Lisa 's Blog

Photography and Virtual Tours before the grass turns brown!

Lisa Castro (Pro360 Virtual Tours and Photography) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 14:01:15 -0500

Do you have any clients who are planning to list their houses in the next 4-6 months? If so, they may want to look at having their photos and virtual tours produced now, before the grass turns brown and the trees lose their leaves. At Pro 360 Virtual Tours and Photography in the Dallas - Fort Worth metroplex, we can produce a virtual tour for you now, while your client still has summer colors in the landscape. The Virtual Tour will reside on our servers until you are ready to list, then we can make it a live tour to post on the MLS, Realtor.com or wherever else you want to use it.

If the inside of the home is still being prepared for sale, but the outside looks great, we can shoot the outside shots now and come back later to finish the tour when the interior is completely finished. Again, allowing your clients to have the green grass and annual colors of the summer, even if they list in the winter.

Give us a call in the Dallas Fort Worth Area to give your clients a professional real estate photography advantage. We utilize full 360 degree technology for our virtual tours.

Lisa Castro

Pro 360 Virtual Tours and Photography

Dallas and Tarrant County Virtual Tours

Summertime.... the heat is on... how can I beat it and $4 gallon gas?

Lisa Castro (Pro360 Virtual Tours and Photography) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 17:43:17 -0500

I was talking to one of my clients today and he was telling me how things are slow and it seems like people aren't wanting to go out and look at homes because it is so hot. As the temperature nears and passes 100 degrees what can you do when you get that response from a potential buyer? Send them the Virtual tour of the property first!

I was reading a blog by Diane Aurit titled How to sell a home in 18 days and she tells about the process that she went through with this particular client. What a professional. In a tough market Diane knows the secret to making the sale - Marketing. When times get tough in the market, that is when marketing is so much more important. It can make the difference between a house on the market for years or one that sells in a timely manner.

Pro 360 Virtual Tours and Photography in Dallas, Texas, offers clients just that. All of our packages come complete with Virtual tours AND high resolution still photographs that can be used in a whole host of marketing strategies. If a picture is worth 1000 words, what is a virtual tour worth? Or a combination of professional photos AND a virtual tour? If a prospective buyers doesn't like what they see in the photos (or doesn't like the photos) the sales process ends there. If the photos and virtual tour entice them to see more then there is still an opportunity on the table.

What if they see the virtual tour and the home just isn't what they are looking for? Would you rather know that up front or spend the $4.00/gallon in gas to drive them around the metroplex only to find out that they didn't like the way the Living Room transitioned to the Kitchen. A full 360 virtual tour can answer that question before you spend the time and money to drive to the home.

See for yourself what a difference virtual tours and professional photography can make in your business.

Lisa Castro

Pro 360 Virtual Tours and Photography

Offering 360 Virtual Tours in Dallas and Tarrant County

Adventures in Photography....a beginning

Lisa Castro (Pro360 Virtual Tours and Photography) — Thu, 08 May 2008 11:07:46 -0500

Earlier this week I was reading a blog by Sharon Yeary entitled "My Ignited Circuit" and it reminded me of why I am where I am today. My husband and I provide virtual tours for real estate professionals and businesses in the Dallas - Fort Worth metroplex. It has taken us a few years to get to this point. My original idea for a photography business was to start an online photography directory and advertise our services there. For fun I decided to write some stories of our travel adventures and highlight some of the photos from our journeys. Eventually I planned on having a blog where people could share their Adventures in Photography, too. Keep in mind, the photos are prior to my using any kind of photoshop techniques. Click on a photo to enlarge. Here is a portion of that initial story...

ADVENTURES IN PHOTOGRAPHY

"WATER"

OCTOBER 30, 2005

Water, serenity... the trickle of a creek meandering through the woods, the sound of a rushing river, waves crashing on the beach, the swish of the water as a sailboat slices through the sea.... All of these sounds bring thoughts of peacefulness and tranquility. Maybe this is why when I look around my home, 90% of the photos, art, etc... on my wall have some form of water. How many of us feel drawn to the water? The ocean, a lake, the river down the road.... This Adventure in Photography is dedicated to that amazing, life-giving substance that we cannot live without.

KAUAI - SEPTEMBER, 2005

My husband, Michael, and I are taking a Labor Day Cruise of the Hawaiian islands aboard the Norwegian vessel "the Pride of America". We arrive at my favorite place in the world, Kauai. The oldest of all the Hawaiian islands has had centuries to develop the lush green foliage that presides here. Kauai is a step back in time to the laid back days, no high-rise buildings, no crowded industrial centers. The people here live a simple life, at one with nature.

We set out to explore the Wailua River on Kauai's east coast. We come upon a scenic outlook and decide to take a peek. It's Opaeka'a Falls. One of the great things about Hawaii is that these scenic lookouts appear all over the island and each one is an incredible surprise along the way.

