The Spiro Podcast: Managing your Real Estate Photography & Videography Business

Hiring an Employee - Jess Paxson

Growth of your real estate media company is an exciting thing! Most likely you've started as a sole employee/owner business, but it's come time to hire someone to help you manage and grow the business. What is a good, consistent way to approach hiring the right people to help you grow and scale?
Jess Paxson, the Operations Manager for WOW Video Tours joins us on this episode of the Spiro Podcast. She shares WOW's process of hiring, and some important things to consider when bringing someone on to your team.
Resources mentioned on the podcast (no paid mentions):
http://Indeed.com
Crystal Knows (DISC and enneagram tests) - https://www.crystalknows.com/
“The Road Back to You” - Suzanne Stabile & Ian Morgan Cron - https://a.co/d/5Vz4L2M
“The Path Between Us” - Suzanne Stabile - https://a.co/d/3SAWWWz
“The Five Love Languages” - Dr. Gary Chapman - https://5lovelanguages.com/
“The Five Dysfunctions of a Team” - Patrick Lencioni - https://a.co/d/6LPF4B4
Independent Contractor (Self-Employed) or Employee? - https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/independent-contractor-self-employed-or-employee
 
Show Summary:
0:00-1:02 Sneak Peek
1:03-2:04 Intro 
2:05-3:19 Craig’s story with Spiro
Craig was the first Spiro beta-tester
His business grew to shooting over 1,000 listings/year in about four years
3:20-4:40 Please like, share, and subscribe if you have found the podcast valuable, and let us know what you want to hear on the podcast
4:41-10:11 Intro to Jess Paxson
10:12-12:50 When is the right time to hire an employee?
Ask yourself how many hours/day you are willing to dedicate to the job
Someone usually pays the price, whether it’s you, your family, or your clients
Can I scale my business alone? Usually not
Determine what your time is worth
If you set hours when you can’t work, you likely can’t scale
If you can’t afford to hire an employee, you may need to raise your prices
Having an employee or a team can improve your customer service
12:51-19:39 Wow’s hiring process
Assess what position is needed and list the title, responsibilities, and hours
Post job and application on indeed.com (Indeed features job assessments and allows you to see a candidate’s resume)
Sometimes post on job boards for local trade schools or Ohio Means Jobs 
Screening process: How professional does their resume look? How are their communication skills? What is their past work history? (How long have they worked at each job?)
19:40-30:12 How to find the right fit for the company’s culture
Culture is important
Phone screening, then first interview, then second interview
Second interview: same questions as first interview, but with different employees running the interview + a DISC personality test (Jess loves the enneagram as well)
Personality tests help you understand how people work and communicate
Recommended books: The Road Back to You, The Path Between Us, The Five Love Languages, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
All employees who interviewed candidate meet in a room
One of the biggest concerns is how a candidate will mesh with the current team
Hire slow, fire fast- the wrong hire can sometimes do more damage than having an unfilled position
Virtual assistants- hire a pool, contract for a few weeks, and then keep the one who does really well
30:13-32:21 Is it more important to hire the right personality or the right set of skills?
Personality is super important, and skills can be taught
A great personality with drive and determination can be molded and taught
Taking the time to invest in an employee can build loyalty
32:22-36:44 What does a good onboarding program look like?
What do they need on their first day?
Have a solid training plan in place- Wow uses Basecamp or Trello to track and gain feedback
Have the ability to track progress
Set goals for them to work for and clear expectations
Having procedures allows a manager to delegate training
36:45-39:12 Best piece of hiring advice: Just do it.
Recognize you can’t do it all 
Don’t be afraid to hire someone who is better at you than the job; you are not threatened by them
Learn from each other
39:13-41:49 Closing 
 
For information on the differences between a 1098 contractor and a W-2 employee, look at the U.S. Department of Labor and your state laws.
 
Have questions? Email hello@spiro.media. Be sure to follow us on Social Media:
Spiro on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/spiro.media
Spiro on Instagram:  @spiro.media
Spiro on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/spiro-media
You can find out more about Spiro at spiro.media.

