Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Apartment Photography by TDF, LLC.

Why Apartment Photography & TDF Interactive Apartment Virtual Tours?

We live in a world where styles change constantly and fresh images and interactive virtual media are always in demand. Professionals in every field, especially housing, must be aware of these changes and possess the flexibility and imagination to stay ahead of the trends.

The new rules of internet marketing are moving away from traditional monologue and making interactive virtual media a MUST. The central goal of online marketing is ENGAGEMENT. This means getting your customer or potential client involved with your apartment and staff before they ever actually pick up that phone. When customers like what they see this creates a virtual relationship between your apartment complex and the customer right there on the Web. It hooks them in and encourages the most qualified clients, and serious inquiries to reach out to you online.

Does your apartment complex need a virtual makeover? If you’re ready to take on more renters and fill your complex as soon as possible, let TDF help today! With our apartment photography and HD virtual tour services we can be sure to help give you the boost that you’re looking for. If you have outdated and unprofessional pictures of your apartments, clubhouse, pools, fitness centers, laundry areas, and offices, we can help turn it all around.

At TDF we specialize in professional apartment photography and much more. Not unlike real estate photography, having good images and solid virtual tours for each of your apartments can mean the difference of several leads. The fact that “photographs and virtual tours” are the most commonly used tool while searching for real estate and apartment rentals alike, it's more important than ever to invest in continual upkeep on the images you provide to potential renters.

Welcoming in people online through our professional and high resolution apartment photography will start getting you the renters you want sooner than you might think. Generally, as in real estate, the more pictures the better. You want to make sure that you are showing off your best features and that the onlookers can see everything that would be important to them when looking for a new place to call home. A riveting tour of the different floor plans, the common area, the grounds, and more could easily help a potential client choose you over the competition. Engaging people through your listings and letting them interact with you before they even step foot at your apartment complex is a key element in gaining more renters and earning you more money!

TDF, LLC.
517-486-4209
Hotel Photography & National Photography Service


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Monday, April 2, 2012

Assisted Care Virtual Tours & Photography Service

We live in a world where styles change constantly and fresh images and interactive virtual media are always in demand. Professionals in every field, especially on the web, must be aware of these changes and possess the flexibility and imagination to stay ahead of the trends.

The new rules of internet marketing are moving away from traditional monologue and making interactive virtual media a MUST. The central goal of online marketing is ENGAGEMENT. This means getting your customer or potential client involved with your assisted care facility, your products, and even your staff. When customers like what they see this creates a virtual relationship between your assisted care center and the customer right there on the Web. It hooks them in and encourages the most qualified clients, and serious inquiries to reach out to you online.

Does your assisted care facility need professional photography or virtual tours of multiple locations? Let RTV use our vast network of professional photographers to provide you with high quality, high resolution digital photographs and save money. We cover all areas of the US and 27 additional countries, so it doesn't matter where your assisted care centers are located!

Coordinating with multiple photographers for several assisted care photography shoots in multiple locations is a serious administrative burden on your business. With RTV you avoid the headache of locating, hiring and coordinating suitable photographers for multiple locations. We streamline the process, providing you with high quality professional service at a consistent and affordable price. You get professional results faster at a lower cost without sacrificing your image.

We offer nationwide coverage with hundreds of virtual tour photographers that cover coast to coast locations which is why so many companies enjoy using our assisted care photography service and getting professional photography at an incredibly low price! Other virtual tour and photography services may only cover large cities and metropolitan areas and take months to get to your assisted care center. RTV provides worldwide commercial photography services with its extensive network of over 1500 professional photographers and can therefore have each assisted care facility completed within two weeks. 

See you on site!

Team RTV & TDF
http://www.RealTourVision.com
http://www.toursdforce.com 
Order Virtual Tours & Photography Services Today: 
National - 866-947-8687 
Local: 517-486-4209
Offering Hotel Photography Too!

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Friday, March 30, 2012

Professional Real Estate Photography & High Quality Virtual Tours

Why are quality professional photos so important in selling your property?

Pictures in real estate are one of the main selling points to get you the money you deserve for your home or business; plain and simple. But there are many more in depth reasons that lead to success as a part of good images.

Pictures that are of a bad quality and don’t highlight the best attributes of your home are not only a turn off to potential buyers, but will indefinitely lead to fewer leads and offers throughout the sales process. Having a good set of pictures to show of your real estate cannot just be worth a thousand words but thousands of dollars as well.

