Rainbows

The virtual tour business dips a little when the weather turns gloomy, and that gives us a chance to catch up on paperwork while listening to the rain from the warmth inside the house.

Every time I see a rainbow, it feels like the first time. When this one appeared in the field behind our house (it almost looks like it ends in our back yard), I instinctively grabbed for my camera.

Mt St Helens is just to the left of this behind the cloud cover.

She sounds too "real estate" for me

You might want to look at my profile on Active Rain, a real estate blogging community. When I blog, you can hear a pin drop! :)

I live and breathe raising the bar on real estate photography. I chat with realtors over coffee. I answer questions at meetings. We talk about lighting, furniture placement. A few of the things you'll never see in a Dawn Shaffer photo are

• shoes in the entryway
• a disposable diaper wadded up against the wall
• dirty dishes in the sink
• refrigerators covered in "stuff"
• me in the mirror
• bowed walls (using a wide lens is only the beginning. Postproduction editing is required to straighten them out).

This is your most expensive asset. It is up to your real estate professional to ensure that your home sells for the most as quickly as possible.

Don't hold it against me!

Many of my clients are real estate agents. I know what you're thinking. I have heard (and experienced first-hand) all the stories. I'm here with the good news in Portland and Vancouver.

There are real estate professionals out there. I work with them. Feel free to check my page for links, or check out my gallery, or view my profile on www.linkedin.com (sorry for the shameless google plugs!) They are relieved to hand off photography of your most expensive asset to someone they can trust (that would be me) because your home will look better and sell faster. (Yes, our REPs can use our still photos in their marketing.) Virtual tours are an art form, not something to slam out.

When you get ready to sell your home:

Interview people like you would your next employee. They work for you. If you get a bad feeling, act on it. March on to the next one.

Find out which camera will be used to take listing photographs. Is it a wide lens (or will you only see a couch against a wall)? Who takes the photos? If the agent whips out a camera and wants to start snapping, resist. The receptionist, on her way to drop off the dry cleaning and grab a latte (again, pass!)? You want someone who is focused on the work.

This is the busiest time of your life. Your agent should be supplying you with an easy-to-understand set of guidelines to help you prepare for your photo shoot. Most homeowners are anxious to do whatever they can. They just need a list to remind them. After all, keeping the house in this condition is pretty important too.

Go online and compare the marketing they do on current listings with the technology that's available. Ask if they use virtual tours. Not *slide shows* -- interactive virtual tours. That line has become blurred, but you can tell the difference. Again, scope out our gallery.

Dawn Shaffer

Meeting New Resources

One of the most rewarding experiences I can think of is meeting a new resource.

I meet people every day who need help with things I wouldn't pretend to be an authority on, let alone accept money to do. All I can do is listen closely, understand, and keep my ears open for that special person to come along and fill in the gap.

Web site design is one of those gaps. Not long ago, a client had a difficult time linking a virtual tour I had done because the people who designed the web site (and hosted it) went out of business. She was lost before she had a web site, and now she felt totally helpless.

Today I met a graphic artist/web designer at Starbucks (now Starbucks is another rewarding experience!) to talk about whether we can help each other. She and her partner have been working their magic in Portland, Oregon for 20 or 30 years.

Designasylum (www.designasylum.us) is accomplished at logo and branding design as well.

Back to my website I go! I need to add Paula and Jacki (Designasylum) to my Resources page.

Virtual Tours Free?

There's really no catch.

The reasoning is as old as time. When people are happy with their vendors, they are anxious to help their associates find the same successful relationship.

When it is time to renew their tour, we are happy to give the hosting free for thinking of us! There is no better referral than that of a current client.

Dawn in Valencia

When my niece was married in California, I was tickled to be able to attend. I don't plan to post any photos of Corrie and Tim because that's their choice. But the photo I took from my hotel room needs to be shared. I guess my parents were pretty right on, naming me Dawn (no pun intended)!

A good friend/business associate and I were able to have dinner together. If you need a reasonable, great-quality photographer and virtual tour provider in Southern California, contact Laura Nelson at 805.252.4159 or through her website.

Mt Hood at Sunrise from Mt Scott Bed & Breakfast

We take everyday occurrences (like sunrise) for granted, but not last week!

While doing the virtual tour of the Mt. Scott Bed and Breakfast a few weeks ago, the B&B's innkeeper, Della Dugger, expressed that she would love to be able to show potential guests how the Sunrise Suite got its name.

Last week, I captured sunrise at Mt Scott Bed & Breakfast in Portland. Della stood watch with me and remarked, "I need to wake up more often so I can watch this. It's spectacular!"

We are pleased to allow our clients use of our photos in their marketing efforts, so this will most likely make its way to the Mt. Scott Bed and Breakfast website.