When to Hire an Editor

At some point in your business, if you haven't already: you're going to make a decision on whether to maintain your current size and volume, or try to expand. If you are doing your own editing, one of the key decisions you'll make related to that decision to maintain your current size or grow is: whether to hire an editor to help you edit your photos and videos.
What do you need to consider in making this decision? What is the cost of hiring an editor? What is the cost of NOT hiring an editor? How do you find someone? How do you communicate? How do you determine workflow.
Let's dive into these questions on hiring an editor as you consider the implications on your real estate media business.
 
0:00-0:36 Preview
0:37-3:42 Intro 
Thanks to our new subscribers
What would you like to hear about on the podcast? Let us know by reaching out to hello@spiro.media or leaving a comment
3:43-10:05 When do I need an editor? Should I hire an editor?
Are you looking to scale?
You’re probably asking this question because you’re feeling some kind of pain- ask yourself why it’s coming up right now and what you want to accomplish by finding an editor or by continuing to edit yourself
Consider the cost of bringing on an editor or continuing to edit yourself
Craig’s story: wanted a higher number of jobs, realized he would rather pay someone to do the time-consuming work at a higher quality than he could so he could focus on bringing in more jobs
Concerns about maintaining creative control: challenge yourself to find a high-quality editor
If you do niche work and you’re high-end, find a high-end editor- they will do it more cost-effectively than you can
One hour of outsourced work to the right editors could be one hour for you to build your business or one hour for you to recharge
10:05-11:56 Are you conforming your business to their editing style, or are you giving them direction?
Wow gives the direction they want for a defined look
They also give creative space by asking how the product can be better
Quality-control their work
Make sure they are delivering what you sell but use what they know
11:57-21:30 How does outsourcing work?
Find an editor- upwork.com, fiverr.com, onlinejobs.ph, pixlmob.com
If you have a resource, share it with us and we will share it!
Make sure you can communicate with your editor- can they speak or type in English?
You need a system- ours is integrated with Dropbox
Our system creates Dropbox folders for the team to upload to 
Wow assigns editors based on volume and quality
Let the editor know they have a job
Make sure the editor understands how to do the job- how should they edit windows?
The editor should upload them back to the folders
You should have a quality-control process
Get them out to your clients
Using editors from other countries is helpful because they can edit during what is night-time in the U.S., meaning you will get your photos back the next morning
Price range: anything from $0.30-$5.00 per image- range depends on quality and how much detail they are editing
Most basic: single exposure, probably shooting in a RAW format, one photo, only so much you can edit
HDR: taking multiple (3 or 5) images in each location, bright to dark, editor blends them and edits tone
Flambient: similar- multiple images from same location but uses flash to highlight different parts of the room
Approach will differ according to your market and business goals
21:31-24:10 Cautions when choosing an editor
They will have a level of access to your systems- interview them 
Do you know the individual editors if you hire a team? Will you know which editor did which job?
Are you able to pay them? Some countries are harder to reach
Who tracks how much they work? How do you determine whether you pay for images you are not satisfied with them? Talk about these issues
24:11-28:18 Conclusion
What will hiring an editor do for your business? This will help you decide what kind of editor you need to hire
Develop relationships with your editors
Growth isn’t easy, but it’s good
 
Have questions? Email hello@spiro.media. Be sure to follow us on Social Media:
Spiro on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/spiro.media
Spiro on Instagram:  @spiro.media
Spiro on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/spiro-media
You can find out more about Spiro at spiro.media.

