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With all the buzz about Social Media and Web 2.0, what better time to take a look at the great evolution in marketing properties for sale.When real estate listings made the leap from being in a printed and bound MLS books of years past to the dial-in MLS systems, listing information began to become more digital.
It wasn't long before properties would have a photo attached to the digital listing, and shortly after that, properties had multiple photos.
The next big step in the world of online listings came when virtual
property tours started coming online and a prospective buyer could click and drag around to view a property as if they were really there, in the property.
With the advent of easy to film and upload online video, however, more and more agents and investors are turning to online video as a way to showcase their properties.
These video generally fall into one of three categories:
1. The Video Slideshow
In a video slideshow, photos or slides of the property are shown, sometimes with voice narration and background music. For an example of this kind of listing, see this Townhouse for sale in Salem, MA:
2. The Video Walkthrough
In a video walkthrough, the camera takes the viewer through the property as if on a tour and showcases the property. Like the slideshow, these often feature narration and music. For example, see this video of 35 Deer Run, Duxbury, MA.
3. The Viral Property Video
A viral property video goes beyond a basic walk through and entertains the viewer to the point that they can't help but want to share the video with more people. One of the best examples of this kind of viral video is the award winning Steak Out in Franklin, MA. Not only did this video help Michael sell his property, it gained media attention, won him awards from ActiveRain and Century 21, but landed him a new career!
The next time you're looking to promote one of your properties, remember: one photo isn't going to cut it, and these days neither is a "virtual tour."
Take some time to put together a viral video, unleash it upon the world and help it to grow.
Next thing you know... you might have more buyers than you intended, and... Sotheby's Realty might be calling you, too!
With the advent of easy to film and upload online video, however, more and more agents and investors are turning to online video as a way to showcase their properties.
These video generally fall into one of three categories:
1. The Video Slideshow
In a video slideshow, photos or slides of the property are shown, sometimes with voice narration and background music. For an example of this kind of listing, see this Townhouse for sale in Salem, MA:
2. The Video Walkthrough
In a video walkthrough, the camera takes the viewer through the property as if on a tour and showcases the property. Like the slideshow, these often feature narration and music. For example, see this video of 35 Deer Run, Duxbury, MA.
3. The Viral Property Video
A viral property video goes beyond a basic walk through and entertains the viewer to the point that they can't help but want to share the video with more people. One of the best examples of this kind of viral video is the award winning Steak Out in Franklin, MA. Not only did this video help Michael sell his property, it gained media attention, won him awards from ActiveRain and Century 21, but landed him a new career!
The next time you're looking to promote one of your properties, remember: one photo isn't going to cut it, and these days neither is a "virtual tour."
Take some time to put together a viral video, unleash it upon the world and help it to grow.
Next thing you know... you might have more buyers than you intended, and... Sotheby's Realty might be calling you, too!
Wondering how else real estate professionals are using Social Media and Web 2.0 to attract buyers and sellers? Join us for Turning the Key, coming up on Thursday, April 2nd where guest speaker Dianna Huff will help you get hip to Social Media and Web 2.0 and uncover the secrets to attracting buyers and sellers using tools such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
Full motion video is clearly the "next step" in real estate marketing. "Curb appeal" of yesterday is "web appeal" of today. That means that your web presentation MUST be top notch as that is the determining factor for most people as to whether they pick up the phone and make an appointment ... or click the "next" button on their browser. Buyers are ELIMINATING properties based on what they see online. They want to see a quality presentation AND they want to see everything - not just a few "choice" staged photos. The best combination is a slideshow of large, high quality photos AND a walk through video tour such as this property in Hingham, MA
A true real estate video walk through tour allows you to experience the home as if you were actually there - walking up and down the halls, up the stairs, driving through the neighborhood, showing local amenities such as beaches, shopping, parks, etc. You can truly sell a "lifestyle" - which is what buyers are truly buying.
Video does help sell properties - no question (just recently sold a home based solely on the video. The buyers were in Dubai (and still are!). They are now using the video to help them furnish the home from overseas!
But where it really shines is it helps put a Realtor on an entirely different level than virtually ALL of their competitors. They look more professional. Period. And it is the "slam dunk" listing tool out there - when you go on a listing appointment, you are virtually guaranteed every listing! You're not just taking still photos and zooming in and out on them - you're making a movie of the sellers beloved home. Sellers eat this stuff up!
Thank you, Fred, for the great comment. I've seen many of your videos, like 35 Deer Run, Duxbury, MA and the property in Hingham, MA and they're all top notch.
I'd be curious your thoughts on agents doing the video filming, editing, etc... on their own vs. outsourcing it to a company like yours.
Any pros/cons to doing it on their own?
Jeremy: It really depends on if you have the time and/ or the desire! Video is technical, complicated, time consuming... it's not pretty. But if it's something that an agent wants to pursue, it's also a LOT of fun! I would just assume that most Realtors would rather spend the many hours it takes to shoot, edit, compress and upload videos - out actually selling real estate (trust me, that's far more lucrative!). But if you look at guys like Mike Lefebvre, he does an awesome job on his own videos.
