Top Ten Reasons to Produce Virtual Tours as a Residential Agent
BlogNovember 11, 2019

Top Ten Reasons to Produce Virtual Tours as a Residential Agent

A virtual tour is not merely a digital trend to use for any type of business. Most property buyers consider real estate tour a must-have before they decide to inquire about any property. Most buyers also select properties based on online research. There are 10 reasons for real estate agents to use a tour builder in their practice, and these are the following:

1. Secondary Viewing

It’s best to use a virtual tour for every listing. This will serve as a strong sales material that can be sent along with the brochure. It’s not easy for the property buyer to keep on returning to the property to check it. So to save time and energy, buyers can just visit the virtual tour over and over again until they can finally decide to purchase it.

2. Online Rental

The world is more fast-paced than before. A large group of people relocates from one place to another to work or to study. For instance, in London, about 200,000 students move from China to London every year. Most of the time, these students have not been to the UK ever, yet they have to book their rental properties in advance. This is why they are dependent on online means. Virtual tours can facilitate the online process whether it is for renters, investors, sellers, or buyers.

3. Lead Generation

Lead generation is faster with the help of a virtual tour. It is also possible to use artificial intelligence by setting up chatbots for the communication to start right after the buyers’ attention is caught. It’s possible to generate a lead card by the time the virtual tour ends, and it will be sent to the agent directly.

4. Better Service for Customers

It’s always a must to respect customers. The agent has the responsibility to show the buyers what the property has to offer. Being pushy is a sign of disrespect. A virtual tour will enable you to step back and let the virtual tour do the talking. Most buyers are particular about being in control of the decision as regards the property and on the quality of experience they have when checking the property. A virtual tour will be able to provide them all the control and personal space to decide for themselves.

5. Reduce Useless Viewing

Agents have been reporting about 30 to 70 percent decrease in wasted viewings due to the virtual tour. It may not be easy to get quantitative data on the impact of a virtual tour, but it is obvious that applicants will be able to view properties online, visit only those that they are interested in, and be able to close deals faster.

6. Efficient Reporting to Owners for Rental Properties

Virtual tours can be used as part of the inventory report at the end of tenancies. They can provide extra insights which can provide evidence in case of any dispute. Photographic evidence has always been considered supporting collaterals in inventories and dilapidation schedules.

7. Be Able to Win More Listings

Any real estate agency aims to acquire new properties to market. An agent makes it a point to be different from competitors. Any kind of service that will make an agent stand out from the competitors will be able to secure any important listing.

Source: propertybase

8. Be Able to Show the Property to Everyone Important

Buying a property does not entail only one decision-maker. Usually, the buyer needs to ask for the decision of the husband, wife, children, or parents. It will be difficult to bring everyone during the in-person viewing. A virtual tour will allow everyone to view the property without multiple viewing sessions which will save the agent’s time and increase the likelihood of a sale.

9. Innovation

Real estate is not that fast in digital transformation, yet there are certain changes. The best real estate agencies are into each of their technological journeys. A virtual tour software is easy to implement and affordable tech solution. That’s why it’s always beneficial to innovate.

10. Content Marketing

Content has always been king in marketing. Virtual tours can present top-quality, high-level content. The overall value of providing attention-catching and tech-laden content has a great impact on several aspects of the business. A restaurant website that offers a virtual tour of its menu and location may likely have more clients than a site that only offers static images. That in itself is proof of content power.

If you like to know more about creating a virtual tour for your own company, check Virtual Tour Easy for more information.

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Virtual Staging Do's and Don'ts for Real Estate Professionals
BlogOctober 31, 2019

Virtual Staging Do’s and Don’ts for Real Estate Professionals

According to a report done by Redfin, 90 percent of home buyers look go online to view the properties they intend to buy. The report also added that 20 to 35 percent of the buyers make an offer for properties they have not even set foot in. This has made virtual staging a popular tool for sellers and agents to drive traffic to property listings that may otherwise be vacant.

There are best practices that can turn the process into a smoother one from a technical and ethical perspective. For instance, you need to be aware that adding more than furniture to the setup can cause problems. It is ethical for the photos to reflect the actual look of the property.

How to Take Original Photos

Make sure that you provide the stager with high-resolution photos to be used for the staging. This will make sure that the photos can be used in different formats for both online and offline applications.

