Zillow Certified Photographer Program2589
|
BillJones private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Easy, the stabilizer was crap, it would not maintain a horizon (it was for a smartphone, but had a bracket for the Gopro) so I bought my own, the Gopro's also work with the drone. As far as Zillow goes, their program rewards you with ad space, I prefer cash. So I don't upload to them as I wouldn't want to be associated with a 2 minute cell phone walk through with me in every reflective surface, I have worked to hard to become as busy as I am. I did join their program and become 'preferred', during the process I figured out a better (for me as well as the broker) way to provided a quick walk through. I also do not have a Matterport, I joined the forum to help me decide if it would benefit my business or not. I have a hard time justifying the up front expense, monthly expense against how many 3d's I would have to take to offset the cost, let alone turn a profit. As I understand it, it would take several hours to scan a 5 to 6 thousand square foot home. This home took 2 1/2 hours to photograph, do a traditional 360 tour as well as the Video Walk Abouts (1st one had the gopro on the hood of the car for the mile plus driveway) the about an hour of computer time with the end result that all the charges went into MY pocket. http://pdxrealestatephotography.com/dianne-and-jeff-yakes-listing-at-31460-sw-peaks-view-drive-hillsboro-oregon/ |
||
| Post 51 • IP flag post | ||
 WGAN BasicMember Denver |
pixelray private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Still confused Bill. So you are not doing the Zillow walk through videos? The one that actually shows up on Zillow? Looks like you are creating your own videos and just making them appear on YouTube from what I can see. And this is the first I have ever heard of their certified Photog program rewarding you with cash - also no one has ever discussed anything about ad space. No one at Zillow has ever mentioned any Of that to me and I still talk to them once a week almost. Really confused on that. It almost seems we are discussing two separate things. Originally it sounded like you were saying that you used a GoPro to shoot the actual Zillow walk through. Which again, I was told was NOT POSSIBLE. Cause any of us know that are doing these videos; that you must use an Android or Apple device in order to access the Zillow app to even begin the recording process. Which would disqualify using a GoPro. If I understand you correctly, you did use a GoPro and you made your own walk through videos - BUT you just put it on YouTube instead. Further, I looked up that listing on Zillow and it did not have a TRUE Zillow walk through video...or any other video (besides the link to the old school virtual "not so virtual" tour as I like to call them. So to summarize - you are not shooing Zillow Walk Through Videos....esp with a GoPro. Yes, you do a walk through video that is shot with a GoPro- it just goes on a YouTube page. Is this right? As far as using Matterport, you say you are very busy, which means you have a lot of potential clients. I promise you that 9 out of 10 will prefer a MP tour to the old school virtual tour. I turned a profit within 2 months when I purchased my camera. Plus, it's a long game to me anyway. You should look at it as an opportunity for someone else to come in and take Business away from you. You need to be offering it before someone does that could entice your customers to look elsewhere. |
||
| Post 52 • IP flag post | ||
|
|
BillJones private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Pixelray I though I was clear. 1. they approached me, I took their course and I declined because of the poor quality. 2. I prefer a cash reward to their ads. 3. I am creating my own and posting to YouTube, pretty obvious. You last paragraph, yes, that is what I trying to decide upon. And old school still has a lot going for it. Besides the cost, what I don't care for as far as Matterport goes is that I am not in control and if they have any issues, like going broke. all tours and equipment become instantly obsolete. As far as 9 out of 10, I have offered (another photographer) the Matterport 3D to my clients that use the Old School and when they compared cost to product, they have all stayed with Old School so far. But one never knows about tomorrow. |
||
| Post 53 • IP flag post | ||
|
LewisBishop private msg quote post Address this user | |
@BillJones -  So to be clear. The question here is not "how can I shoot video" or even "do you prefer cash rewards"... I believe everyone here has and does. Shooting video and posting on youtube so agents can utilize in their marketing is absolutely valuable. In this post titled "Zillow Certified Photographer Program"... I believe everyone's trying to determine the best way to capitalize as well as determine how to provide a superior product so we can effectively up-sell. Ultimately the Zillow video is a benefit to the agent and their client (the seller) as it boosts the visibility of the listing. |
||
| Post 54 • IP flag post | ||
|
|
BillJones private msg quote post Address this user | |