We continue in search of the optimum Kayak/canoe adventure. Down the hill from Opaeka'a Falls we find a replica of the historic villages of ancient Hawaii. Hawaiians would set up along a river to provide fishing and water for their crops. The huts are designed exactly as the ancient civilizations would have built. Can you imagine living here in this paradise that provides for all of your needs? Here we decide to embark upon an outrigger canoe trip down the river to the Fern Grotto and Hidden Falls. The canoe carries Michael and I, another couple and a guide for our trip down river. After 10 minutes of paddling we arrive at the Fern Grotto. We hike on a path through the forest for another 10 minutes. Our guide informs us about the lush vegetation along the way which I will include in another Adventures installment on Plants.

The Fern Grotto is a sacred place in the Hawaiian culture. It is naturally hollowed out of the volcanic cliffs and named for the ferns that grow all along the cliff. In ancient times, people would come here to pray to the gods, it was used for ceremonies of all kinds. Today many couples hold their wedding ceremony in this spiritual place.

Back to the canoe...a short distance brings us to our next stop. Our guide exits the canoe and tells us to stay to the beaten down path, keep the river to our right on the way there and to our left on the way back. It is about a 40 minute hike through the woods to arrive at Hidden Falls. Once there we will have about an hour to spend for lunch or swimming in the pool at the base of the falls, then the hike back to the canoe. The journey takes us through 3 streams and past a beautiful small waterfall as we follow the rivers' path. We have to watch our step as we traverse the jungle floor with its roots and mossy covered rocks. I feel a sense of peacefulness as we travel through this enchanting forest. We are surrounded by nature, pure and untainted by civilization. I drink in the scenery, the scents and sounds of the river oasis. The beauty of this place is indescribable. Trees covered in vines, flowers like I have never seen before (plants Adventure coming soon). I keep stopping to take photos along the way and have to run to catch up with the group.

For the entire story you can go to my Adventures in Photography page.

I truly believe we have found the perfect business, even back then my focus was on landscape and structures in my photography. Helping people to highlight the beauty of their homes or businesses fits with what I love to do. I also provide text editing of scene descriptions for my clients. I hope you enjoyed the story. I am still contemplating my "Adventures" Blog. What do you think? I would love to here about some of your adventures....

Lisa Castro

Pro 360 Virtual Tours and Photography

a Real Tour Vision Dealer in Dallas - Fort Worth Metroplex

Memorable Home Tours

Lisa Castro (Pro360 Virtual Tours and Photography) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 11:57:11 -0500

In today's competive home market a potential buyer may look at several homes on any given day. If you are number 3 out of 10 homes that day, how can you make your home showings the one that prospective buyers remember? How about giving each person viewing the home a CD with a virtual tour of the home? This allows them to go home and look at it over again, show it to thier friends and family. This will help them get to know and love the home that much more.

Here are some tips to make your virtual home tour a memorable one:

Offer 360 degree views to show the transitions between the rooms
Some virtual tours include a slideshow of still photographs to further showcase those selling points of the home.
Add scene descriptions to highlight special features of a room
Include a printed brochure with high resolution color photographs

I read a wonderful Blog called Virtual Tour Preparation on the Real Tour Vision Blog. You will also find other helpful hints to market your listings there.

Next time you show a property will yours be the home they remember?

Lisa Castro

Pro 360 Virtual Tours and Photography

Offering 360 Virtual Tours in Dallas and Tarrant County

Prospecting tips - eek do I have to?

Lisa Castro (Pro360 Virtual Tours and Photography) — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 09:37:03 -0500

Prospecting for business. This is something I think we can all agree is a major pain in the rear. Unfortunately, if you offer a product or service and it is your livelyhood on the line, you need to do it. I say "need to because it is a personal choice. Many of us in the business of selling something can look back to times when our business was slow and say "What am I not doing?" Usually the answer to the question is -I am waiting for the business to come to me instead of going out and finding it.

Who am I to discuss this topic? I have been in the business of outside sales since 1995 (see my LinkedIn Profile). Since then I have called on anything from Mom and Pop shop to fortune 500 companies. I have cold called till my feet were swollen and aching in 95 degree Texas heat, that is until I got smarter.

One day, at my last corporate job, a great friend of mine and coworker were discussing how to increase our business. She came up with a simple, but effective plan. The challenge was to set aside 1 morning per week to get on the phone. Every Thursday morning from 10:00 to 12:00 noon we would get on the phone with the goal of setting appointments. Later that day, around 3pm, we would have a conference call to discuss how it went. We would each tell details of our call time, this is what we would track:

How many dials? - How many people did you speak with? - How many appointments set?

At the end of the call, the person with the most Appointments Set would win a Starbucks Gift Card. The program started in our Dallas office, but soon it spread to be a nationwide conference call. On the call we would discuss what worked, what didn't and how we could do it better next time. We even played around with what day of the week were we most likely to catch people at the office (not Friday afternoon).

The best thing this did for me and my business was to make sure I had a set time every week for follow up. How many times do we tell someone "I will get back to you next week" and we never do it. Every day projects take over and the calls slip through the cracks. Follow up matters. Customers want to know that you will do what you say you will do, when you say you will do it. That starts with something as simple as a follow up phone call. There are a couple things I would do to make sure my prospecting time was most effective.