Don’t use photos that are low resolution or those taken with a cellphone. This won’t be able to produce a high quality virtually staged product or a photo that can sell the property well.

It is necessary for you to hire the services of a professional photographer who knows how to set up the right lighting, take photos from the right height, and produce photos that show the accurate balance between floor and ceiling leading to the best results.

Ask the professional photographer to take the chest-level of the rooms to be staged and several other angles. This will give the stager good-quality base photos to work with. Each photo has to strike a balance between the ceiling and the floor which will make it easy for the stagers to add appropriate furnishings. In the end, the home has to be photographed as if it were already staged or decorated.

It is not wise to take photos on your own. You are better off hiring a professional. Poorly captured photos may make the furnishings cartoonish and unprofessional, having incorrect or inaccurate lighting, and not placed in the correct angle. There are many things to consider in virtual stagings such as building codes, traditional heights of furnishings and the rooms, standard measurements, and other design elements and factors. It is also necessary to possess a top-performing software to use in producing appealing photos of beautifully staged homes.

Understanding the Best Applications for Virtual Staging

Virtual staging may be used in rooms that have unique and unusual spaces that can be used as a fitness room, play area, game room, etc. Such rooms need more specific furnishings. Outdoor spaces are also great for virtual staging.

It’s not wise to throw away the vacant photos. These photos can be used to show the “before” and “after” staging photos. These photos can also be used to show two different spaces, one as a bedroom and another as a game room.

Virtual staging is a budget-friendly tool that only costs a fraction of the cost involved in traditional staging. Traditional staging costs $2,500 while the virtual version costs only $225. Virtual staging services are often paid by agents just like a virtual tour, drone videos, and 360-degree photography. A hybrid approach may also be used; it’s a combination of traditional and virtual staging processes.

Disclosure and Ethics in the Practice

It’s important to disclose to agents and buyers that the homes have been staged. The best place to do this is on the MLS listing. This is a good way for the information to be relayed to the aggregators you are interacting with. There are also those that brand the staged photos to avoid any kind of confusion.

It’s not smart to hire companies that do virtual staging by moving walls, adding paints, or changing the flooring and its color. These are already part of architectural rendering which is required for remodeling or designing a space. Virtual staging involves the placement of digital furnishings and decors into the photos of spaces in the property.

Virtual staging must also not be used to hide the flaws found in a property.

Use of Photos for Marketing

Make sure that the home is virtually staged before it is listed. The first two weeks when a listing is out online are important to creating a good impression. That means that from the very start the virtually staged photos must be appealing.

You may think outside of the box when it comes to using the photos of virtually staged rooms. They can be integrated into flyers and brochures for maximum impact. It is also possible to print and mount hard copies of the space to give the buyers an idea of how the room can be furnished.

Virtual staging, like a virtual tour, is a must for any property listing. If you want to get started on a virtual tour, sign up on our website!

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3D Photography Virtual Tours and Its Impact on the Hotel Industry
BlogOctober 24, 2019

3D Photography Virtual Tours and Its Impact on the Hotel Industry

Expert predictions' impact on technology in the hospitality and hotel sector is unanimous. Technology will continue to influence the guest experience and the entire booking process as well. Today, 3D photography influences the anticipation of the guests on their booked accommodation and quick responses to their queries on location, price, availability, etc. Before we deal closely with the benefits that 3D photography and virtual tours bring, it’s better to understand thoroughly the said technology.

3D photography or virtual photography is a three-dimensional and highly immersive capability that can bring a flat room image into a lifelike experience. It makes use of a 360-degree camera that can produce 360-degree images of a room or property. These images will then be collated as a collage of images that users can browse and explore online anytime they want.

This technology allows the user to step into a property and explore it as if he is there physically. It allows the user to spin, zoom, and tilt the images, allowing the person to focus more on areas that are more essential to him. 3D virtual tours are extremely easy to use, intuitive in their functions, and don’t require any downloads. Here are the top reasons why 3D photography is a must for all hotels:

It Refreshes the Hotel’s Brand and Image

Hotel guests always expect the hotel to give them high-quality, well-composed, high-resolution photos of the hotel property. That’s why when it comes to brand imagery and identity, 3D photography is the key. This technology enables the hotel to be set off from its competitors. It enables you to step into the room and get a general feel of it before booking. It is highly immersive, and research shows that it can increase the hotel’s occupancy by 14 percent.