What to Do During the Slow Season

The Winter Season can be a concerning time for a Real Estate Media Company. Business typically slows way down. Sometimes it can get so slow you wonder if you should be doing other types of photography, or if you'll even survive. Todd and Craig discuss things to do to strengthen your business in the "slow season". Be sure to check out these past episodes for ideas on how to strengthen the relationships you already have with clients, and how to find new clients during the winter season:
Networking with Realtors One on One - Part 1 
Networking with Realtors One on One - Part 2
How to Sell to the Needs of Realtors
Brokerage Deals
How to Increase Your Average Sales Price
 
Episode Summary:
0:00-0:58 Preview and intro
0:59-7:05 Don’t panic during slow season; take a breath
Develop a plan for decreased revenue during slow season
Don’t pay yourself everything you make during the busy season
One tip: pay yourself a salary so you can spread it out over the year
Sit with an accountant and asked them to help you figure it out
A business is a profitable enterprise that works for you; it should suit your needs
7:06-19:13 What do I do with all my free time?
You have to decide what you feel the most comfortable with
If you’re excited about the amount of work you have now and want to sustain that, it’s time to take care of your clients or work on your business
Take care of your top 20% clients- ask what they need, send Christmas gifts
If you’re okay with not growing, put the time back into yourself- you’ve earned it
If you want to grow, ask yourself: Where are your gaps? What was painful last busy season?
Your business is in a shell- as you grow, the shell will crack; identify and record those cracks, then work on them during the off-season
Get the right people together and start brainstorming with a whiteboard, then evaluate your ideas and figure out what you need
Assign people to collect data and schedule a follow-up meeting to look at the data and find the solution
You will need to write procedures- what to do when this thing happens/when we do this thing
Slow season is a great time to look at pricing changes so you can roll them out at the beginning of the next year
It’s also a great time to evaluate your current software and decided whether it’s doing what you need it to or if you need to implement new software (like Spiro!) and plan for that change
Look at your marketing materials and decide if you’re going to change or update any of your materials
Write personal thank you notes and Christmas cards to your clients to thank them for their business
Wow’s gaps to work on during the busy season: unify communication, improve culture, organize the CRM, educate clients about home readiness, work on new products, create a method for photographer feedback
19:14-25:55 Working with current clients 
Slow season is a great time to re-establish and develop relationships with clients
Go over the year, thank them for their business, ask them about goals
Pick the five you get along with best if a meeting scares you
Start with a phone call; the way Realtors do business is face-to-face
Ask if you can treat them to coffee
Ask what went well and what can improve, how many listings do they want this year, what growth percentage do they want to see, what is their traditional marketing
Ask about their social media marketing- what platforms and content do they want to use? What are their needs for personal branding? What products do you have that will help them reach these goals?
You are part of their marketing team
This is not a selling meeting; you are asking how you can better serve them
Ask if you can take notes and write- don’t use your phone or computer
25:56-28:25 What should I do to prospect and establish new relationships?
Ask (usually toward the end), “Do you know any other Realtors that we can serve? Is there anyone in your office you can refer me to?”
Realtors ask for referrals all the time
The worst thing that can happen: they say no
If you’re talking with a broker, be more specific- “Do you know _____ broker in ____ city (that’s thirty or forty minutes away)?”
28:26-30:20 How do you get an introduction to a broker you don’t know?
Ask your current clients to introduce you- “I would love to put together a package for your company”
Brokers listen to and serve their Realtors
Find one of your biggest fans and best clients who’s a high-volume producer- brokers want to keep their Realtors happy
30:21-33:38 A full-color catalog or brochure to put in Realtors’ hands is still valuable
There’s something about the physical marketing material 
33:39-38:07 
Agents are more available during slow season
Craig took the slow season to get in front of as many agents as possible and increased the number of listings he shot during the next year by over fifteen times
 
Have questions? Email hello@spiro.media. Be sure to follow us on Social Media:
Spiro on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/spiro.media
Spiro on Instagram:  @spiro.media
Spiro on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/spiro-media
You can find out more about Spiro at spiro.media.

