What is the overall philosophy of First Showing?
We don't just want to help you sell properties. We also want to help you sell your business. We want to make your properties AND your brand look fantastic so that when you sit down with a potential client they will know that you are committed to using the latest and best property content to market their property.
We Make You Look Great.
Every dollar that you spend at First Showing will be front-and-centre in all of your marketing. In the film world, it's called 'putting every dollar on-screen' and that's what we provide. We believe that your clients will see the difference. You've only got one chance to make a memorable first showing!
We Make You Look Great.
Every dollar that you spend at First Showing will be front-and-centre in all of your marketing. In the film world, it's called 'putting every dollar on-screen' and that's what we provide. We believe that your clients will see the difference. You've only got one chance to make a memorable first showing!
Where do you offer your services?
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We are located in Thornbury, Ontario, and service the counties of Grey and Simcoe. Roughly, our service area extends from Owen Sound to Wasaga Beach, and inland to Dundalk, Durham and Creemore. Click on the map on the right to view our service area.
We are happy to shoot properties outside of this area, a small additional charge may apply. Get in touch and we can discuss your needs. |
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Why Video?
We believe that a video tour is second only to an actual property showing. It's the next best thing to being there and a long-take video tour gives the viewer an excellent sense of 'where everything is'. We shoot all of our video at 60 frames per second 1920x1080. It is also edited and distributed at this resolution, which gives you excellent video quality throughout. When you include the optional voice over, it's the next best thing to actually being there and presenting the property to potential buyers. A very effective way to market real estate.
How do you shoot your photos?
The camera simply cannot see what the human eye sees. One must usually make a decision: am I going to see inside the room (and the window will be blown out white), or do we see the long valley views (but the inside is dark)? Can't I have my cake and eat it too? With First Showing, the answer is yes! We use a proprietary system of shooting that involves the use of available ambient light combined with separately exposed frames for external views. The shots are seamlessly composited to create a representation of the room that is as close to "what we see when we're there" as possible. If you've got great views of the valley or the lake, we will make sure your buyers can see it :)
Do I own the Photos?
No. Ownership and copyright of all images and video remains with First Showing. By entering into an agreement with First Showing, you are granted license to use the images for marketing a specific property. This includes utilization on Realtor.ca, on your business web site, on marketing sites such as Kijiji and Craigslist, on social media, printed materials such as feature sheets, on your brokerage web site (but NOT as part of brokerage advertising not directly related to specific property marketing) and in any print ads. You may also give the home sellers copies of the photos and/or video for their records.
You may not re-sell, re-license or give away any image without authorization from First Showing.
'Generic' images are a special case. If you are supplied with generic shots, you may only use these shots in the marketing of a specific property. You may not use generic images indefinitely on your business site nor with your brokerage unless arrangements have been made with First Showing. Also note that generic images may be licensed by First Showing to any of our clients to market other properties.
If you receive a request for copies of property pictures from a third party (home stagers, builders, renovators, architects etc.) please have them get in touch with us directly and we will discuss their commercial needs.
TL;DR - Use our content to sell your homes and your business! For all other uses, please get in touch.
You may not re-sell, re-license or give away any image without authorization from First Showing.
'Generic' images are a special case. If you are supplied with generic shots, you may only use these shots in the marketing of a specific property. You may not use generic images indefinitely on your business site nor with your brokerage unless arrangements have been made with First Showing. Also note that generic images may be licensed by First Showing to any of our clients to market other properties.
If you receive a request for copies of property pictures from a third party (home stagers, builders, renovators, architects etc.) please have them get in touch with us directly and we will discuss their commercial needs.
TL;DR - Use our content to sell your homes and your business! For all other uses, please get in touch.
Where Might First Showing Use Images and Video?
As copyright is retained by First Showing, we may, at our discretion, use any images on our advertising, on social media and to promote our operations.
There's an ad over my video!
Licensed royalty free background music is usually used under the video tour. At the time of purchase, the music tracks are "clean", and are not claimed on YouTube. A "claim" can be made at any time by a third party, for instance, the original musician who has the copyright can inform YouTube that they want to claim any versions of their songs and have ads placed over the video. The ad revenue goes to whomever has 'claimed' the music, and ads are generated automatically. First Showing has no power over music that may get claimed, nor with the resulting ads. We do not use 'claimed' music at the time of the edit, but be aware that the claim status can change at any time in the future. In that eventuality, ads may appear over your property tour.
Hey! My photos and video look green!
CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lights) are great. They save a lot of energy. But they are kryptonite to photographers. The reasons for this are a quite technical, but the end result is that, when one mixes light sources (daylight through the windows, some CFLs, a few incandescent bulbs and throw in some halogen for good measure) the end result is non-optimal. We do what we can to achieve a consistent, balanced image and spend a good deal of time in post-production to get the best shot possible. But sometimes, the colour balance will be off. Short of bulb replacement, this is the reality with property photography and videography.
How long does the shoot take?
It depends on the property. An average sized town property will take about an hour. Add a little more time for larger country properties and properties with out buildings. Recording a voice over will also require additional time.
I have a view property and would like aerial images. Can you do this?
Absolutely! We have Advanced Drone Certification from Transport Canada and are full insured for aerial operations.
What is your turnaround time?
In general, we guarantee all materials delivered the next business day. Factors affecting delivery time can include: getting all of the required information from you (listing description, property details etc.) and the time that the property was shot. The first time we work together takes a little longer as we have to design and get approvals for the look of the web site, video tour intro etc.
Can first showing tours be seen on every mobile device?
We endeavour to ensure that our tours are available on as many different devices as possible, but we cannot guarantee that all devices will be supported due to the vast differences involved in the various platforms. Please take a look at the sample tours on the Portfolio page to see how it performs on your device and that of your clients.
What do you need from me?
When we first work together, we will need a high-resolution head shot, preferably showing your head and shoulders down to your chest. The bigger the file the better; if it's too small it will look soft when used in our materials. We will also need your contact particulars: Title ('Broker', 'Sales Associate' etc.), contact numbers, email address, web address and any other special designations you would like to include.
After we work together for the first time, each listing will need a spell-checked property description, and any other property details. Please note that all information must be submitted as a digital text file (Email or the MLS Listing is preferred) that can be copy-pasted as all materials must be vetted by you. This is a requirement so that there are no misunderstandings between you, First Showing and the client. Please review all submitted information very carefully!
After we work together for the first time, each listing will need a spell-checked property description, and any other property details. Please note that all information must be submitted as a digital text file (Email or the MLS Listing is preferred) that can be copy-pasted as all materials must be vetted by you. This is a requirement so that there are no misunderstandings between you, First Showing and the client. Please review all submitted information very carefully!
What do I need to know about the web site?
The web site is a single-page site that will remain active for the duration of your listing. If you wish to have a property page removed following a sale, you must let us know, as there is no way for us to track whether a property has sold or not.
The property page usually includes: Your branded information up top, a photo gallery with pop-up images, embedded HD video hosted on our Youtube channel or, if you wish, on yours; Walk Score map (subject to availability), a contact widget, and links back to your web site.
The property page usually includes: Your branded information up top, a photo gallery with pop-up images, embedded HD video hosted on our Youtube channel or, if you wish, on yours; Walk Score map (subject to availability), a contact widget, and links back to your web site.
I like a 'walled garden' and would like to embed your tours on my own site. Can this be done?
For the time being, a First Showing Photo or Video Experience site cannot be embedded into your business site. In the meantime, we can supply you with suitably sized photos and a YouTube video embed code that you can place directly on your site. Drop us a line for more information on this, or to discuss your particular needs.