jonwashburn: Jonathan Washburn (ActiveRain Corp)

Walkscore is an incredible website for learning what individual neighborhoods have to offer within walking distance.  Personally, living in Chicago, it is very important to me because my husband and I only have one car and he takes it to work everyday, leaving me to get places either by foot or bike.  But my home has a walkscore of 91 (out of 100), so it isn't a problem. 

This weekend I was at a cook out of some friends who recently had a child.  This live in a condo in the hip neighborhood of Roscoe Village(their condo has a walkscore of 90).  But now with child, you know where this conversation is headed, they decided its time to head to the burbs. 

My friend was telling me how she spends hours online looking at homes and school district information, which wasn't a surprise to me.  But I was surprised to hear her add "I walkscore every home I am interested in".  Hmmm.... this walkscore site is now becoming so popular is becoming a verb...

This got me thinking, what a cool service it would be if an real estate website was able to put a search field for walkscore in their advanced search capablities.  For examples, if you want to be pretty urban, show me homes with a walkscore of 80-100.  If you want to be more remote, show me homes with a walkscore of 0-20.  Walkscore does have some open source code posted on their site, I am not sure it is enough to create a search filter with yet.  If someone could figure this search out, could be a pretty cool reason to use your site verses another agent's in town. 

Reel Tech TV Episode 2

So now that you know how to turn the camera on how do you know what to shoot?  It's not as easy as you may think.  We're going to walk you through a typical home tour with some photographer 101 basics.

First of all, try and find the focal point in the room.  Is it the stack stone fireplace?  The decorative hood over the range?  The unique spiral staircase?  Whatever the feature, try and showcase it first to grab the viewers' attention.  The key to remember when creating a video home tour is giving them a "tease".  You don't want to show them every light switch and electrical outlet...you want them to come see the house in person so you can sell it to them!  With that in mind, keep it simple.  Just a one to three shots in the main rooms (we'll get to what the main rooms are later) will do the trick.   

Second, NEVER shoot into windows.  Why?  No matter how powerful the light is in the room it can never overpower the sun.  That means whatever is inside will turn black (or extremely dark) and all you see are the windows.  Therefore, never set up an interview by a window (since you won't see the person's face) and try to avoid pans into the windows since you will completely throw the color off in the room.

Third, keep your shots steady.  Viewers can get sick watching a shaky video.  Have you ever seen Blair Witch project?  That photojournalistic technique is not recommended when selling real estate.  If you have a tripod, use it.  Try and find a flat surface where you can place your camera for pans or zooms (see below) so your shots will look more polished and professional.  Always try to begin with an establishing shot...a shot that shows the entire room before beginning a pan or zoom technique.

So what are pans and zooms?  Clearly stated, a pan is moving the camera from side to side and a zoom is closing the camera lens in on a particular object.  To accomplish a pan correctly make sure your camera is steady.  If you're panning a room try and keep the "horizon line" (think about being on a boat) straight.  This means you want the floor to remain in the same spot throughout the shot.  Keep the same idea in mind when panning up and down, say, on a staircase.  The sides of the shot should remain consistent to keep a professional look and feel.

For zooms, don't use it unless it's necessary.  Just because you have a feature on your camera doesn't mean you should use it!  Ask yourself these questions:  What am I zooming in on?  Why am I zooming in on this object?  Will it add any additional information to the viewer?  I once watched a video home tour where the photographer zoomed in on a plant.  Why?  Does the plant come with the house?  Do I need to know something additional about this plant that I didn't get from the first shot?  Think about detail whenever using the zoom such as a decorative back splash or exquisite crown molding.  Anything that can not be picked up on the initial shot or pan of the room MAY require a zoom.   

Next video lesson:  Downloading your video onto the computer (Gulp!)

For more log on to ReelDwellings.TV

Here is a simple checklist for you to do before you leave for your "extended" vacation:

- Inform all your past clients/ current clients about your vacation. It is a good opportunity to build rapport.
- Set your Out-of-Office reply with an appropriate message.
- Get yourself someone you can trust/ an assistant to handle your escrows/ phone calls and emails while you are gone.
- Change your greetings on your voicemail.
- Make sure everyone involved with your escrows are aware of your absence.
- Set up your phone for international calling (if that's where you are heading).
- Back up your computer. (If you dont have time for any of these, make sure you do this one!)
- Scan all your documents that are currently in escrow.
- Scan your Seller's Disclosure notices for your listings and all other related documents about your listings.
- Make sure all your bills will be paid on time, set automated payments if needed.

 

Now as a blog-aholic, make sure you have your blogs covered while you are gone. Pre-write if you have to.

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Did You Know You Are Going On A Vacation?

 

Copyright © 2008 by Loreena Yeo (3:16 team REALTY). What You Need To Do Before Leaving For Vacation.