PMRE Recap: Emily Olman - The Metaverse and NFTs

We wanted to bring you another recap episode of the PMRE Conference. This time, conference speaker Emily Olman joins Todd & Craig to talk about her topic of The Metaverse and NFTs.  What's coming for imaging for spaces?  We have 3D Tours like Matterport and iGuide now, but what else is coming?  And how else can you profit from your work besides copyright and licensing?  Listen in to learn more about some cutting edge information on developing technology.
Episode Summary Notes:
0:00-1:00 Preview
1:00-9:24 Intro to Emily
9:25-17:30 Advice to entrepreneurs
You are always working for someone- your client is now your boss
Imagine you’re a big company from the beginning and build systems that will grow with you
Know your market and figure out if you want to differentiate from everyone else- you can try a lot but at some point, you will have to choose what you are
Don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t go how you think it should; keep trying
17:31-38:24 The Metaverse 
A virtual showroom can prevent expensive mistakes
Augmented and virtual reality are becoming more common
The Metaverse may not be an oversight success
The S Curve and the Gartner Hype Cycle
People will reach for whatever’s next
38:25-49:20 NFTs
Making something an NFT (“minting”) makes it traceable and “copyrights” it as yours
Non-fungible Token- singular, can not be traded one to one
Virtual reality could upend the industry
49:21-53:59 Reach Emily on YouTube (Hopscotch Interactive), Instagram (@hopscotchinteractive), LinkedIn (Hopscotch Interactive), and email emily@hopscotchinteractive.com 
Agents are always looking for something new
Use the information you’ve learned and give it to your agents
Continue to learn- you have to start somewhere
Have questions? Email hello@spiro.media. Be sure to follow us on Social Media:
Spiro on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/spiro.media
Spiro on Instagram:  @spiro.media
Spiro on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/spiro-media
You can find out more about Spiro at spiro.media.

PMRE Recap - Featured Speaker: Devon Pastorius

In case you missed the PMRE Conference, here's a wrap up episode!  Todd & Craig welcome PMRE Featured Speaker, Devon Pastorius on to the podcast to review his presentation in Las Vegas. "Professional Photos Sell More Houses, and Other Lies we Tell Ourselves and Our Clients." What do we as Real Estate Media Professionals REALLY do for our clients?

Owner Spotlight: Pete Stagl & Servant 360

This week we talk with Pete Stagl, owner of Servant 360 for the continuation of the Spiro Podcast Owner Spotlight Series.  Pete share's about his company, but dives into a timely topic for all of us:  how to market your Real Estate Media company through a recession.  
0:00-0:48 Preview
0:49-6:27 Intro
6:28-7:36 Intro to Pete and Servant 360
7:37-12:38 Pete’s perspective on the current market and economy
12:39-13:27 Will some real estate media companies fold?
Companies have to be prepared and continue to marketing their business
13:28-15:15 What to say to a Realtor who can’t get buyers into the home
Real estate media companies can shine when houses do not sell as quickly
Agents need media to stand out
This is the time to educate clients on what you offer 
15:16-22:34 How can real estate photographers market themselves and survive the recession?
Some of the biggest, most profitable businesses started during recessions
If you eliminate your marketing, who will know that you’re still in business?
Agents are similar to photographers - they are islands and mainly compete with each other
Come alongside your clients and offer to help; look at it as serving them and helping them generate more business
Keep your name at the forefront during difficult times
Agents think about real estate photography about once a month
22:35-32:02 What is a first step in marketing?
Connect with potential clients through social media, email, calls
Make sure they know you’re still in business
Offer as many services as possible so you can serve an advisory role to your clients
They are already looking for new ways to market; if you don’t offer these services, they will find a company that does - be a one-stop shop
Having an efficient ordering and delivery system (such as Spiro) walks clients through what they need and helps you upsell
If an agent is really looking to survive the recession, they will want more than photos
It’s hard to increase your average order value if you only do photos
A Realtor is marketing themselves to their clients through their past listings; some clients decide on their agent based on the media for their past listings
Put yourself in your client’s shoes and understand what they’re trying to solve
Spiro’s ability to show past listings is a sales tool for prospective clients
An agent has to show that they will do more
32:03-37:46 
Stay positive and avoid fear-based news
Focus on opportunities over challenges; focus on what you can control
Surround yourself with the people who build you up
Craig’s book recommendation: Winning the War in Your Mind by Craig Groeschel
37:47-43:15 How should businesses prepare to absorb new clients?
Those who focus on fear will be more likely to give up
Some competitors will close; some may offer clients to you
Pete created a coupon code for the clients he received from a closing competitor
Their use of the code put them in his system
43:16-47:20 Contact Pete at pete@servant360nm.com or follow him on social media at @servant360  
Implement something from this podcast today
Find a marketing group
Start talking to your agents
Find an accountability partner, such as Todd (hello@spiro.media) to motivate and remind you to accomplish your goals
 
Have questions? Email hello@spiro.media. Be sure to follow us on Social Media:
Spiro on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/spiro.media
Spiro on Instagram:  @spiro.media
Spiro on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/spiro-media
You can find out more about Spiro at spiro.media.

