FAQ

As you may have heard, there are many advantages to using Shoot2Sell as your professional photography company for your marketing needs. Here are just a few:

• › All of our photographers are professionally trained to shoot architecture according to the highest standards. We do not hire anyone without a professional background in photography, specifically architecture.
• › We work very hard at being at the forefront of innovation in our industry. Our goal is to provide you the best option possible for your architectural marketing needs.
• › We are also the only photography company in the entire Metroplex that has an in-house full time processing team for both photo & video. Our competition either sends the images overseas to be processed or requires their individual photographers to process the images. This leads to poor quality and a high level of inconsistency, as each individual photographer will process images differently, and may have poor equipment at home where they process.
• › 90% of our new clientele come to us from word-of-mouth referrals. We take pride in the fact that our clients love us, and we love them back!
• › According to MLS statistics for 2010-2011, the properties we photographed sold 50-65% faster than all the other properties in that same area. Please see statistics on our Services page.
• › Shoot2Sell pays detailed attention to everything involved when it comes to your properties. We will consult with you on how to prepare your property and we will provide seasoned expert advice while onsite. Our company wants to be seen as part of your team versus a service provider. This is what makes us special.

No. It is in our professional opinion that panoramic 360 tours do a disservice to the architecture being sold/highlighted. Since we are trained to shoot and highlight architecture specifically, 360 tours are usually seen as coming off as too unrealistic in our view. We are regularly told by our clients that they are so glad we showed them the difference between quality and gimmick! Our slideshows, which are NTREIS approved as a Virtual Tour, are designed in a way to maximize visibility and aesthetic quality. Our photographers have been highly trained to showcase the property in a very intuitive manner, so the viewer feels like they are literally taking a tour through the house.

MLS photo shoot for Realtors/Commercial Shoot – FULL SHOOT

• › Up to 25 images (exterior & interior)
• › Professionally retouched images using only the latest software
• › A branded slideshow for all of your social media needs (which is playable on all devices)
• › A non-branded slideshow (to be uploaded to MLS as a Virtual Tour Hyperlink), also playable on all devices
• › HI-RES images for all of your printing/graphic needs
• › Pre-sized MLS format for easy upload to MLS
• › Free Advanced Analytics 2.0 dashboard, which allows you to get detailed information about anybody and everybody viewing your virtual tour slideshows.

Exterior/Interior Only photo shoot

• › 6-8 high quality images
• › Professionally retouched images using only the latest software
• › HI-RES images for all of your printing/graphic needs
• › Pre-sized MLS format for easy upload to MLS

Builder’s Portfolio (for builders, stagers, interior designers – for permanent marketing usage)

• › In Multiples of 10 (10 images for $150, 20 for $250 and 30 for $350 etc.)
• › Professionally retouched images using only the latest software
• › A branded slideshow for all of your social media needs (which is playable on all devices)
• › Super HI-RES images for all of your printing/graphic needs
• › Pre-sized MLS format for easy upload to MLS
• › Free Advanced Analytics 2.0 dashboard, which allows you to get detailed information about anybody and everybody viewing your virtual tour slideshows.

HD Video –

• › Professional video shot in 1080p hi-definition with title screens & music
• › One year of free hosting
• › Embeddable HD video for websites, blogs, etc.
• › You will receive a branded & non branded video link (the non-branded video can be used as a virtual tour)
• › Downloadable 1080p HD video link

YouTube Video –
If you’re not quite ready to jump into the HD video service. Then the YouTube option might be a good start. We take your hi-quality images and create a 720p hi-def video file and upload it to YouTube. We will by default upload it to our channel unless you have your own, in which we will upload it to yours. If you do not have one, we suggest you visit YouTube and inquire about it. It is free and easy to set-up.

Please see our Services page for our current prices.

You will get a delivery email 24 hours after the end of the shoot which includes downloadable links of your images, slideshows and analytics dashboard. For example: If your shoot is at 3pm, you will receive your delivery email by 4pm the following day.

Once you receive your link to your dashboard, all you have to do is click on either the HI-RES button on the right hand side of the page, or the Pre-Sized MLS button. Once you click the button it will automatically start downloading onto your computer- it may ask you first with a pop-up window if you would like to Open or Save, click Save.