| If you want to do the Zillow thing then invest in a 3 gimbal stabilizer. I looked at all of them and bought http://www.zhiyun-tech.com/ the evolution and the pround but they make units for cell phones. Take a look at the home and decide which rooms you will skip because of the 2 minute time frame. Your product will be fantastic compared to some Realtor hand holding his phone. Now the reason I don't agree about the benefits is first, I host all of my work and have counters on everything, the counter reports show where the traffic came from, 90 percent is from the local MLS then split between Zillow, Trulia and Realtor.com To me this means that most of the viewers are local and the realtors are as well, they will see my banner on all the virtual tours, that sells me. I don't care if someone in Denver likes my work, they won't be hiring me. Also, I see it from the other side, I have been a Realtor for 42 years and I want to be associated with good work so potential sellers want me to do their listing and photography and a sloppy, wobbly 2 minute cell phone video does not help my image. |
||
| Post 55 • IP flag post | ||
|
WGAN Basic Member Denver |
pixelray private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Got ya. Thanks for clearing up. My reading comp has always lacked so thank you. I see your points. Valid and you obviously know what your doing. Wasn't trying to challenge that. I would just suggest to add MP as an option. For myself it has been a great money maker. Your market might be different. I think it would be a great thing to add to your arsenal though as people are blown away by the tech. Good luck! |
||
| Post 56 • IP flag post | ||
 WGAN BasicMember New Brighton, PA |
frstbubble private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I have heard Apple shoots their TV ads using an iPhone?!? So is that sloppy wobbly video? It can be good if you know what you are doing. | ||
| Post 57 • IP flag post | ||
|
WGAN Basic Member Denver |
pixelray private msg quote post Address this user | |
| For my large client, they hate the difference bw what an interior video looks like in comparison to the heavy edited photos we do. Also the commercials you speak of are heavily edited in post. We can't do that for Zillow videos. | ||
| Post 58 • IP flag post | ||
|
|
BillJones private msg quote post Address this user | |
| frstbubble I believe that if you re-read what I said, I made a suggestion on where you could purchase a decent stabilizer so you would not have herky jerky or sloppy, wobbly results. I purchased two of them because I believe in back up equipment, I have two of everything. I first purchased the Evolution, it works great but I'm not in love with their joystick so I purchased the Pround as the backup, work as well and was $100 less (older model). |
||
| Post 59 • IP flag post | ||
|
WGAN Basic Member New Brighton, PA |
frstbubble private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I see it as a tool to give your clients a higher place in the listings. Use it as it is a tool to promote the client. @BillJones sorry I wasn't trying to be negative towards you. I just was saying if you work at it you can produce something decent that will promote a client. |
||
| Post 60 • IP flag post | ||
|
|
BillJones private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I can appreciate that, I just know that I can't do a 2 minute walk through that doesn't need editing, it may be me in a window or mirror, a distraction or even the owners or Broker walking out from another room. I can't do that with a cell phone in my car. Now don't get me wrong, I don't think the quick walk abouts are of great quality, they don't begin to compare to what I've done with a Canon 5d mk 2 or 3, a dolly, video tripod and slider with a Manfrotto pan head. But it takes me 10 minutes in the house as opposed to 2 or more hours I used to do and I get 1/3rd the money with 1/10 or less the effort and time. If you want to get clients by promoting them then do it with social media, not Zillow. Every house I shoot (2 to 4 a day)I put together a branded YouTube slideshow of the images and post it to YouTube, then Tweet it, Google + it FaceBook it and finally post to Pinterest. This gets them exposure and more importantly, me exposure. |
||
| Post 61 • IP flag post | ||
 WGAN ForumFounder & WGAN-TV Podcast Host Atlanta, Georgia |
DanSmigrod private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @cire385 I returned my first OSMO Mobile - to pair with my iPhone 7 Plus - because DJI determined that it was defective. I received a replacement OSMO Mobile - and could not get this one to work either. DJI Support says it is a known issue with iOS 10. (I am running 10.0.2). So, I am returning this one too while it is still in the return window. (I don't want to wait until they fix iOS 10 compatibility and then I find that I am not happy with it and can not return it.) I imagine that my first OSMO Mobile was not defective: just that it was incompatible with 10.0.2. While I have successfully paired the OSMO Mobile with my iPhone 6 - running 9.3.5 - I am having issues, including: ✓ despite auto-calibration, phone can shake like the motor is having trouble stabilizing it ✓ blue-tooth fails in the middle of shooting video ✓ I bought OSMO Mobile to work on my iPhone 7 Plus: not iPhone 6 I have opened a case number with a Supervisor at DJI Support Escalation. I will update this discussion when I know more. Dan |
||
| Post 62 • IP flag post | ||
|
WGAN Forum Founder & WGAN-TV Podcast Host Atlanta, Georgia |
DanSmigrod private msg quote post Address this user | |
