FloorPlanner Partnership Press Release

July 16, 2010

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) July 16, 2010

FloorPlanOnline.com, the leading provider of Interactive Floor Plan Tours for real estate listings in the United States, announces a major upgrade to its virtual tour platform with the launch of FPO 2.0, a customizable virtual tour system that features floor plans and photos in dedicated property websites. As part of this upgrade, FloorPlanOnline is including a new RoomPlanner tool, which allows buyers to drag and drop furniture, rugs, and other household items onto the floor plan, at no additional cost. The RoomPlanner tool is powered by FloorPlanner.com, a leading provider of online floorplanning tools.

Future upgrades to the RoomPlanner tool will allow buyers to see the floor plan in 3D view with 3D objects, which will enhance the capability to take a “virtual walk through” of the property when combined with the other media on the FloorPlanOnline tour. It will also allow real estate agents to “virtually stage” a home as part of their FloorPlanOnline account. This future enhancement will also allow customers to edit floor plans in real-time and eventually, allow them to draw their own floor plans and add the plans to their virtual tours automatically.

“The addition of the RoomPlanner tool as been a great enhancement to our new FPO 2.0 Tour. It is interesting to see how the tool has engaged buyers – some of the designs buyers have created with the RoomPlanner tool are amazing! We have even received a phone call from a buyer who used the RoomPlanner on a home she was purchasing in another state. She loved the functionality so much, she is creating a tour for the home she is selling, ” said Kris Cone, CEO of FloorPlanOnline.com. “The functionality is part of an ongoing upgrade path to make FloorPlanOnline the most comprehensive service for selling or renting real estate. And it all centers around the floor plan! Buyers want to see it, and FloorPlanOnline’s goal is to provide the most comprehensive content and tools online to meet this very under-met need.”

“According to independent research, buyers want to see photos first, with floor plans a close second, in terms of essential information for real estate listings. Yet, most listings today have few floor plans (not to mention interactive ones) and often, the photos have a ways to go in terms of meeting the online buyers’ needs. Floor plans are hard to get, so they get ignored, and things like online videos get more hype,” said Cone. “Yet, we make it pretty easy to get a high tech solution from a low tech process. We can do floor plan clean-up of existing architectural drawings, marketing brochures, or hand drawn sketches; or we can use one of our authorized service providers to visit the property to create a floor plan from scratch. With service in 49 states, we’ve got most of the metro areas covered with floor plan services. We can also do a self service tour anywhere in the world.”

“We are excited about our new relationship with FloorPlanOnline,” said Jeroen Bekkers, CEO of FloorPlanner.com. “This technology agreement is part of our licensing plan to work with key website properties around the world and enable them with the FloorPlanner tools. FloorPlanOnline obviously has a great customer base that values the services they provide to make getting a floor plan easy, and we are excited to help enhance their product offering with the RoomPlanner tool.

Their strategy is right on – one of our integrated partners in the Netherlands, Funda.nl, just had interactive floorplans overtake videos as the most popular premium feature on Funda.nl. Buyers want to see floor plans and plan their new potential home…and why not, it is the most expensive purchase decision most people make in their lives!”

About FloorPlanOnline.com

FloorPlanOnline was co-founded by Kris Cone on 2004, and it started commercial service in 2005. It has created thousands of Interactive FloorPlan Tours over the last 5 years on a self and full service basis. It serves many of the top real estate brands and has thousands of registered users. FloorPlanOnline has maintained over a 95% customer satisfaction rating and continues to get high marks for its tours and its customer service. FloorPlanOnline has country specific service offerings in the Unites States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and South Africa. Learn more at www.floorplanonline.com.

About FloorPlanner.com

FloorPlanner.com started business in 2006. Jeroen Bekkers, a trained architect, heads up a small interactive design shop in Rotterdam called Suite 75. He created Floorplanner to get, much more simply, the same results that professionals gin up with sophisticated computer-aided design software. FloorPlanner.com has partnered with many real estate oriented properties around the world to bring their drawing tools to their users and customers. Learn more at www.floorplanner.com.

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Embed Your Own Custom Video & More

July 7, 2010

I hope you all had a happy and safe 4th of July!

We wanted to let you know we just launched a few new enhancements/tour features you might like:

1. Custom Video. You can now embed your own custom video into the FloorPlanOnline virtual tour. You can even turn off our Virtual WalkThruTM Video and just display the video button for your embedded video! This is great for listings that have a custom produced video and you want to prominently display it under the Media section on the new FPO 2.0 tours. In order to use this, you will need the embed code provided by the company that created your custom video, or you can upload a video to YouTube and use the embed code YouTube provides. Select the largest size possible (like 960×745 pixels) so it fills the content area. Note: this feature is not available for the original FPO 1.0 tour format.