Buyers across the country have rated photographs the most useful tool while searching for their real estate because people are naturally drawn to visuals for convincing. 80% of people who purchased a new home in 2006 used the internet while searching for their next purchase according to a survey of buyers and sellers alike. Photographs are known by agents as being one of the most important impressions and sometimes, the only impression, a seller has to make before the purchaser moves on.

Think of photos of your real estate like the warm in person handshake to the potential buyer. It welcomes them into what you’re selling and shares with them the most important details of what they are looking to buy. It is not only a first impression; it can quickly be the last if not done properly. A strong visual of the real estate you are looking to sell can be the most vital part of finding the perfect buyer. Having a solid marketing campaign means you have a riveting set of high quality and quantity photographs of your home to let the purchasers know how important this is to you and them as well. You can also use these photographs for the virtual tour, websites, brochures, flyers, photo boards, newspaper adverts, and so much more. Paying for great value images is not a one-dimensional purchase by any means.

The “multiple photographs and virtual tours” are consistently the highest rated feature of online research for homes followed by “map/directions”.  People need a crisp and clear visual of what they are looking for before they commit to a showing. You can add more photos to your web listing than any other medium and for a fraction of the cost. This will prove to the impending buyer that you have nothing to hide and much to highlight when it comes to your lovely real estate up for sale.

There was a study which monitored listings over a 30-day period; this study showed that properties which featured just one photo generated about five views and 1.37 leads opposed to listings that had over 21 images which received over 77 views and close to 11 leads. The remarkable outcome of this study proves whole-heartedly just how important virtual tours and visuals are to potential buyers.

Look at this study relating to the number of photos that a listing posts. It compares photos to the number of Days on Market (DOM). Here is the analysis proving that more photos on a listing help sell the home faster:

1 photo lasted = 70 DOM
6 photos lasted = 40 DOM
16-19 photos lasted = 36 DOM
20 photos max = 32 DOM
  
Now, take a look at the Final Price as a percentage of the Original Price, showing that properties with fewer photos sold for less:

1 Photo = 91.2% of Original Price
6 or more = 95% of Original Price
   
According to these studies, a $600,000 home, showing off only one photo, could sell for as much as 3.8% LESS or a loss of over $22,000, just because there was only one photo and no virtual tour accompanying the listing! More shocking is the fact that only 12% of agents posted 20 photos or more, demonstrating that if you put in the quality and quantity of photos buyers want, you will not have much competition to sell.

Now think about this, photos are the most important factor to selling, right? Well, the previous findings we talked about don’t even go into depth of the importance of the QUALITY of these photos. Just think of the power of an amazing photo compared to one taken by a haphazard real estate agent who knows nothing of photography? The difference could mean thousands of dollars in your pocket and several weeks or months of days on the market.

“LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION” is really “PHOTOGRAPHY, PHOTOGRAPHY, PHOTOGRAPHY!” If you think of selling your home as a business, you’ll be in the right mind set. You clearly want to get the job done in the fastest way, make the most out of it as possible, and do so without breaking the bank. Virtual tours with good quality photos are never a waste of money due to the large return on your investment. The difference between substandard agents who carry along an inexpensive digital camera is obvious to everyone looking at the listing when compared to top-notch photographs by a professional. It shows not only professionalism but the fact that the seller is serious about giving potential buyers not only quality information and photos on the property, but quality real estate as well!

The 4 most important things you gain by having high quality professional images for your marketing tools are:

1. Generating more interest in your property
2. Attracting more viewers and leads
3.Generating higher offers and a higher selling price
4.Faster sale

The most important thing to realize when looking to sell real estate is this: the internet is the most powerful outlet you have and your interactive virtual tours and photographs are the most important tool. When plugged into the outlet of the internet you have a significantly higher chance at success when selling.  Give us a call today and let us photograph your properties. We're sure you'll see the difference right away!

Yours Sincerely,

Hal Holubik











Hal Holubik
http://www.Toursdforce.com
Local - 517-486-4209


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Video Productions or Virtual Tours

Travel suppliers are constantly looking for better ways to effectively market themselves on the internet and inevitably I get asked the question: “Video or virtual tours?”

