REALTORS WELCOME !
Woodstock Real Estate (Rentals):
decided to revamp their dull, drab website. Margaret wanted a website that matched her letterheads, business cards, signs and printed advertisements, with photos that would display and sell her properties. This was my first experience with Real Estate Websites and it caught my interest. When I got this site it was pretty gray, dull, and lifeless with thumbnail links to other thumbnails that had no descriptive text. All of the artwork is my own (navigation buttons, etc.). Now go to this site and scroll across the top of the home page with your mouse for some nice shots of Big Bear, then look over the rentals, and you'll want to spend the weekend in Big Bear! Click on the rentals and take a look at how I present each home. Click Here
Virtual Tours:
Recently I have begun to provide streaming video (no current samples) and virtual tours for the Real Estate industry. I am a provider for Virtual Tours on Realtor.com or otherwise attached to or included in your own website.
Michelle Courduff, a local realtor, wanted a virtual tour of a nice Victorian in Sugarloaf. Notice the virtual tour is not one of those fish-eyed, blurry spinners that have been common in the industry. When you click to enlarge the thumbnails, which are pretty large to begin with, you get a page displayed in a new window that links to all the other shots. Click Here
Michelle also had a new home on Mountainaire and needed a tour. Click Here
Jenny Lichti also has a new tour which I am still posting pictures on. There are an unusual number of pictures on this one because I am spending an inordinate amount of time on it to use as a showcase example of how a home can be presented. Notice there are a few panoramic shots of areas that could not otherwise be displayed in one photo. These are fitted to the enlargement display (pop-up window). Be sure to check on this one! Click Here
Big Bear Premier Properties asked that I create a website for their rentals. It was very difficult to get information from them, so the text is lacking in all areas, and it was still under construction. At the moment, the site is in limbo and was never finished. Click Here
You might notice that all these sites you have viewed have a lot of similarities. Don't think that your site has to be just like these. Everything can be personalized to your taste; the background design and color, font and font size and color, positioning of everything with your logo and/or picture wherever you like. You can have a woodsy, Big Bear Look or the look of a major corporate website.
All text and information can be provided by you, or as in the case of Woodstock Real Estate, I come up with the text from a basic list of features. Features like hit-counters, site-search, guestbook, etc., can be added upon your request.
Using form submission rather than posting your e-mail addres on your site helps in keeping your spam level down; if they can't get your e-mail address they can't spam you! If you see something you like on the internet it can almost always be put on your website, provided it doesn't involve plagiarism.
I use a number of hosting companies, including Realtor.com and other templated Real Estate providers. I use Earthlink as a habit because these sites just don't go down and there are many features available. Features and pricing are based upon your needs. Site optimization is always a consideration while designing your site and submission to search engines is done as routine maintainance upon request.
Keep in mind, your website is only going to be as good as your involvement. It belongs to you and is a major advertising tool to reach your client base, wherever they are.