined roads and the unique loft spaces that are symbolic of Gastown.

Can the Woodward’s development (www.woodwardsdistrict.com) revitalize Gastown and the surrounding area? According to the City of Vancouver Website (www.city.vancouver.bc.ca), “the redevelopment of the Woodward’s building is, both practically and symbolically, key to the revitalization of the Downtown Eastside.” Units at Woodward’s became available at what is now seen as the peak of the real estate frenzy in Vancouver. All 536 units were sold in 1 day. The 2 residential towers that consist of the Woodward’s project are expected to be complete in December 2009, shortly before Vancouver hosts the Winter Olympics.

Here is a video montage of the demolition of the Woodward’s building last September from the City of Vancouver Website

Units Available For Sale In New 162 Storey Condo

Comments Off on Units Available For Sale In New 162 Storey Condo
News, Real-Estate

I would like to thank Grant Sorensen, who recently stumbled across our blog. Grant, who shares my interest in all the development that is occurring around the city, pointed out that our blog post titled, “Vancouver Condos Recently Completed, Under Construction or Proposed” is in need of updating. The Orpheum Condominiums Project, 833 Seymour Street is now known as Capitol Residences, www.capitolresidences.com. He also pointed out a development that I overlooked, Atelier on Robson.

Grant also suggested I look at a new development in Dubai. The Burj Dubai has been under construction since April, 2005. Its final height is officially being kept a secret due to competition; however, rumours suggest that the final height will exceed 800 metres (2600 feet) and the total number of liveable floors is expected to be 162. I was able to find a 1100 square foot unit for sale for 2500000AED, which amounts to just over $800000 CAN. That seems to be quite a bargain in comparison to downtown condo prices here in Vancouver. If you are interested in purchasing a unit in the building, check out the official website, www.burjdubai.com for more information.

Using Print Advertising? – Print Quality Photos

Comments Off on Using Print Advertising? – Print Quality Photos
News, Photography

If you have read my blog posts in the past, you will know that I have been trying to persuade realtors to reposition their marketing dollars away from traditional print-based advertising to online sources such as our Video Openhouse Tours. Our clients are already aware of our exceptional real estate photography, but may not know about the other photography-based services we offer. For those of you that still run print ads, we offer high-resolution, 6mp photos, ideal for all print-based advertising. Pre-ordered DVD/CD’s of a complete gallery can be ordered for an additional $20. We will include the disc with your Video Openhouse DVD that we send to your office. If your are on a tight deadline, consider using our same-day service for print-quality photos. We can prepare up to 4 images and send them directly to your printer/editor for only $30.

We are commited to providing the best products and service for all our clients. Remember, our price lists for both Vancouver and Victoria are available for everyone to see on our website, Price List.

Video Openhouse Blog and Google AdSense

Comments Off on Video Openhouse Blog and Google AdSense
News, Technology

We share an office with the Chief Technology Officer, Theo Wong, of UberJobs (http://www.uberjobs.com/). UberJobs is a free site for job postings, resume postings, and employment searches. A couple of weeks ago, we started talking about revenue models for our two companies. Theo spoke about the enormous potential for ad revenue on websites with significant amounts of traffic. UberJobs plans to attract thousands of users with its free listings and clean interface and in return, generate income through the use of Google AdSense.

AdSense is a simple method to generate income from a website by displaying ads that are “deemed” relevant, “matched to the characteristics and interests of the visitors your content attracts”. We decided to experiment with AdSense on our blog. Our clients can rest assured that advertising will not be appearing on their custom webpages. Nor will you find ads on any other part of our website. I was just wondering if I could use the proceeds to buy a Tim Horton’s coffee.

Feel like advertising on our blog? Contact us or

Real Estate Channel – 3 Free Listings

Comments Off on Real Estate Channel – 3 Free Listings
News, Real Estate Channel, Real-Estate

I just spoke with Leon Ng of the Real Estate Channel (www.realestatechannel.ca). He informed me that they are offering new members 3 free listings a month for a year. To become a member, a realtor needs to only purchase one of their packages. Their packages are affordable and in return they receive a 30 second advertisement video in rotation on their network and the video hosted on their website. The Real Estate Channel works hard to promote realtor listings. They also have done a great job supporting/promoting their clients by drawing from their membership when they need real estate experts for their on-air interviews.

For our clients that are interested in this offer, we are able to produce your video for the Real Estate Channel as part of our services. Do you have a few active listings? Interested in advertising on television? Video Openhouse can help you get your listing on the Novus Network’s Real Estate Channel.