Have a list of 20 contact names and numbers ready before the set time
Use the internet for research as much as possible, maybe my next blog will be about how to use the internet for research
Lastly and Most Important - to steal a phrase from Nike - JUST DO IT!

Start like we did with a challenge with another person or just make sure you challenge yourself. That is what I do now and I can tell the difference in my schedule on the weeks that I don't make the time.

I would love to hear your thoughts and see what is working for you.

Lisa Castro

Pro 360 Virtual Tours and Photography

Dallas and Tarrant County Virtual Tours

Not all Virtual Tours are created equal

Lisa Castro (Pro360 Virtual Tours and Photography) — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:21:02 -0500

I feel the need to give a Shout Out to RTV! My husband and I own and operate Pro360 Virtual Tours and Photography in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. After 12 years in outside sales, I had left corporate America to be a stay at home mom. I always wanted to have my own business, but the right opportunity had not presented itself. That is, until I was introduced to Real Tour Vision. I have a passion for photography and thought about starting my own studio, but the costs involved were more than I wanted to invest at the time. My husband has been a freelance photographer for 20 years, so we already had an SLR camera and professional tripod. Real Tour Vision allowed me to start a photography business for a minimal investment.

Prior to making the final decision to become a dealer with RTV, I researched for months the various virtual tour options on the market. I found Real Tour Vision to have the most comprehensive and user friendly tour in the industry. Then I spoke with current RTV dealers, they told me of a company that is ALWAYS available to help and answer any questions you have in a prompt and friendly manner. I communicated with Jason at RTV for months before making a decision. Without fail, he ALWAYS followed through with what he said he would do. All the way down to calling me the next month in a particular week to follow up. This is something I can truly appreciate coming from a sales background.

We ordered our software and the work began. I set a goal to have a website up and running in a couple months. The dealer pack includes a website template and since I have Frontpage on my computer it was a breeze to build a professional website. We now have customers in various areas of real estate and commercial businesses, from real estate agents to custom home builders and remodelers and also a land developer with a town home complex. The comment I receive the most from customers is that we have the best interface on the market. The 360 view is far and away better for showcasing a property than the typical "slideshow" type programs. The hotspots offered by RTV truly make a virtual tour.

Last but not least, RTV allows me to have a business from home that I can work around my husband and son's schedule - and it is not a multi-level marketing program- Been there, done that...not again. Thanks, RTV for the amazing opportunity in a growing industry!

Lisa Castro
Pro360 Virtual Tours and Photography
Dallas and Tarrant County Virtual Tours

Live to Work or Work to Live? What is your philosophy?

Lisa Castro (Pro360 Virtual Tours and Photography) — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 10:18:06 -0500

I read an interesting blog today by Guy Gimenez. Guy asks the question, " Is working 7 days/week your belief system...or the Real Estate Industries?" Great question. I agree with Guy that we all deserve time off. He discusses the expectations we set with our customers. Before becoming a virtual tour provider, my husband and I looked at lots of different options. I even tried my hand at multi-level marketing, eek! Been there, done that, never again! Talk about working 7 days per week! After that experience I decided that the next time I started a business family time would be a priority.

How do we make our personal time a priority and still keep customers happy? After 12 years in outside sales, I learned a few things about setting appointments. Always give your customer or prospect dates and times to choose from when setting a meeting. "Is Tuesday or Thurday better for you? Morning or Afternoon? 10am or 1pm? If you give a wide open schedule then working 7 days a week is your own fault or what you choose to do. Yes, on occasion we will work weekends, but that will be the exception and not the rule for us.

The reason we chose to produce virtual tours was all about the ability to set our own schedule. Well that, and a love for photography. Check out my blog on Starting a Virtual Tour Business with RTV.

What about the rest of you? Do you live to work or work to live?

Lisa Castro

Pro 360 Virtual Tours and Photography

Dallas and Tarrant County Virtual Tour Provider

More about me

Virtual Tours for builders

Lisa Castro (Pro360 Virtual Tours and Photography) — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 13:32:38 -0600

Hello all,

I am new to the Active Rain community and this is my first Blog. I look forward to learning from all of you. Hopefully I will be able to add to your experience, too. My husband and I own Pro360 Virtual Tours and Photography. We have had some positive feedback and business generated from real estate developers, custom home builders and remodelers. Last month we cold called a Luxury Townhome complex and produced 3 virtual tours for a few of their model homes. Later this month we will be shooting 2 custom homes for 1 builder and a few rooms in 2 different homes for a renovation specialist. These tours are designed for their websites. The renovation person said he was able to earn business by taking a prospect to our website and showing his renovation work. Now he wants to have the tours on his own site.

Has anyone else had success in this area? If you haven't called on these people, they are quite interested in 360 tours because of the detail and the ability to highlight more of the transitions between rooms.

I look forward to hearing from you....

Lisa Castro

Pro360 Virtual Tours and Photography

Real Tour Vision dealer