Virtual Tours and 3D Photography Enhance Customer Trust

By giving the guest the chance to explore the property in his own accord before he decides to book, the hotel management is giving him the opportunity for judgment. There is no better way to enhance trust than this. For you to have a take on your 3D photography capability as a hotel, it’s better for you to check on your current stock of photos and virtual tours and work from there.

3D Photography Can Improve Guest Experience and Beef Up Hotel Ratings

There are many elements that are dependent on the quality of the guest experience. Aside from positive feedback and ratings which can make or break the business, word of mouth marketing is one surefire means of ensuring customer loyalty. 3D photography and virtual tours are crucial in the consideration phase. This is when the customer visits the hotel site to check on its specific details and perhaps compare it with the competitors before deciding. Not all hotels prefer to compete on the rates which makes it even more important for the guest to experience the property and check on minute details such as the floor plan, a bedroom view, or the amount of window lighting.

360 Virtual Tour and Photography Increase Booking

According to TripAdvisor, a property listing with a single photo has 225 percent more chances of receiving an inquiry. Furthermore, properties that have at least 100 photos are more likely to receive 151 percent more engagements and 238 percent more inquiries compared to those that don’t have photos.

Virtual tour photography is something that can be done on your own. Virtual Tour Easy is one of the top virtual tour builders out there that are free and easy to navigate. Sign up with Virtual Tour Easy today!

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[Guest Post] Quick and Easy DIY Projects To Spruce Up an Apartment Before Listing
BlogOctober 2, 2019

[Guest Post] Quick and Easy DIY Projects To Spruce Up an Apartment Before Listing

When listing an apartment, it is important to spruce it up for potential renters or buyers. When your apartment is fixed up, it will be more appealing and quickly find new tenants. But how do you prepare for the listing, especially if you are low on funds? The simple solution is to focus on quick and easy DIY projects. By taking a little time to complete a project yourself, you can spend less and present your apartment in the best light possible!

Remove Personal Items

Let’s start with photography. Before taking photos of your unit for listing purposes, it is recommended that you remove all personal elements. Items such as family photos can be distracting to potential tenants or buyers. When you remove these photos, any walk-thru or virtual tour viewer will see the important aspects of your apartment, without being distracted by anything else.

Replace family photos with a few, cheap photographs of landscapes or items that are neutral but add to the décor. You can walk around your neighborhood and take photos, printing them from your home printer in black and white to add as décor. You could also purchase some stock frame inserts for this purpose online.

Art Hanging/Framing

Just like photography, artwork adds to the appeal of a space. Consider ordering affordable Metal prints to add to the empty walls of the apartment. This type of artwork looks great in a living room or bedroom. Instead of a traditional photograph, a metal print allows you to use a photo you have and create an aluminum sheet piece. The photo is then finished with clear or white gloss, creating a lovely look and feel.

Use the same idea as with photography and take a landscape photo or pictures of buildings in your neighborhood and create custom, yet inexpensive artwork you can add to the home.

Add Unique Lighting

Another great option is to add unique lighting. When touring your apartment, interested individuals will notice a unique light fixture. Take time to add stunning pieces to the living room or dining room area that can show off space. Look for discounted deals at big box stores to save on the piece. For installation, try the DIY approach or have a handy friend help with putting the light fixture in place.

Painting

If you have lived in your apartment for a long time or have rented it to tenants, chances are, you have not painted the space in a while. Over time, paint on the walls can chip and dull, creating a less than appealing look. Take time to paint the rooms of your apartment to create a fresh space.

When painting, choose neutral tones. Don’t go for bold or bright colors. When you choose odd color choices, you are closing off the apartment to particular buyers or tenants. Placing images of your apartment online is a major way to drive traffic to space. If your paint colors aren’t appealing, potential tenants will not give your property a second glance. Choose neutrals like whites, grays or blue colors for mass appeal.

Refurbishing Furniture

Another great way to prepare your space is to refurbish old furniture. Do you have any furniture pieces you will be getting rid of when you move? Or perhaps you found a cool piece on the side of the road or at a garage sale and have been planning a refresh? Whatever the case may be, use an old piece of furniture and create something interesting as staging furniture.