After it is downloaded, find the file. It should be labeled with the address and then the type- for example 123_Main_MLS.zip. After you have located that file, open it up. If you are working on a PC (Windows), then there will be a EXTRACT ALL button on the top left. If you are working on a MAC (Apple), then it will automatically start extracting the file for you.

Once you have extracted the folder, your images are now accessible individually. Just remember, the HI-RES images are for your graphics, and the Pre-Sized MLS images are for MLS.

If you have any questions, please call us- we are here to help you.

Uploading to MLS is probably one of the easiest yet unfamiliar aspects of being in Real Estate. It allows you to go and tweak your listing however you want, and it usually takes a total of 3 minutes. Here are the steps:

1. Log in to MLS using your username and password. www.ntreis.net
2. Locate your listing by MLS #, and go to Add/Edit Media.
3. Once you click on “Add/Edit Media”, there will be a Media Manager button. Click the Media Manager button.
4. There will either be an “Upload Photos” button, or “Add Photos” button near the top. Click the button.
5. After you click on the button, it will pop up a window asking you to show it what images to add. You should have already downloaded the Pre-sized MLS images from your delivery email. You will need to do this first BEFORE you log on to NTREIS.
6. Select the images in the Pre-sized MLS folder you downloaded from us, and select Add, or Upload. It now will bring all of those photos in successfully.
7. Once they are in the Media Manager, you should be able to see all of the individual images. The one you put in the first slot will be your Primary Photo, the one people see first when looking at your listing. You will need to re-arrange the images in the order you wish, as Media Manager for some reason likes to scatter them. We don’t know why NTREIS does this, but they do.
8. Finally, don’t forget your Virtual Tour Slideshow! Stay in Media Manager and go to “Add Links” at the top. Copy the NON-BRANDED slideshow link, and put it here. There will be a drop down box. Select Virtual Tour Hyperlink! This is now being seen as a Virtual Tour attached with this listing.
9. Still need help? Just call us!

Images are the intellectual property of Shoot2Sell and we license our images to you for use based on the package you decide upon. For all MLS shoots, the agent or client is granted Temporary Usage Rights to use those images until the property is either sold or goes off the market. Portfolio packages come with Permanent Usage Rights by default. Your image rights regardless of Temporary or Permanent Usage are non-transferable and cannot be traded, bartered or sold. We also do this as a means of protecting You, our Client. If you notice someone has taken images from your property listing, notify us immediately and we will handle it from there, as it is considered a copyright violation.

Of course we do! If you are a showcase member of Realtor.com, we can upload your Branded Slideshow for free! If you are not, then Realtor.com charges $20 for this service. We pass that cost on to you directly, so either way we do it for free from our end.

Our HD video product uses the most innovative technology available in highlighting the most realistic approach possible for your properties. We use a “dolly-track” system to illustrate what it feels like for someone to naturally walk through the property. We use top of the line equipment and the best processing to ensure our product exemplifies the quality and professionalism you demand.

If conditions warrant rescheduling, we leave it up to your discretion to reschedule. We ask that if you would like to do this, that you do it with as much notice as possible. We assume we are still shooting the property (interiors) unless you call/ email us to reschedule. There will be a $50 trip charge/ late cancellation if the shoot is canceled within 4 hours or onsite at the property. We do this because we work in time slots, and once it is less than 4 hours before the appointment time, it is very difficult to give that time slot to someone else. We hope you understand.

We accept payment either beforehand or day of service. You can pay online on our website, by check at the time of service, or by phone when calling our office. We will also keep your CC info securely on file and just cash you out on the day of service. We generally do this at the end of each business day. Please call us if you have any questions.

If they are separate listings because they are separate units we consider those two separate shoots. We do this simply because we have to do twice the work for one cost. Two addresses= Two Slideshow Virtual Tours, Two Advanced Analytics Dashboards, Two properties with 25 images, etc. We hope you understand.

Booking a twilight shoot is the optimal choice in highlighting the architectural details of any structure. The balance of available light and the warm inviting glow of the interior lights add to the appeal of any structure. Because this is a specialized session there is a $45 additional charge for this type of shoot. Coincidentally, there are only a certain amount of slots available during the week so we recommend you call a few days in advance to book one.