2. Property Documents. With the launch of the FPO 2.0 tour in May, we added the ability to upload property documents, such as disclosures or other reports, to your tours for display under More Info. There is now a way to delete a previously uploaded document. To upload a document, just select the button to upload the document (PDF or Word file) when you create the tour, or go to Manage Orders, then click on “edit” under Order Form and then scroll down to the property documents section. To delete a document, just select the “delete” link.

3. Tour Formats. We are working to add a new “Classic Virtual Tour” template that is more landscape oriented with the media buttons on the bottom….so it will be a little more like the original tour format but with larger content areas and more customizable (colors, features, additional resources), like the web page version of the FPO 2.0 tour. Look for this in the coming weeks. We have also heard from some of you that you would like to keep the original FPO 1.0 format for your tours. We can certainly accommodate this request. Right now, there is no way for you to select this option when you create a tour (but it will be there in the future). For now, you can email us or call us and we can add a note to your account to have your tours produced in the original format. Note: some items, such as the Feature list, additional resources, and property documents are not available on the original tour format.

4. Video File/YouTube. Many of you have expressed the desire to have the WalkThruTM Video uploaded to YouTube, as well as additional tour distribution options. These things ranked high on the recent survey as well. I am pleased to announce we are actively working the conversion of the video to a format that is acceptable for upload to YouTube, so this should be ready within 1 to 2 months after some testing and purchase of additional software. It will include the ability to download the video file under Marketing Materials for your use as well. Once this is completed we will work to add more tour distribution options, such as Zillow, Trulia, etc.

We have a long list of other enhancements coming in the next 6 months. Once some of these projects get closer I will provide a more detailed update. We really value your business and your feedback to help FloorPlanOnline be the best property tour out there. Please feel free to email me directly with any comments, questions, testimonies or concerns.

Best Regards,
Kris Cone
email: kris@floorplanonline.com  kris@floorplanonline.com

Create an Area Tour

May 28, 2010

Want to really be a local area expert?  Try creating an Area Tour for the subdivision, community, town, or city you service.  Once you have the Area Tour, you can use the new Additional Resources linking tools to add it to each of your listings.

You can easily showcase an area just with photos, or if you have a map you would like to use, you can make it an interactive map tour. Click Here for an example of an Area Tour created by the first official customer of FloorPlanOnline in the US, Linda Cone of the Cone Team. See more of Linda at www.KansasCityLifestyles.com.  Note – we provide both a widescreen version of the tour and a portrait version.  By default people get the widescreen – except some users with a very narrow screen will get the portrait version.  In this case, I think the portrait version works good for a map tour…so I used that.  Just change the 1 to a 0 to see and use the portrait version at the end after ws=  http://www.seetheproperty.com/presentation_v2/presentation.php?order_id=8606&mode=branded&ws=0  We will be adding some Map tour types in the future…but for now, you can work the system this way.

To see a tour with the Area Tour (and a lot more Additional Resources), click here.

How do you add an Area Tour to your tours?  It is simple.  First, just create a new tour for the area you would like to showcase.  To create a self service Area Tour with photos, it is just $29 for a year of hosting.  Just select the tour option for Photos only.  To add a Map, select the FloorPlan and Photos option.  That is just $59 for the first year to create the map and tour, and then $29 a year thereafter.

One you have the Area Tour, just login, go to Manage Orders and then click the Edit link under Order Form (or Edit Tour then edit Property Details).  Scroll down to the section where it says Content Display Options.  Under the Additional Resources column, select the +Add Custom Resource button.  Then just type in text for how you want it to show on your tour, and then the link to the Area Tour, such as www.floorplanonline.com/8606 (or www.seetheproperty.com/8606 works too).  Then select the button to add it.  Just make sure the box is checked for this Area Tour, go to the bottom and save.  For your next tour, this resource should be checked.

If you service different areas, you can add multiple area tours, and just select the one needed for your particular listing.

Also, you can use the Additional Resource tools to add links to your website, your blog, your MLS search page, and more.  The more you put links back to your website, the more “Google Juice” you get…and we both get.  Just check out the link above to the listing with the Area Tour for an example.