Examples could be old crates turned into a coffee table or an old door turned into a coffee table. The options are really endless as long as you use your imagination!

These are just a few ways to update your apartment before listing it. Be sure to think about how your space looks with fresh eyes to see how you can make changes to find a quick buyer or tenant!

About the Author:

Corey Tyner is the owner of Arizona land buyers, Phoenix fast sell home buyers, and Austin Home Buyers. He is one of the top real estate investors in Arizona with over a decade of experience. His work has been featured on Bigger Pockets, Real Estate Agent Magazine, and several other real estate investor publications.

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Top Hoteliers Prioritize Digital Marketing in 2019
BlogSeptember 30, 2019

Top Hoteliers Prioritize Digital Marketing in 2019

Digital marketing can be applied to anything from hotels, restaurants, to real estate properties. The first step is to choose the right digital marketing agency to help you with the services. One of the industries in which digital marketing is implemented is in the hospitality industry.

Hospitality and Digital Marketing

The hospitality industry is important in any economy. It is highly dependent on tourists who are traveling for pleasure or business. It is important for any hotel to attract new customers in the same way that it can retain its old customers. Many methods can be used to achieve these namely discounts, seasonal offers, and exceptional services. Hospitality Digital marketing can help any hotel to increase its online visibility, site traffic, ratings, search engine rankings, and others.

Digital Marketing Strategies for Hoteliers

Several digital marketing techniques can be used to attract new hotel guests and retain old ones.

Social Media

It’s crucial for hotels to use social media platforms to ensure that hotel guests will be able to read and be updated about the hotel and its services regularly. Social media enables you to share content such as videos and GIFs, text, and also external links to authority sites.

Potential hotel guests can contact the hotel through the social media page. They can also acquire important information in real-time. All these make it more convenient for guests to book your hotel. Facebook ads also present a great venue for promoting the hotel and its services.

A Professional Hotel Website

The hotel has to have a professional website that includes highly engaging content, photos, videos, and a hotel virtual tour for potential guests. It’s best to hire professionals to create the site and optimize it according to today’s marketing standards. The site serves as your ticket to a large auditorium of potential customers. It is crucial to promote the site for it to have improved site traffic.

Hotel Branding

Brand awareness is an important aspect of a successful marketing campaign. The digital marketing agency can create a logo design for you and help build a website that is fast to load, easy to navigate, and interactive. Your hotel business depends on how you promote your brand and let people know that your hotel exists.

SEO

SEO is required on all your social media content and site content to increase your site’s rankings. When SEO is properly implemented, this will bring your site on the top pages of the search engine results.

Advertise

Advertise your hotel at all times. With the use of the right advertising methods, you can increase the number of hotel guests. Some of the popular advertising methods are YouTube ads, Facebook ads, external linking, Google Ads, and other advertising methods that can grow a successful business.

It’s important for you to have digital marketing services for your hotel business. Don’t forget to leverage the value of a hotel virtual tour on your hotel’s site. Sign up to Virtual Tour Easy today for free!

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[Guest Post] Is a Prospective VR Business Model Just a Dream?
BlogSeptember 23, 2019

[Guest Post] Is a Prospective VR Business Model Just a Dream?

Nowadays computer games have become a usual part of our life. Keyboards, mouses, gamepads, joysticks – all these devices are so familiar to us, so we had no such interest in games as it was at the beginning of our introduction to video games. We don’t feel being a part of events happening on our screens and smartphones while we’re holding them. So how can we return to the previous experience? The answer is virtual reality.

The first virtual reality system appeared in 1962, however, it has begun acquiring the greatest popularity only now. And now it is time when it is not just moving forward – it’s jumping up! So let's see what this sphere is all about, and why now is the best time to think of your virtual reality business model.

Virtual reality is multifaceted, you can use it in medicine, construction, make 360 tours for real estate and sell apartments as our partner's virtual tours easy, develop games, do training in virtual reality, but we want to talk about our sphere.

Entertainment is a large sphere for sharing your ideas meanwhile receiving money. Grand View Research forecasts, the worldwide VR gaming market, is thought to reach about 46 billion dollars by 2025 comprising the largest geographic markets now located in the United States and China.