The one thing that does make me cringe though is the recent popularity of the "Flip" video camera. It's a $129 video cam. It's easy. It's quick. And it's PERFECT for a testimonial video or a video blog. But it's absolutely horrible for a property tour. Just nasty. And I've seen many of these on YouTube! I call it the video equivalent of taking property photos with a cell phone!
Kohler spends more money photographing and doing videos on a $200 toilet than most Realtors would spend on marketing a $500K+++++ property - there's something very wrong with that. Nobody is expecting a Steven Spielberg production on a home, but it's reasonable to expect something semi-professional if YOU want to look like a professional. The "Blair Witch" style videos do NOT work for real estate, yet some agents seem to feel that the natural, "raw" look is somehow appealing as they slowly make the viewer toss their cookies..... I've found just a few of these "gems" which I posted on my website. If I were a seller I would FIRE an agent who used that type of marketing to sell my home. It just doesn't get more Mickey Mouse than that! The home looks bad - the Realtor looks worse. Nobody wins, and it sure ain't gonna sell that house!
I can't speak for other markets, but here in New England I do video tours that start at $139. Most run $200-$300. It's not a huge expense when you consider there are still plenty of agents who spend that every month advertising their properties in newspapers and Real Estate Book type magazines that nobody reads.... The smart agents realize that 90%+ of buyers are online and they need to reallocate that marketing money where it gains the most eyeballs.
The Realtor of today needs to learn many different skills.
The listing is one SMALL aspect of how a Realtor can be using video in there arsenal of tools to build their brand / content. There are vlogs, interviews, testimonials, community videos, and events / meetings that captivate and create engagement! It is psychically impossible monetarily to pay anyone to produce all this content for you professionally. Because of this it is well worth learning a little to be dangerous.
I agree with Fred on many point... However, The Flip camera works really well. You can't really zoom in on things but, the audio and picture quality is almost perfect for the web. (No wonder Cisco bought them for $500 Million)
Is it worth while for agents to do a video for a $500K + property? I don't know? Not everyone I guess can produce a quality product but, you can learn and the more you do it the better you get at it.
One of the biggest problems is that if a Realtor thinks they can sit back and have it all automated for them they are allowing the computer to take control.
Jeff Turner said it great at last week's RE Tech South Conference with his session called "The computer is a moron"! The bottom line is that if you have no story or creativeness even with the best equipment your video won't be good...
Tell a story and have fun! It can be very rewarding when people enjoy your work and you actually get business from it. Fred and other Video Professional do a great job and, doing your own isn't for everyone. But, would I rather use someone like a Mike Lefebvre vs. some other agent that pays to get the job done? I don't know? Maybe someone that is creative would also find the best way to sell my house or get my offer accepted?
Here is an interview I did with Mike on viral video. http://www.viddler.com/explore/zipvogreg/videos/20/
I shot it with the Flip and he says, he shot his winning video with basic equipment. The biggest barrier to entry is not doing it!
Great dialogue guys! You all hit on some solid points. I tend to agree with Greg in that the best equipment in the world will still make a boring video, well...BORING. Pretty, but boring nonetheless. I learned from Seth Godin the best marketing is told with stories. Keep it short, keep 'em interested and you're halfway there. And my advice to rookies (Spoken as if I've been doing this for a long time! LOL) is just keep hitting record, or just keep calling Fred!
Fred has been doing some AWESOME work for other agents in my office. Let's face it, not every agent is willing or able to stay up until 3am editing a particular transition twenty times until it's perfect. It's definitely not the most effective use of a Realtor's time, but I have an affliction and don't sleep much anyways. The 'creative curse' I've heard it called. For 99% of agents, I think hiring someone like Fred who can deliver an extremely professional product for relatively short money (Not sure how he does that BTW???) is the way to go. Plus, they've all stopped asking me to help them. So THANK YOU FRED! ;)
As a Realtor, you've GOT to be out there with video. It's not really an 'option' any more. So whether you follow your inner muse and torture yourself with late nights in the editing room, or bring in the hired guns like Fred and leave the torture to them, get your properties online with full-motion video! Just do it.
I am a product of the TV generation and a self-professed marketing junkie. I like watching 3-minute stories about products or services I'm potentially interested in buying. I also enjoy combining "show" and "business" for my clients and creating these little vignettes to showcase their properties. Strive to be creative and unique with it, and your clients will love you for it!
I can say from experience, all it takes is one quirky idea (see "Steak Out" above...) translated onto video that can make a huge impact for you.
Jeremy, Thanks for featuring my company, Hallmark Sotheby's International Realty and Mike Lefebvre in your blog. A few of my agents also use Fred Light...he just did a video for Susan Moore's listing in Upton and did a GREAT job, thanks Fred!