It is just not that black and white, just varying shade of gray. Imagine you’re the new marketing manager of a resort hotel and the boss asks if you think they should create a promotional video or create virtual tours.
The first question you would ask yourself:
“How’s the photography!?”
Great, still images should be your foundation – that’s the starting point for prospects that may be motivated to see and learn more if they like the photos.

This is where videos and 360-degree virtual tours play a role.
The second question to ask the boss:
What’s the budget?”
A respectable video will cost $10,000 and up! This is not a place to skimp on cost and look for the cheapest production you can find – even when they brag about creating videos in HD (High Definition).



Video options

My six year old can shoot 1080p HD video using my iPhone, but she lacks composition and lighting skills. Good video requires some thought. You should expect a two to three-man production crew with a respectable production package (camera, lens(es), tripod, light kit, etc.).

Additional funds should be considered for production toys like a jib arm, dolly, steadicam, etc – things that help create fluid movement (otherwise you’re shooting postcards).

Other budgetary inflating elements to think about: scripting, voice over talent, music, aerials, on-camera talent (do you get paid models or wrangle hotel staff and guests), hair and make-up, wardrobe, art direction, graphics and special effects in post-production, etc.

You get the idea.

Video can get pricey, but an effective video generates higher conversions and increases the average daily rate because the consumer perceives greater value. A property with no video, or even worse a crappy video or a poorly created photo slide show, may devalue your offering.

Video should be a visual a teaser of the property highlights and your Unique Selling Proposition (USP). Video, especially a video viewed online, should be short – no longer than one to one and a half minutes.
The average viewer abandonment rate is 45% after the first minute (higher if the video lacks appeal). If you feel you can’t showcase the entire property in a minute or less, try breaking it into sub videos – an overview video, and sub videos to focus on specific areas: meeting spaces, golf course, spa, dining, activities, accommodations, and local area (highlights nearby).



360-degree tours

Back to our dilemma – video can be sexy and pricy (done correctly), but virtual tours (also referred to as 360s, 360-degree virtual tours, panoramic images, and virtual reality to name a few) are more affordable, provide a slightly different function in the sales cycle and in may deliver greater value or return on investment (ROI).

The investment to create good looking 360-degree virtual tours ranges from $250 to $500 per image (location). The crew would consist of one photographer with a camera, wide angle lens and tripod (with rotating head).

The production process is much faster and less intrusive to the property’s guests and staff. Like video costing, you can find VT photographers who produce “cheap” 360-degree virtual tours – but the old adage generally applies: you get what you pay for.

360-degree virtual tours have improved dramatically over the last decade – visuals that rival any high quality photo can now be displayed with full screen panoramic imaging that allow consumers to virtually look all around. It gives consumers an honest and accurate representation of the room, lobby, meeting space, restaurant, pool, etc.

Simply put, what you see is what you get.

Consumers interact with 360-degree virtual tours more with by clicking or selecting what they want to see and spend as much time as they want viewing them, whereas video is a linear presentation.Many of the newer 360 virtual tour players provide additional interactive elements such as detailed text descriptions, interactive property maps, supporting photos, and weather forecast.

Look at the booking cycle from the consumer’s perspective, the first elemental component would be good photography. If your property comes up when a consumer is searching for you and they see appealing photos they will stop and look.

If they like what they see (and it’s in their budget), they will go to rich media and reviews to vet and validate their selection. In the final stage of selecting a room type, a 360 image is a tremendous help.

Luxurious position

If the budget Gods have descended upon you and you can afford to do both, do it – they will both be used in the booking funnel and there’s something for everyone.

Make sure your visuals are in as many touch points with the prospective consumers as possible.
Don’t create a great content (video or VTs) and only show it on your website expecting prospects to flock – your job, as a marketer is to get your best visuals in front of as many prospects as you can within your budgetary constraints – distribute your content everywhere!

NB: This is a guest article by Henry Woodman, president of ICE Portal.

Thanks Henry! TDF Loves You Guys!

Yours Sincerely,

Team TDF
Lenawee County Virtual Tours 
Order a virtual tour: 517.486.4209

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Get Ready Lenawee County!

2011 was an amazing year here at Toursdforce.  We produced several  Lenawee County Virtual Tours in the Southern Michigan market helping homes sell faster.  We were pleased to see that many of you noticed several enhancements we implemented throughout the year including significantly widening our still shots with a hardware upgrade, increasing the quality of our still images with our D'Touch technology, delivering your listing images to you in a much cleaner and faster way, and finally, we increased the size of your virtual tour window to take full advantage of our High Definition images.  