Official Press Release for FPO 2.0

May 19, 2010

FloorplanOnline® version 2.0 provides Buyer, Seller and Agent valuable resources

ISSAQUAH, WA –FloorPlanOnline® (FPO), an interactive floorplan website that offers buyers and real estate agents the ability to virtually tour properties online announces the launch of FPO 2.0, a redesigned and upgraded version of its interactive online floorplan tour.

The new version includes a more user-friendly integrated website that consists of upgraded navigation with different property content and multiple tour customization options. The advanced site presents the consumer with a myriad of Media options; including a Floor Plan Viewer with zoom-ability and full screen, Photo Viewer with large, high quality photos, WalkThruTM Video, and the new RoomPlanner that allows the user to drag and drop furniture onto the floorplan to experiment with furniture placement and design. The site also allows the listing agent to perform search engine optimization (SEO) on individual properties and do their own tracking via Google Analytics (or other tracking programs).

“FPO 2.0 brings a new, high level of information to the home buyer about a listing. Our goal is to provide the most robust content platform for properties online,” said Kris Cone, CEO of FloorPlanOnline®. “To be able to see the floorplan of a home, click on a room and see the photo of that room – it’s a powerful tool. To then further make it your own with the RoomPlanner gets the buyer interested and engaged. We are taking great care to offer this premium service affordably and efficiently through full or self service options.”

FloorPlanOnline® launched in 2005 to provide home buyers with an accurate depiction of property online including big crisp photos, video, disclosures and floorplans. The new and upgraded version of the original floorplan website builds upon the success that FPO has already established, including being mentioned by real estate guru, Barbara Corcoran on the Today Show in 2009.

Research completed in 2009 by the California Association of Realtors showed that 20 or more photos online reduced the time a home is on the market up to 50 percent. Other independent research has shown that floorplans were second to photos when buyers were asked what they wanted to see when looking for a home online. FPO provides both.

Top agents and companies like Shea Homes know how important statistics like these are and have called upon FloorPlanOnline to help them market their homes. Recently, universities like UCLA have also asked FloorPlanOnline to build interactive campus and building maps for new and prospective students.

About FloorplanOnline
FloorPlanOnline created the Interactive FloorPlan Tour to fill the gap in the market created by traditional virtual tour services – namely, the inability to see the property layout before an actual site visit. FPOs products can save the Buyer, Seller and the Real Estate Agent valuable time while providing them key information that has been requested for years. FPO can be used for residential or commercial real estate listings, leases, retail centers and land development.

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New FPO 2.0 Virtual Tour – In a One Min Video

April 26, 2010

FloorPlanOnline launched the new FPO 2.0 Format on May 1, 2010.  Your orders will now automatically receive the new enhanced premium virtual tour.  
Enhancements are everywhere – Video, Photos, FloorPlan and Room Planner all with new crisp wide format, new easy to use navigation and built in local link tool, Google maps and Street View,  Social Media and  SEO.

New To FloorPlanOnline? Registration is FREE HERE.
For More info on FPO 2.0 check out this post.

FPO 2.0 will bring a high level of information to the home buyer about a listing.  Our goal is to provide the most robust content platform for property online. We are taking great care to offer this premium service affordably and efficiently.

FPO 2.o by FloorPlanOnline Real Estate Marketing

Simple – We can Photograph, Measure and Produce
Effective – Buyers want to see Floor Plans with Photos
Affordable – Feature Rich without a Long Term Contract
Premium Virtual Tours for Top Agents

Corporate & Sub Account Support

March 9, 2010

I have talked to a lot of customers recently about situations where they have multiple accounts and need access to those account. So I wanted to let you know we support what we call a Corporate/Sub Account structure. Normally, when you register with us, you create an individual account. However, you can create a corporate account, and then once you have a corporate account, you can create sub accounts (this is done in the corporate account under the Manage Sub Accounts on the right when you are logged in), or with the corporate account info, an agent can create a sub account underneath your corporate account. All they need is the Company customer ID and the company password. The option to register as a sub account is located on our registration page, or click here.

With the Corporate/Sub account structure, you can have one person manage the office tours, for example, but each agent can get access into their own account.  The corporate account sees all tours for each sub account.  You can also place tour orders out of the corporate account for any sub-account.  Just select the drop-down on page 2 as you are placing an order.   This account structure is quite handy for companies that do some of the work for agents.

We can also set things up so the corporate account pays for all sub account tours.  Please call us at 866-810-3816, option 3 if you would like to set up a corporate/sub account structure or you can always send us an email.  Just use the form below.