| "Agents can now add property videos to Zillow listings that that aren't shot with Zillow's mobile app -- for $149," according to today's (3 November 2016) edition of Inman Connect. "They can still use Zillow's mobile app to shoot and add videos for free, but those videos are capped at two minutes and don't have audio." I imagine that this (might) be good news for high-end video production Pros shooting high-end listings. I could also imagine that the $149 fee will make it easier for the rest of us to use the Zillow app to shoot free (and either include it free in a bundle) or offer the Zillow app shot video as an optional extra. "Since Zillow added a video walkthrough option to its listings this year, real estate agents have uploaded tens of thousands of clips, according to Zillow Chief Marketing Officer Jeremy Wacksman," according to the Inman Connect article. Your thoughts? How does this news affect you? Dan |
||
| Post 63 • IP flag post | ||
|
MadHusband private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I am simple and sometimes dumb, but does that mean it costs $149 per listing to add a, not shot with the zillow app, video to a zillow listing. | ||
| Post 64 • IP flag post | ||
|
WGAN Forum Founder & WGAN-TV Podcast Host Atlanta, Georgia |
DanSmigrod private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @MadHusband I apologize for not being clear. The two-minute Zillow video is FREE when you use the Zillow app to create it. If the agent wants a professionally shot video, it costs the agent $149 + the cost of the videographer. Since We Get Around offers free 2-minute video shot with the Zillow app - as part of our bundle - the $149 is likely to help us establish value. I recognize and appreciate that the quality of the video we shoot with an iPhone, wide-angle lens and (hopefully, soon a stabilizer and on-phone lighting) and automatic transitions added by Zillow, is not up to the standards of a professional videographer, we are okay with this. Okay, time for the Pro Videographers to flame me  Best, Dan |
||
| Post 65 • IP flag post | ||
|
WGAN Basic Member Denver |
pixelray private msg quote post Address this user | |
| So, they have to pay Zillow $149 just for the right to put a pro vid up? On each listing? REALLY?? Wow - sounds pretty expensive for the agent. Paying for a pro vid and paying Zillow that much too. Yikes. Seems steep to me. What does Zillow give them for the $149 besides access to put a pro video there??? What am I missing? | ||
| Post 66 • IP flag post | ||
|
Viewing private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Very clever on the part of Zillow. Content is king, especially video in regards to SEO. So build your media rich content for free and consolidate your position in the SERPs or offer an expensive option to post a privately shot and uploaded video, which I'm guessing they host themselves too. Double win. Take a bow Zillow. However, there will come a day in the not too distant future when you can upload every element of a listing for free I'll bet. So make your money now Zillow and the likes. Don't blame you one bit. |
||
| Post 67 • IP flag post | ||
|
WGAN Forum Founder & WGAN-TV Podcast Host Atlanta, Georgia |
DanSmigrod private msg quote post Address this user | |
 This is the the badge Zillow sends you after you have created three two minute videos with their app. Here's a Zillow two-minute video for a condo I shot yesterday. (Hand-held using a wide-angle lens attached to my iPhone 7 Plus and rotated my body rather that walking.) Dan |
||
| Post 68 • IP flag post | ||
|
WGAN Forum Founder & WGAN-TV Podcast Host Atlanta, Georgia |
DanSmigrod private msg quote post Address this user | |
| If you are a Matterport Service Provider, adding a Zillow video (shot with a smartphone) is free to you and the agent (and you can either offer as an optional extra (or bundle as We Get Around Atlanta does). Help your clients succeed faster (get views, get "saves" get more offers for more money sooner.) That's so much more than we provide our clients with Matterport Spaces 3D Tours. More. Bigger. Faster. That's why adding a Zillow video is essential. The homeowner of this listing ... www.eclipsecondo2005.info ... sent me the following email about the Zillow Video that we added Tuesday (15 November 2016). Dan -- Hi Dan, The stats in the message below --- 94 views and 2 saves --- are from the first day the video was attached to our listing... the previous day it was probably something like 8 views and 0 saves. Or to give you a better idea: our condo has been on the market for 155 days and now has a *total* of 36 'saves'... so 'saves' are rare, especially since the property has been on the market for so long. All in all, a very positive development; increased visibility is a good thing. Thank you! ... Thanks again for your help and great job making the video! [name redacted] -------   |
||
| Post 69 • IP flag post | ||
|
WGAN Forum Founder & WGAN-TV Podcast Host Atlanta, Georgia |
DanSmigrod private msg quote post Address this user | |
Zillow shared with me a list of popular smartphone stabilizers that there Zillow Certified Photographers are using. (I added some too.) Got a stabilizer for a smartphone that is not on this list (that we should add to the gear and accessories shopping list)? Best, Dan |
||
| Post 70 • IP flag post | ||
|
WGAN Forum Founder & WGAN-TV Podcast Host Atlanta, Georgia |
DanSmigrod private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Today (23 November 2016), Matterport (finally) answered our questions about ... Question: Do Matterport URLs work on Zillow? Answered by Matterport: Yes! About two weeks ago, a bug on Zillow emerged that caused all virtual tours links to not function properly. This included Matterport 3D Showcase URLs. During this time, Matterport worked with Zillow and advised users on a temporary workaround... Last week, Zillow issued a fix, and we are pleased to confirm that all Matterport URLs on the Zillow site are again functioning normally, as of Thursday, November 17 [2016]. --- Dan |