Owner Spotlight Series: Tashara Milligan & Open Peek Media

We're starting a new series on the Spiro Podcast.  It's the Owner Spotlight Series!  Each episode in this series we will spotlight a Real Estate Photography Business owner and their business, both large and small businesses.  There are some incredible stories out there of how these business owners started their businesses, and they have valuable insight and wisdom to share with you!
 
In this first Owner Spotlight Series episode, we'd like to introduce you to Tashara Milligan, owner of Open Peek Media in North Carolina!
 
Show Summary Notes:
0:00-0:31 Preview
0:32-2:53 Intro
2:54-6:42  Introduction of Tashara Milligan - Owner of Open Peek Media
How Spiro & Open Peek Media connected - Beta Testing Software
Tashara worked in the Healtchare Industry during COVID-19. Needed to do something different
Found a Real Estate Photography Class online and signed up
Finished class, bought equipment, did practice shoots
Opened Open Peek Media in July 2020
6:43-8:12 Current Business Situation for Open Peek Media
Solo photographer, shooting around 250 listings per year
Considers herself a Boutique Real Estate Photographer, likes relationships she’s been able to build and manage with her clients by staying smaller
Has 3 kids, so to allow time for family they pace themselves. Her husband has joined her to help with Admin work and some of their commercial work
8:12-15:18  What role do strategic relationships play in Open Peek Media’s business? What is a strategic relationship?
At start of business, she was hyperfocused on just real estate agents to build customer base
Discovered that the more business owners she met and built relationships with and served, the less work she had to do in marketing
Joined Women’s Business Networking Group - focus was on strategic network referrals
She didn’t consider herself a networker, but tried
She connected with other business people that were connected to Realtors
Because of these relationships, her business name was mentioned in rooms she wasn’t present in
Web Design and SEO companies have been a very valuable relationships
By connecting with related industry businesses, you brand yourself as an industry expert
15:19-18:36  If you’re hesitant to reach out to other business owners in related businesses, what should you say or do to make those connections?
Find events you can attend where you can just meet people.  Repeat this, and you’ll start seeing the same people
Do a follow up call/contact after you’ve met people in person, makes phone call easier once you’ve met someone
Use your photography/media to get out in the community and serve at events/meetings to get to know people
Do work in community and non-profit organizations - those in that field will get to know you and refer
18:37-21:48  What advice do you give to a business owner that may be more introverted?
Think about the outcome of where you want to be, and what you want to get out of every interaction
Think about what environments are serving you
Know that the effort to connect with others will be worth it
There are times you don’t want to go to an event as an introvert, but it’s always with it due to identifying where you want to end up in life
21:49-24:46  Selling versus Serving
Serving others well will build your business more effectively than selling someone.
Serving takes you farther - go beyond even just a little bit what’s expected
Serving results in appreciation
Staying small has allowed her to serve which fulfills her
24:47-25:42  What plans do you have for 2023?
Working on doing more virtual tours
25:43- Closing
Set goals and enjoy what you’re doing
Contact Tashara/Open Peek Media at:  http://openpeekmedia.com, tjmilligan@openpeekmedia.com, and Instagram:  @OpenPeekMedia
 
Have questions? Email hello@spiro.media. Be sure to follow us on Social Media:
Spiro on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/spiro.media
Spiro on Instagram:  @spiro.media
Spiro on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/spiro-media
You can find out more about Spiro at spiro.media.
 