Here you may discover the most noticeable VR companies:

-Sandbox (UFL, Amber Sky 2088, Star Trek: Discovery, Deadwood Mansion, Curse of Davy Jones),

-Zero Latency (Sol Raiders, Zombie Survival, Singularity, Engineerium, Zombie Outbreak, Outbreak Origins),

– Avatarico (Cosmos, Mind Horror, Dracula, Alice in Wonderland: Crazy Clockwork)

Also, there are Virtual Room, Golem VR, and many others. Their profit today is calculated in millions of dollars and their VR experiences are already distributed far abroad. However, they also started with some minimal investment. In that case, the most important is not the amount of money, but the ability to choose the profitable investment.

In the diagram below you can see how a young VR industry is developing:

If you are a young businessman and you want to make the right choice in the field of activity and earn money, Avatarico has got some tricks and tips for you.

One of the most promising VR areas is VRcade. That may seem difficult, but like any new venture, it becomes more understandable when you break it down into several key steps.

Choose a VRcade location

Find a place in your city with a lot of people. Choose a space for rent with enough space to set a VR club there and the possibility of its future expansion. It can be a shopping center or a game park with a sufficient flow of visitors. Pricing policy should suit you, and comply with preliminary calculations of the economic part. Your club should have a unique design related to VR or gaming topics. In this matter, you can creatively approach the design or hire designers. Brand promotion and recognition is one of the important tasks of the future VR club.

The club should have a bar and a place where visitors can watch your game sitting in comfortable sofas.

Equipment selection is a key aspect of any VR business. Yours must be among the best products in the VR market: Oculus Rift S and HTC Vive Cosmos. They have the best picture and interaction speed. This equipment will meet modern game requirements for a couple of years.

Before opening, you need to analyze the location of the club. You must clearly understand who can become a visitor to the club, their age, gender, and paying capacity. This research will greatly facilitate your choice. And again, you can do the market analysis by yourself, or hire an agency. You can also consult some shopping center owners. Pay attention to visits by months and a season because seasonality is crucial in every business.

Choose a VR content

The next stage is the selection of content. After receiving the data, you can clearly understand who your potential buyer is and what content you should order. Usually, they are divided 70/30 in favor of an individual game in VR glasses. But those 30 percent you should consider as a location-based entertainment for group visits. LB VR is the most cost-effective use of a headset and territory in a high-margin club. The club can be divided into zones and made for both individual user and group visits.

According to the Space Efficiencies` indicator, the experience of work with 6 players is the most profitable for a room with VR content. Other companies offer a solution for only 4 players, which leads to less efficient use of premises and earnings.

Avatarico recommends using this scheme of interaction with the audience. We have released a series of games and continue developing various solutions to entertainment for 6 players. Our performance is backed up by statistics and the introduction of our products in various clubs around the world. You can try other products, but the reviews of visitors and club owners give you a reason to think about choosing the content.

About the Author:

Anton Zaitsev, Avatarico CEO, AR / VR developer. His company was the first to develop a VR escape game for location-based entertainment. He has been dealing with VR technology for more than 6 years. He likes to share his experience in that sphere providing some useful tips for VR business success. He is always ready to help with any questions related to VR technology. You can contact him at [email protected].

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5 Effective Tips to Market Real Estate Properties
BlogAugust 26, 2019

5 Effective Tips to Market Real Estate Properties

If you are a newbie real estate agent or you’re trying to revise your marketing plans, it is imperative that you become aware of the trends in marketing specifically in real estate properties. Just like all other industries, real estate has been completely changed by advances in technology. Real estate professionals need to keep up with the times and change the manner in which they sell their properties and introduce their business. There are now new platforms and new products that will enable you to sell properties differently. However, when it comes to marketing ideas, the traditional ones still work as they are time-tested. The following are the expert marketers’ advice on marketing real estate properties:

1. Use Virtual Tours and Promotional Videos

The promotional videos have been an important tool in marketing real estate properties. It used to be that a promotional video requires many personnel and plenty of equipment. Now with a virtual tour, you only need a 360-camera or any camera that produces 360-degree pictures.