||
| Post 71 • IP flag post | ||
 WGAN StandardMember Las Vegas |
VTLV private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Ok guys, I've been away while this topic went through many mountains and curves. I was having issues with the Zillow app feeling shaky. Upon earning my Zillow Certified Badge, I shared with Zillow my videos and asked their feedback on what I could do to stable out my videos and what did Zillow have planned for reducing shake like we get with YouTube uploads. Zillow offered to send me a Neewer 2 axis handheld gimbal (retails for about $85). I obliged and gave it a couple tests now that it has arrived. The gimbal has a start stop button that 1st triggers volume and then the Start/Stop recording in the Zillow Premier Agent App. The video still records with some side to side shake where I need to try and grip wide for a more stable shot. The great point is that the gimbal eliminates the up and down jumpiness I had in previous videos. Zillow was telling me other photographers were charging $75 - $100 for Zillow Premier Video shoots using this device. I learned the $100 photographer was charging a monthly service to get that price and the other at $75 was certainly possible on larger homes with their other high end services and devoted clientele. At this time, I feel my videos could be worth about $25 to add to photo shoot or a tour shoot. If I can remove the shake and add a wide angle lens to the app, there may be room to charge up to $75. Before speaking with Zillow, I had ordered the Iographer Film making Case for iPad Air 1 and 2. This product could work well for reducing shake and has an option to screw in a wide angle lens on the Ipad's we are already using with our tour shoots. There are also notches to add a light above or below the camera. This could do wonders for the dark spots in a room we get using the Zillow app (theory needs to be tested). I was hoping to have a Zillow Video shoot using the Iographer for you guys by now to compare the 2 choices. clickable text How are you guys doing with this service? |
||
| Post 72 • IP flag post | ||
|
WGAN Basic Member New Brighton, PA |
frstbubble private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @VTLV have you looked at a wide angle lens for an iPhone or phone type you are using. There are many out there. We have an OSMO mobile and wide angle lens for our iPhone. I will be shooting a video on Monday the 28th. Will let yinz know how it turns out. |
||
| Post 73 • IP flag post | ||
|
JonJ private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Hi, I have done about 2 dozen of these now and I still don't think I can charge for this service. Here is a link to a recent listing I shot. Zillow Video Example This was shot using a Samsung Galaxy S7, this wide angle lense and this stabilizer. Please let me know your thoughts on whether or not I should be able to charge for this level of quality or if I need more practice/better equipment. Any feedback on the photos is also welcome. Thanks, Jon |
||
| Post 74 • IP flag post | ||
|
|
BillJones private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Where on the example is the video? | ||
| Post 75 • IP flag post | ||
|
|
JonJ private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Click on the image with the play button. It will open in a lightbox. Then, you will have to push play again. | ||
| Post 76 • IP flag post | ||
|
|
BillJones private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Jon, I think you did about as best as you could with their guidelines, that's why I opted out of their program. You just can't make a turn quickly and have anything in focus and later on your gimbal started sagging to the right. Using their program you are forced to upload an inferior product. Zillow doesn't care, all Zillow wants are the 2 minute clips so they can compete against Realtor dot com. Mine aren't great but I do get to edit them, usually stopping at a turn, removing me as much as possible, correcting the fisheye, I use gopro 4 silvers with KumbaCam 3 axis gimbals (they will sag every now and again as well). But in post I can do a 2 degree rotation and crop. My pricing is $175.00 I show up and you get to pick one option, $100 for second option, $50 for any others chosen. I am not a Matterport user. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyRTJ0gcTEUaMO31dKHqS5A |
||
| Post 77 • IP flag post | ||
|
|
JonJ private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Hey Bill, Thanks for the review. You are right about the stabilizer sagging. The wide angle lens I am using is pretty heavy, but it does a great job with minimizing distortion at the edges @VTLV, Can you link to some examples of the work where the photographer is able to charge $50 or $75? |
||
| Post 78 • IP flag post | ||
|
|
BillJones private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I posted my youtube channel, the walk about are paid for and the fly about are new, a couple of freebie's while learning. | ||
| Post 79 • IP flag post | ||
|
WGAN Standard Member Las Vegas |
VTLV private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @frstbubble, thanks for the reminder. I put one in my Amazon wish list and forgot about it. @JonJ, these are the links sent to me by Zillow. https://www.nextlisting.com and http://curbviews.com/Zillow. I'll see if I can find the Zillow links they shot. |
||
| Post 80 • IP flag post | ||