Yes we can, BUT due to MLS regulations, 3rd party vendors, such as ourselves, are not allowed to log in to MLS under your user name and password. Many agents are unaware that if 3rd party vendors do this for them, they can lose their license for handing out their information, and we, as a company, can be fined. In other words, even though our competition does it regularly, we won’t because the protection of you as our client (and our standing in the community, of course) is one or our top priorities. So, we can upload to MLS by sending the individual image files to NTREIS, as long as the listing has been active for more than 24 hours. After we send the images to their server they can take up to 24-48 hours for them to show up on your listing. This is due to MLS, not us. Once posted, we are unable to go and manipulate the order of the images whatsoever. It will be the responsibility of the agent or the listing coordinator to do any re-ordering. Also, MLS no longer allows us to upload your Non-Branded slideshow as a Virtual Tour for you. This is also the responsibility of the agent or the listing coordinator. Want to know how to do it yourself? It is covered next in this F.A.Q.!

Yes. It will be included with your 25 images if it is requested at the time of booking or on site. Because of our limited time frame, we ask that you please provide cross streets, addresses or exact directions to where the amenities are so that locating them is timely.

The rate is $5 per image to cover extra processing time in order to complete your project.

There could be several reasons for this:

• › The images were delivered to your spam folder. Try and search your email for delivery@shoot2sell.net, as all of our deliveries come from that address.
• › The email address we have on file is incorrect or out of date. Please confirm with us at time of booking.
• › The invoice has not been cleared of remaining balance.

Yes. Please understand though, that this may dramatically increase your wait time for an available photoshoot… As most of our photographers are pretty popular

It depends. Because information has to be “re-drawn” wherever the “photoshopping” takes place, it is determined on a case by case basis. For instance, vehicles are extremely difficult to remove from photos, due to the amount of information that needs to be re-drawn in its place. It should also be said that when it comes to MLS regulations, we are unable to fix any structural problems with the property. This includes removing telephone poles, power lines, or cell towers. For portfolio images we can fix whatever you need us to since those images are not selling an individual property, but selling a service or brand.

Yes. If you own the rights to the images we can add them to your slideshow. To maximize quality, please send us the largest file size image you have.

Easily. If you would like your images in a different order just let us know and what exact order you would like them. Our processors will take care of it by the next business morning.

Yes, we will definitely green grass. As a bonus to our clients we even do this service for FREE between January 1st and April 1st! After April 1st there is a $10 charge to account for the extra time needed to green the grass. We do it as a courtesy during the winter months because of the prevalence of brown grass out there, but after April 1st it is usually not an issue we come across.

Since we rely on time slots to keep our calendar as efficient as possible for our clients, we are unable to hold several time slots for one property. We recommend having a window of availability and all pertinent information at the time of booking so that we may serve you in the most efficient and complete way as possible.

Of course! We regularly re-shoot front exteriors when it is requested by the client. This qualifies for a $45 exterior only rate in which we’ll come and provide 6-8 images of the exteriors.

Photographers are on call to shoot every weekend if needed. There will be a $39 weekend rate added to the regular price for any shoots done on Saturday or Sunday.

For shoots done on Friday you will receive them within 24 hours from the end of your shoot. For shoots on Sat/Sun you will receive them Monday by noon.

Our office hours are M-F, 9 to 5 p.m. If you happen to call after business hours, please leave a message and we will get back to you next business day. If it is an emergency, please state so in your voicemail and we will handle it as soon as possible.

We are open year round except for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day.

MLS has very strict standards on photographing a public building with people, especially children. We will shoot a school or playground as long as there are no children in the frame.

Yes. Although, most sites like YouTube will not allow music with videos that is unlicensed. So, if you have the rights to a particular song for advertising, and the song is less than 3 minutes long we can definitely use it. Please send us a MP3 file and we will apply it.

Whenever our clients are dissatisfied, we take that very seriously. Quality of service is paramount to us. We regularly work with our clients and collaborate on a solution whenever it is an issue that can be solved photographically.

Please call us at 214.272.3200 or email us at contact@shoot2sell.net with any additional questions. Thanks!