-Cheers,

Kris Cone

New Tour Highlights Beta Feature

January 27, 2010

We are excited to highlight new FPO tools and one Beta Tool on the FloorPlanOnline “Tour of the Week” Today.

The FPO Custom Hotspot tool launched this month and allows agents to link youtube video, neighborhood websites or other FPO tours directly on the interactive floorplan.  On this tour the hotspot tool is used three times to link various other content. Two “house” type hotspot icons on the right side of the floorplan take you to a tour of the area Clubhouse and amenity’s.  The second “house” hotspot links to the Naperville Park district website.  Imagine how buyers will appreciate the custom information and ease of use.

Statistically Neighborhood Quality is the number one factor in deciding on a property (according this years NAR data).  Thus  – the more you can highlight about the quality of the neighborhood the better.

Secondly, the longer a visitor stays looking at a listing online, the more emotionally attached they become to the property.  With the Beta FloorPlaner tool (gray icon to the left of the floorplan) buyers may select furnishings and move them into the home digitally.  Select a couch, chair or lamp, and drag, rotate and click it into place.  Its still in Beta testing, so not bug free – but a cool look at the possibility’s.  Test the new tool here or on the tour above and give us your feedback!

Finally, we introduced the mouse over feature on all listings as well.  Simply mouse over the camera icon on the floorplan to view a thumb nail or click it to view the large photo.

This listing is in Naperville IL, (Chicago Suburb) and located at www.floorplanonline.com/56464

If you wish to volunteer one of your upcoming listings for future Beta testing send an email to chris@floorplanonline.com.

FloorPlanner Tool…Sneak Preview

January 22, 2010

Hi FloorPlanOnline users.
I wanted to give you a sneak preview of a floorplanner tool we are working on and get your thoughts. Can you review the tool below and then complete the poll on what you think. We are working to bring this, and some other exciting enhancements, to our tours soon. The embedded version is below, or Click Here to see the full screen version (so the icon library is not over the plan as in this embedded version).

Mouse Over & Embed Enhancements

December 29, 2009

Mouse Over with Photo Thumbnails. Today, we released a small but useful feature – Photo Mouse Over. Now, when you are viewing an Interactive FloorPlan Tour, you can mouse over a camera icon and a small thumbnail image of the photo will pop-up next to the camera icon. Click, and the photo will change on the left. This new feature will allow users to quickly preview photos of interest, and then click to get a larger view.  It is available and live today on all tours – you do not need to do anything!

Embedded Object Enhancement. We have also enhanced the embeddable object for the Interactive FloorPlan to include the mouse over feature, although a larger size photo does show. In addition, we have included navigation buttons on the photos to allow for easier navigation between photos – just click the arrow buttons to go forward or back.  The old way required you to click a camera icon, then close it, and then click another camera to navigate between photos.  This new feature should make it much faster to view photos on the embeddable FloorPlan Tours.

You can easily add an Embeddable FloorPlan Tour to your blog sites or on many company sites (like Windermere, John L Scott, Coldwell Banker Bain, and others).  Just think of the SEO benefits of creating a blog post for each of your listings – name the Post the address of your listing, add your marketing text, and then include the embeddable FloorPlan Tour.  You can also add the video if you want as well!  It adds more content to your website, keeps browsers there longer and turns them into buyers!

To configure your tour’s embeddable objects, just go to Manage Orders, then click the View link under Marketing Materials, then click the Embeddable Object button to get to the set-up page. You can change the colors of the buttons and the text on the buttons, and you can elect to show a “Full Tour” button (or change it to other text), which when clicked, will open a new window with the complete branded tour.  All you need to do when you have completed your customization is hit the Apply button, then click the link above the code and right click your mouse to copy the embeddable object code. Then, go to your blog or listing detail page for your listing and right click your mouse to paste the code in the desired location. Add additional explanatory text on top or below the code, and save. That is it! It is cool, effective, and keeps the buyer on your website longer to become a buyer!

Just try the example below to see how it works.

New Hotspot Feature Launches

December 20, 2009

We have launched a new feature on the FloorPlan Tours where you can now add a “hotspot” to any other webpage on the floor plan area. So you can add a link to a video (like a youtube video), another website, a community tour, or school website. Just go to Manage Orders, then click the link under the Tour Editor column, and then Edit Photos on FloorPlan. The hotspot tool is at the bottom towards save.

You can watch a “How To” video below.

Please let us know if you have any questions!