What most of you don’t know, is that behind the scenes we’ve also been working on a brand new virtual tour software engine and back end management system that we’ll be releasing real soon.  Our Toursdforce Fusion system is a one of a kind that’s loaded with more bells and whistles than you can imagine.  We’ve been listening to you over the last four years and we know the feature sets you’re looking for.  

Get ready to enjoy the following new enhancements on our Toursdforce Fusion platform:

•    Full motion video support among your stills and panoramas
•    360 x 360 imaging support for those of you who want to go from ceiling to floor
•    HD Download virtual tours for MAC and PC
•    Hit reporting system with more details about your viewers than ever before
•    Multi agent tour support
•    Agent Toolbox allowing you to login and make instant changes or edits to your own listings
•    New HD virtual tour player
•    New DIY system for those of you currently using other DIY virtual tour systems
•    Much much more!

We would like to thank you so much for your continued support and we’re looking forward to "wowing" you and your team here in 2012.   

Yours Sincerely,

Hal Holubik
Lenawee County Virtual Tours
Order a virtual tour: 517-486-4209

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The Importance of Online Virtual Tours

Are you concerned about how to ensure your home gets the best marketing and exposure to qualified home buyers in today’s market conditions? Did you know that 84% of buyers turn to the Internet to look for homes?  Do you ever wonder what makes certain homes capture their time and attention?

Properties for sale that provide more information and more photos of course! Listings with plenty of information including a 360 tour of the home get the most attention online. In fact 99% of consumers surveyed prefer listings with virtual tours and multiple photos. Seems pretty obvious right? You all did a little shopping here over the past Holiday season right? Now imagine if on Amazon.com or eBay, an automotive supplier only showed a couple of lines of text describing each item offered. No photos, no feature rich information about the specifications, the warranty, or how to find or purchase the item. You wouldn’t spend much time on that type of website would you?  In fact, if you're like most of us you would close that site down and run to any other site out there serving up HD images and more description. 

Not too long ago, providing a quality, rich media showcase of a home for sale was a luxury item.  Now it is demanded by most buyers and is one of the minimum requirements for a real estate professional to effectively market a seller’s home to attract buyers. No longer is it acceptable to just put a sign in the front yard, purchase a 3 line classified ad, send out a batch of “Just Listed” postcards to the neighbors and hold an open house.

Real estate professionals who are proactive in leveraging the power of the internet must use online virtual tours and it's your job as their property marketing partner & photographer to remind them of this fact.  This year don't forget that you now more than ever have the numbers stacked in your favor when you go into a presentation.  They're going to use someone....why not you?

Good luck out there!

Sincerely,

Team TDF
http://www.Toursdforce.com
Virtual Tour Software & Digital Marketing Tools 
Order professional virtual tours: 517-486-4209

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Marketing Real Estate With Virtual Tours

Today people are so busy that they don’t have time to do anything. Between job, volunteer, and home responsibilities, people have limited time to complete even the smallest of tasks. From bill management to real estate searches, everything they do is done online.

The Real Estate profession is coming into its own when it comes to virtual tours. Marketing real estate is not an easy job, especially when people are trying to juggle personal and professional responsibilities in the shadow of having to move. Just ten years ago, the only ‘shopping’ options for those in the market for a new home were limited to a review of still pictures of houses with limited written descriptions, followed by actual visits to dozens of properties.

Today, having a virtual tour in your marketing strategy brings a whole new level to the industry. Look at your local competition’s marketing strategy. Do they consistently offer virtual tours for all of their listings? If more real estate companies provided virtual tours of homes for sale, they would increase their sales exponentially. The use of virtual tours not only helps potential buyers narrow down the homes they want to see but it also helps to free up the real estate agent’s time.

Agents can use virtual tours not only as lead generators for future listings, but also to weed out people who are not interested in some homes that the agent may have otherwise spent time introducing them to in person. Potential buyers have 24 hour access to all of the agent’s listings and when they finally call the real estate agent, they have a list of the houses they want to see up close. Less showings? Yes. More productive time management? Definitely.

TDF, LLC.
http://www.Toursdforce.com

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