1. Does a Real Estate Agent need to be present at time of photographing? - Yes, a real estate agent must be present at the appointment in order to let us inside. If the agent is not available, he/she is responsible to arrange for either another agent, or the seller(s) be present.
2. Will cancellations due to weather be assessed a fee? - No, since no one can not predict Mother Nature. However, we can still keep the appointment and photograph the interior of the property. We will return at a separate time to photograph the exterior. The agent does not need to be present and no additional fees will be assessed.
3. Do you charge any fees to edit/process the photos? - No, this is part of the service. We will professionally edit the photos for optimum resolution, color and vibrancy. Since overexposed windows and distorted walls are our biggest "pet peeve", we will assure that they are corrected to standard.
4. How many photos do you take per property? - Normally we prefer to take at least 2 angles in large rooms, together with various accents that would add value to the presentation (fireplaces, skylights, wall accents, tall ceilings). With small rooms, we will take the best angle that best presents the size and capacity. Depending on the size of the property, the photos can range from 15 to 100.
5. How long are your Virtual Tours? - That also depends on the size of the property. Our tours aim to create a sense of a "Virtual Open House" and present the listing in its most attractive manner. We are capped to 74 images per tour, which can be easily used with very large properties.
6. What steps should the seller take prior to the appointment? - We realize that most properties are occupied at time of listing and can not penalize the sellers for living in the property. Here is what we expect to see:
A) Touched-up, pruned landscaping and mowed grounds. Any tools, hozes, mowers, etc. - stored away from plain sight
B) Clean siding without any traces of algae or mold
C) Any vehicles removed from the driveways and either parked inside the garage (if the garage will not be showcased) or on the street without blocking the property. We normally start with the exterior photos in order to avoid burdening the community or the neighbors.
D) We leave the inside staging to the seller / agent. We ask that loose everyday items be removed from plain sight. Less clutter presents more potential to the property.
NB: We prefer not to feature closets, unless they are specificly staged for presentation. We would leave that decision up to the seller / agent. Same applies to basements, unfinished attics and storage areas.
E) Please ensure that all pets are kept away from the photographed areas. Caging or removal is not required - we will leave that at the discretion of the seller / agent. We love all animals and will probably end up snapping a few shots of your 4-legged family members after we finish the assignment.
F) Bathrooms play important role to the value and presentation of a home. We will photograph them and will do our best not to show personal items, if they can not be temporarily removed.
7. What is your turn time? - Our turn time depends on the workload of the day. Normally we prefer to have photos and Virtual Tour completed within 48 hours. The links to the tour and online gallery are immediately E-Mailed to you. All images will be high resolution, magazine quality, print-ready and MLS upload-friendly.
8. When do you expect to be paid for your services? - Payment is due at time of service. We will E-Mail you an invoice and will also bring a hard copy to the appointment. At this time we accept checks and cash. Please note that any outstanding invoices will be assessed $25.00 late fee per month until paid in full.
9. What information would you need for the Virtual Tour? - With your first property, we will need your personal photo, company logo, full contact information including office address and phone number. Once we create your profile, you will need to E-Mail us a copy of the MLS listing, as we include as much information we can, in addition to purchase price, square footage, room/bathroom number, lot size, MLS #. The additional information is usually added in the photo descriptions, or in the More Info tab of the branded tour.
10. Are your Virtual Tours MLS compliant? - Yes. We E-Mail you 2 links with each property. MLS Compliant Non-Branded version which does not contain any information at all. The branded link has all your contact information, active link to your E-Mail and full property details. Please note that the branded link is used with Realtor.com and can also be uploaded on FaceBook, personal websites, Craigslist, Trulia, Zillow and any other marketing engine you are using.