 

How to Increase Your Average Sale Price

The market is changing.  Realtors are having a harder time getting listings, which can mean there are fewer listings to photograph.  So how can we make more per shoot to make up for potentially fewer appointments.  Or, alternatively, maybe you have you have all the appointments you want to shoot, but you need to make more.  How do we increase our Average Sale Price per real estate photography appointment?  Todd, Craig, and VP of Sales at WOW Video Tours, Steve Musser discuss how you can maximize every appointment.
 
Show Summary Notes:
0:00-0:32 Preview
0:33-4:15 Intro
4:16-7:28 What if I want to increase the value of each job instead of my number of shoots?
You can either cut costs or seek to serve your client better
Cutting costs involves trimming how much you’re spending to produce and deliver your product(s)
Seeking to serve your client better involves maximizing what each client gets during their shoot- try to move beyond your base products and shoot other products since you’re already at the shoot
Make sure the client has everything they need to market their property and help them grow their business
Sales can be intimidating, but you’re serving the client and helping them achieve their goals instead of pushing useless products on them
7:29-10:33 How do I learn and practice services outside photography?
Lots of resources are available for learning how to shoot video or fly a drone 
You will create your own system as your business grows
Email us for specific resources
10:34-13:50 How can photographers help their clients understand why they would want other products?
Serve clients instead of selling to them
Make sure they know what you offer; let the public know you offer services beyond photography
Cater your services to what your clientele wants; get to know them and what they’re happy with and what they want
Wow follows a consultative selling process and helps clients determine what they need product-wise to market key features of each listing
Consider how you can help them reach larger goals, such as branding to help them build their business
13:51-18:46 What has Wow’s experience been with scaling their average sale price (ASP)?
Wow did not pay attention to ASP until recent years
Wow increased around $15 per shoot over the last year ($15/shoot x 12,000 shoots/year = $180,000 increase since previous year)
The main factor was the sales team’s relationships with agents 
Ask Steve’s question, “Tell me about the features of this property”, and they will give you information that you can use to learn how they can market better
Yearly price adjustments can fall through the cracks, but they can be a big factor in increasing ASP
If you don’t have a sales team, that’s okay- build relationships with clients on your own!
Don’t assume clients already know about your products
You will retain more clients with more products because they will not have to outsource
Every time a client uses another company, you risk losing that client because the other company becomes a one-stop shop
18:47-20:17 What kind of question(s) can I ask agents to get them thinking about branding products?
“Have you ever thought about putting your face in your video?”- Often, they have and didn’t know that was an option
“What are you doing to keep your brand in front of everybody?”- Having that conversation can help you determine where they are in building their brand and follow them through the process of realizing they need to brand themselves
If you have those conversations with them, they will come to you when they decide to build their branding
The agents who have worked with Wow to build their brand are winning more business now when homes are not selling as fast
20:18-24:06 To summarize:
We have to educate ourselves about what products agents need and want
Implement those products and offer them to increase ASP
Ask clients the right questions to get them thinking and to know what they want
“What do you want to see? Is there something you’ve seen that you want to have?”- If you get the same answers over and over again, there is a need and market for that product
23:38-26:52 For someone who wants everybody to be happy and doesn’t enjoy selling, how do you pivot from a no?
No’s will happen, so brace yourself
Approach the situation as a consultant- how can you make them better? 
If they know you are trying to help them in the long run, they won’t be afraid to answer your call
Answer their no with understanding and follow up consistently so they know you’ll be available when they need the service you’re offering
Take the no with grace and stay consistent
26:53-31:22 Don’t overthink it
Nobody wants to be told no; take it as a “No, not today”
Do something different to show that you care about them and it will pay off
Take the servant mentality over the salesperson mentality
People appreciate knowing you’re there to help them grow their business
Analyze your online ordering system to see if it can help you upsell; if it won’t, find a system that will (Spiro helps you easily create bundles and automatic upsells for clients who order online)
Clients will repay your helpfulness by using you to help them grow
 
Have questions? Email hello@spiro.media. Be sure to follow us on Social Media:
Spiro on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/spiro.media
Spiro on Instagram:  @spiro.media
Spiro on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/spiro-media
You can find out more about Spiro at spiro.media.