There are several advantages to the use of virtual tours and promotional videos for real estate. Potential buyers would see the reality of the property. They would be able to experience what it is to be in the property itself even before they decide to actually see it. Potential customers will not only have a feel of the property but will also have a feel of who you are as a real estate agent. Buyers also expect virtual tours to go with each property listing. It has become the norm.

2 Build a Network of Trusted Vendors

It is significant to have a list of trusted vendors if you are a real estate agent. When there are instances when the client requires for more paint job, deep cleaning, or minor repairs, it is helpful to have go-to vendors whose services have already been tested through time. This will make sure that as a real estate agent you can also become a project manager if the need arises.

3. Stay on with Some of the Traditional Methods

Don’t cross out all the traditional methods even if you have already adopted digital marketing techniques. Some of these methods that are known to still work are phone calls and pop-bys, community involvement, email newsletters, contribution to real estate magazines, and if the budget permits postcards, business cards, and flyers.

If you use this photo on your site, I would be very appreciative if you would please credit in the caption or meta to "www.distel.co".Model: @Austindistelhttps://www.instagram.com/austindistel/Photographer: @breeandstephenhttps://www.instagram.com/breeandstephen/
Photographer: Austin Distel | Source: Unsplash

4. Create and Maintain a High-Performing Business Site

A website is a must for every business in this digital age. This serves as a venue for sharing valuable company content; it also enables your clients to access your site anytime they want. Through a business website, you can nurture and create leads and show all your listings. Don’t include all the aspects of real estate on the site. Focus on building expertise in a specific area such as relocation, investors, first-time buyers, and a particular geographical area. If you don’t have enough knowledge to build a real estate website on your own, you can find plenty of real estate digital marketing companies who can help you with all your needs.

5. Come up with a Marketing Plan that Works for the Business

The genuine purpose of a marketing plan is to create connections that help the business and everyone in it grow. A plan is intended to provide customers with continuous relevant information about your niche. This will ensure that trust is sealed between the company and its customers.

Virtual tours are indispensable for every property listing today. If you want to make the most of a virtual tour without spending too much, you may check on Virtual Tour Easy now.

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10 Effective Ways to Generate Real Estate Leads on Social Media
BlogJuly 29, 2019

10 Effective Ways to Generate Real Estate Leads on Social Media

Digital marketing has changed the way buyers find real estate properties. Instead of the traditional methods of reading newspapers, potential buyers instead go to social media sites to interact, do research, and decide which options to consider. The National Association of Realtors revealed that 69 percent of real estate agents use Facebook while 61 percent of them make use of LinkedIn for professional purposes. The following are the top 10 tips to generate leads for your real estate business on social media:

1. Launch a Reactivation Campaign on Social Media

A reactivation campaign for real estate marketing aims to encourage referrals, create social proof, and create a conversation with people who have viewed some of the properties in the past but have not been able to find a home yet. You can target them through Facebook or Twitter and ask them to leave a review, refer a friend, or share a post on their walls.

2. Make Use of Gated Content

Gated content means premium online material. This is data which requires users to enter their details on a form for them to access the material. Examples of these are articles, e-books, videos, and white papers. The form often requires the name and email address. It is also possible to ask for the contact number. This can be a great way to generate leads for realtors if the material you give away is highly relevant and significant.

3. Let your Followers Engage in Competitions

Having competitions on social media can build your own following and reach. That makes it a great means to generate leads. Some examples of these are giving away tickets for a concert, sports game, or a play or to raffle off vouchers for a restaurant in your very own area of business. It’s better to highlight local businesses; this will create trust in the community where the property is located; this will also create an image of you as an authority in the area. When you require contact details, this can help you create leads.

4. Make your Facebook Profile your Landing Page

It is important to optimize Facebook profiles for them to have highly relevant CTA so that they can generate leads. You can simply add a Contact Us, Shop Now, or Sign Up Here. These can generate leads over time from those who are interested enough in your business that they checked out your social media profile.

The life of an online entrepreneur.If you use this photo on your site, I would be very appreciative if you would please credit in the caption or meta to "www.distel.co".Model: @Austindistelhttps://www.instagram.com/austindistel/Photographer: @breeandstephenhttps://www.instagram.com/breeandstephen/
Photographer: Austin Distel | Source: Unsplash

5. Showcase your Properties using Instagram

Instagram is a great site for showcasing properties and creating an image of lifestyle around the real estate agents. Instagram is indeed used for branding and lead generation. If you manage to build a following of 10,000, this can create huge traffic towards your real estate site.

