Delivery method and format

[lalvar40]

When I deliver my P4 pictures to the real estate agent, they usually have issues by handling them. What method do you use to give your clients the pictures? Videos are easy, we can use vimeo for example. What format MLS requires in order that the picture can be properly uploaded into the listing? I'll appreciate your comments.

 

[Richard R]

Can't imagine anyone having problems handling .jpg photos on a thumb drive. They're cheaper than SD cards and everyone has a USB port on their computer or laptop.

 

[Lkn4ubl]

I paid about $5 each for some thumb drives branded with my logo.

 

[AllDubyas]

I paid about $5 each for some thumb drives branded with my logo.

Where did you order then from?


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots

 

[Lkn4ubl]

CustomUSB.com

 

[jayeverts]

Yea, thumb drives or dropbox. Even Google cloud. They don't need an account.

 

[John Locke]

Yea, thumb drives or dropbox. Even Google cloud. They don't need an account.

I've found Google cloud (Google Drive) to be a hassle to share with others. I can't find an easy way to share. It implies the viewer needs to be on my network, permissions, etc. I like Dropbox, just right click the file, copy the share link and send to my customer. Google isn't that easy, unless I'm missing something.

 

[jayeverts]

I've found Google cloud (Google Drive) to be a hassle to share with others. I can't find an easy way to share. It implies the viewer needs to be on my network, permissions, etc. I like Dropbox, just right click the file, copy the share link and send to my customer. Google isn't that easy, unless I'm missing something.

I have had zero issues with Google for delivering panos (25 pic ones) and ~10-15 individual pics. There is a box you have to check to determine if the recipient requires a google account or not. I click that they don't require a google account and have had no issues thus far.

 

[John Locke]

I have had zero issues with Google for delivering panos (25 pic ones) and ~10-15 individual pics. There is a box you have to check to determine if the recipient requires a google account or not. I click that they don't require a google account and have had no issues thus far.

So I asked my IT guy at work and figure out what I wasn't doing correct. It's all good now. It takes more clicks than DropBox, but it works, and I have loads of space on my Google Drive.

 

[jayeverts]

So I asked my IT guy at work and figure out what I wasn't doing correct. It's all good now. It takes more clicks than DropBox, but it works, and I have loads of space on my Google Drive.

Yea, and also free, versus dropbox.

 

[John Locke]

Yea, and also free, versus dropbox.

Well for me Dropbox is free, I've got like 52GB earned free, but Google drive I have 100GB for $2/mo, so I have lots of options.

 

[BigAl07]

It's not FREE but Hightail has an excellent interface (for you and your client). Since witching to HT I've had nothing but compliments. Plus with Hightail I get to see how many times they've looked at each picture and downloaded each picture.
www.hightail.com

 

[ALOHARO]

I use Zenfolio for hosting online. The agent can share the gallery with the home owner or his/her team online.

I have been doing some form of Real Estate photography for about 7 years and I find that sometimes I sell the photos more than once. For example, a new owner of a resort property will want to use the photos for their vrbo listing.

 

[herein2014]

I have my own site where I host the completed projects. I upload the footage to my site as a zip file then send them the download link to the footage. This works for both video and photography. I would never bother with thumb drives, every minute spent delivering footage to a customer is overhead and a loss in efficiency, I would never drive all the way across town just to deliver a thumb drive.

Also, in the state where I live, if any tangible goods is transferred from the vendor to the customer the entire transaction is taxed. This is also why I never print anything for customers, provide CDs, or anything else tangible. If it was a modeling shoot I point the models to where they can get prints made, real estate agents typically have their own online brochure company that they use.

For video I either let my customers download the completed video themselves, or I host it for them on a hidden YouTube channel and provide them the embed link.

 

[John Locke]

I have my own site where I host the completed projects. I upload the footage to my site as a zip file then send them the download link to the footage. This works for both video and photography. I would never bother with thumb drives, every minute spent delivering footage to a customer is overhead and a loss in efficiency, I would never drive all the way across town just to deliver a thumb drive.

Also, in the state where I live, if any tangible goods is transferred from the vendor to the customer the entire transaction is taxed. This is also why I never print anything for customers, provide CDs, or anything else tangible. If it was a modeling shoot I point the models to where they can get prints made, real estate agents typically have their own online brochure company that they use.

For video I either let my customers download the completed video themselves, or I host it for them on a hidden YouTube channel and provide them the embed link.

Is there a reason you made your own site, versus using Google Drive or DropBox to transfer files to your client?

 

[herein2014]

Is there a reason you made your own site, versus using Google Drive or DropBox to transfer files to your client?

Ease of use, faster, full control over the footage, 100GB of storage, the list goes on. I did not make a site just for the footage, I created my business website with sample footage, my portfolio, list of services, blog, gallery etc. It just happens to also have plenty of free space, so I also store footage for customers there. They get access to the link for 7 business days then I remove the footage from my site. It's just easier for me to do everything all in one place. Also, with your own site you can integrate PayPal or other payment processors into the site so that once the customer pays the invoice they automatically get a download link to their footage. Last but not least, I think it looks more professional when everything points back to your website vs having a gmail email account, dropbox for footage, etc. etc.

 

[Romenfree]

Ease of use, faster, full control over the footage, 100GB of storage, the list goes on. I did not make a site just for the footage, I created my business website with sample footage, my portfolio, list of services, blog, gallery etc. It just happens to also have plenty of free space, so I also store footage for customers there. They get access to the link for 7 business days then I remove the footage from my site. It's just easier for me to do everything all in one place. Also, with your own site you can integrate PayPal or other payment processors into the site so that once the customer pays the invoice they automatically get a download link to their footage. Last but not least, I think it looks more professional when everything points back to your website vs having a gmail email account, dropbox for footage, etc. etc.

I am in the process of doing the exact same thing, I have a couple of questions for you if you don't mind? I will be able to be commissioned for a shoot and then upload the package to my site, I give the client an access code and they can download from there. Can I ask if there is anything you would have done differently at the start? Any mistakes I can avoid? I should have the Admin side of the website up this week then they will start on the front side. I am looking at providing 2D mapped images of properties as well as the standard pics and video, have you looked at 3D mapping?

 

[KRProton]

I'm a little bit in the same boat here - wondering how to get any prospective videos to a real estate agent. I have a Dropbox account (free). I just did a test where I saved a video to Dropbox, then got into my Drobpox account and Shared the video to my own email. Checked my email, viewed and downloaded the video to my desktop. I assume a real estate agent would do the same (download the video), then have it in their possession to download to their MLS site. That how it works?

Thanks.

Tim

 

[dewein]

I'm a little bit in the same boat here - wondering how to get any prospective videos to a real estate agent. I have a Dropbox account (free). I just did a test where I saved a video to Dropbox, then got into my Drobpox account and Shared the video to my own email. Checked my email, viewed and downloaded the video to my desktop. I assume a real estate agent would do the same (download the video), then have it in their possession to download to their MLS site. That how it works?

Thanks.

Tim

Tim;

I'm a real estate agent and my MLS (SABOR) doesn't allow the upload of videos. It also doesn't allow URL's. For this reason, I enter the listing in the MLS and maintain a website that automatically imports my listings from the MLS. Then I tweak them giving me total control.

When a listing is sold, the feeds to Zillow, Trulia, etc... stop but I can keep the video on my site under "recently sold". After clicking HERE scroll down to the bottom to see what I mean. This particular video has no sound by design and although I can upload videos to my site, I usually move them to Vimeo to save bandwidth traffic on my site.

Timothy