6. Make use of Geotargeting

If you intend to target the local market, it is important to go local in your lead generation initiatives even in social media. This means that you need to geo-target your social media ads to maximize the marketing impact and to cut costs on ads.

7. Conduct a Webinar or an Ask Me Anything Session

You can either record an event which you are hosting or get live on cam while in the office; for as long as you host a highly relevant and informative Q and A, it can generate leads. You can choose between leaving a sign-up form for users or to just open up the floor for all followers on Facebook and Twitter.

8. Your Virtual Tour campaigns must have Lead Generation Forms

The purpose of a lead generation form in Virtual Tours is that it streamlines the filling out process so that marketers will be able to harvest only quality leads. Prospects will find it easy to share their information since the form is prepopulated with your own details in the account. Creating a virtual tour in Virtual Tour Easy is hassle-free. It is also free. That’s why you must not miss this chance to promote your real estate business through a virtual tour.

9. Use the Dynamic Ads Feature on Facebook

This is like any other ad on Facebook, Instagram, or Messenger. The only difference is that you can create a template that will automatically pull images and information for the uploads that you intend to promote. Dynamic Ads also use Facebook’s pixel to retarget ads at people who were able to interact with you in the past. The Facebook Creative Ads feature enables you to upload multiple images, CTAs, messages, headlines, and images. Facebook will be able to inform you which combinations can be most effective and will produce the best ROI.

10. Engage in Link Retargeting

Link retargeting can create more lead conversions than social media ads. Often they target those who have previously visited your site. This can also be used if you like to add a fresh list of highly relevant leads. The retargeting link can be used for sharing curated news, media coverage, and reviews that are related to your neighborhood or your business. This means you will be able to target ads at anybody who clicks through even if leads him or her to a third party site.

If you are a realtor and you want to get started in lead generation, it is best to apply the steps above. Make sure to start with creating your virtual tour. Create your free account on Virtual Tour Easy today!

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[Guest Post] Tips on Making Your Hospitality Listing Standout Online
BlogJuly 29, 2019

[Guest Post] Tips on Making Your Hospitality Listing Standout Online

If you are planning to rent out your vacation home in a popular area you will need to do whatever you can to make your listings stand out from the other vacation rentals that people can choose from. If you are smart about your listing you can keep your vacation home rented throughout the tourist season and bring in the extra income that you want. Here are some expert real estate agent and designer tips you can use to make your online vacation listing pop.

1. Hire The Right Stager

Staging your vacation home for listing is very important because guests will be making the decision to book your home based on what they see in the listing. Hire someone local to the area who has experience in playing up the best features of a vacation home. The furniture used should be comfortable and inviting and should show off the best features of the home. If your home is beachfront or waterfront the furniture should be arranged in ways that show off the natural views outside and make the best use of the proximity to the beach.

2. Interior Design Trends to Make a Statement

If your vacation home looks outdated or dingy people will surf right by it. People who are going on vacation want to stay in a place that is luxe, trendy, and looks updated and cared for. New paint in colors that complement the location is a must. For example, in a beach house use hues that will mimic the natural colors outside like blues and pale greens. In a vacation home in a remote woodsy location use deep greens, browns and natural colors. Update the home to include on trend design elements like an open kitchen with durable and attractive countertops, modern light fixtures, and gorgeous flooring like distressed hardwood floors.

You should also pay a lot of attention to the small details of the rooms. The curtains, pillows, blankets, and bedding will all make an impression on potential renters. The home should look contemporary and on trend but also relaxing and comfortable. Those little details like pops of color in throw pillows, accent walls using wood or natural materials, and painted trim and molding make a big visual impact.

3. Make Sure the Pictures Show Off Your Home

It’s easy to take high quality pictures with any smartphone these days, but when you are listing your vacation home on a rental site you should really hire a professional photographer. Choose a local photographer who knows when the local light is best and how to capture the water, the fields, or whatever natural landscape is around the home. Professional photos of the interior of the home will show off your home to the best advantage. Having pictures that truly show of the house, location, and all the features of your listing will help your vacation home standout online.

4. Help Guests Even Before They Rent Your Home

Providing your guests with extra information is a great way to attract renters. On your listing mention things like the best family activities in the area or the best places to eat. If your rental home has a kitchen make sure that you let your guests know where the local supermarkets are if they want to buy groceries instead of eating out. Suggest local farmer’s markets and specialty gourmet stores. Make sure that the kitchen has a full set of cookware, plates, and dishes and show photos of them in the listing so guests know they can cook their own meals in the home.

5. Consider Posting a Virtual Tour

A virtual tour is something that guests will really appreciate. Utilize a 360 camera and a virtual tour software to create a simple virtual tour that will really show off your home. This will help give vacation goers a realistic view of the home before they get in the door. Adding a virtual tour to your rental listing will help you book more guests.

About the Author:

Corey Tyner is the owner of Phoenix Fast Sell and Austin Fast Sell Home Buyers. He is one of the top real estate investors in Arizona with over a decade of experience. His work has been featured on Bigger Pockets, Real Estate Agent Magazine, and several other real estate investor publications.

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9 Reasons Why Real Estate Agents Can Still Take Advantage of Open Houses
BlogJuly 22, 2019

9 Reasons Why Real Estate Agents Can Still Take Advantage of Open Houses

Some people say that open houses are no longer relevant to real estate sellers anymore. The truth is that sellers still expect to have open houses every now and then. Some agents list on a Thursday and Friday and hold the open house on a weekend. Open houses can be a success or failure depending on several factors. Here are some tips provided by the experts on how sellers can make the most of open houses:

1. Prepare People About the Upcoming Open House by Sending Postcards

Postcards may not work for all locations; but if you live in an area where there is an excellent school zone or district or, it means that it can be beneficial to send out postcards to the neighboring towns or cities. The postcard must inform them what makes the home better than the one they currently own.

2. Hold the Open House on the Day the Listing Comes Out in the Market

When you market a coming soon listing and schedules the open house on the day the listing comes out in the market can be more productive and beneficial. It is easier to create a buzz and multiple offers through that. Doing so allows property buyers to be able to view the property sooner.

3. Make Sure to Set the Stage in an Open House

Make sure that the property is properly staged and to make it appealing to different types of buyers from working moms, millennials, families, to retirees. The dining table must be set as well as the entertainment area. The bedrooms must be comfy and fluffy.

4. Schedule the Open Houses Strategically.

It’s important to schedule the open houses on different days and times of the day to maximize its availability. You may also consider the best time of the day for the house, for instance, sunset or sunrise. Open the house at the best time to go there and not when traffic is worst.

5. It’s Best to Bundle your Open House with Others in the Area

If there are other open houses in your neighborhood, you can come up with a packet for potential buyers to know the available homes in your neighborhood. It’s a great way for the neighborhood to stand out from the rest and provide valuable information.

Photographer: Martha Dominguez de Gouveia | Source: Unsplash

6. Place Open House Signs in Strategic Locations

Be sure that the open house sign is visible and legible from 30 feet away while driving a car. Directional signs are also crucial to be put within a five-block radius for a wider reach.

7. Make the Most of Open House Websites

You can find a number of sites that only promote open houses. Examples of these sites are Zillow, Realtor, and other sites that offer free promotions. Listing on these sites would maximize your visibility to all potential buyers.

8. Offer Brochures and Flyers for Potential Buyers

One way to spread information about your property particular for those buyers who have not decided to buy yet is to give away flyers or brochures during the open house. You can include information about a school district in your area, the best sunset, and other benefits of living in the area. Include other features that may not be that obvious in your brochure.

9. Play a Virtual Tour During the Open House

Project a virtual tour of the home and its neighborhood during the open house preferably in the living room. The buyers can stay a bit longer to watch it to find out more about the property. This is an excellent marketing technique for walk-in buyers.

10. Don’t Underestimate an Open House Which is Meant for Agents Only

Take advantage of open houses that are meant for agents only. This is a great chance to widen your network.

Open houses can still be as productive as other marketing techniques once it is used creatively and the right way. A virtual tour can be one of the best ways to make your open house from the rest. You can start making one by visiting Virtual Tour Easy.

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