Video: the real estate game-changer
6 ways medium sells listings
By Bernice Ross, Monday, December 7, 2009.
If you had to select one tool for 2010 that would give you an edge over 99 percent of your competitors, what would that be?
When I wrote "Waging War on Real Estate's Discounters," the main goal of the book was to help agents craft a "unique selling proposition" (USP) that distinguishes their services from their competitors and thereby earn a full commission. To achieve this goal, agents must be able to demonstrate how their USP helps sellers achieve maximum exposure to the marketplace that results in the seller obtaining the highest possible price in the shortest amount of time.
While there are plenty of ways to create a USP, some startling new statistics indicate there is a tremendous opportunity in a surprisingly obvious place: video. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), only 1 percent of the agents are using video to market their listings, yet 73 percent of all sellers would list with an agent who uses video to market their property.
In other words, using video as part of your USP gives you an edge over 99 percent of your competition. If you want to convert more listings into signed business in 2010, video is one tool that shouldn't be overlooked.
After Google, YouTube is the most-used search engine in the world. Also, Google's algorithm appears to rank videos higher than podcasts, blogs or static Web sites. In other words, using video helps you increase your search-engine ranking. Google also has new software that translates the voice track on video into searchable text.
This means Google can search what you say on your videos. Consequently, it's important that on the voice track you say the address, the city, the state and the ZIP code where the property is located.
At NAR's annual conference and expo last month, Jerry Rossi's session, "The Hook of E-Motion," was packed with useful tips about how to implement video in your business. Some highlights:
1. Emotion, not features, sell houses
The best way to tap into emotional buying is to use video. To engage potential buyers in your video, Rossi suggests using the "look, hook and then cook" model.
For example, if you are marketing a beach property, make a video called "Escape to the Beach." Your video should be 60 to 90 seconds in length. Instead of walking through the house saying, "This is the kitchen, this is the living room, this is the view," create an image that grabs their attention.
Rossi suggested taking a picture of your feet in flip-flops propped up on a beach chair overlooking at the waves lapping at the shore. Jiggle the ice in your drink and say, "Ahhh -- home at last."
If you have a horrible house where the yard is a mess, you could use the same approach, except this time use work shoes rather than flip-flops. The suggested caption: "Not doing yard work is highly overrated." ...CONTINUED
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Submitted by Ron Ares on December 7, 2009 - 5:49pm.
I think you meant iMovie for the Mac.
Submitted by Heather McCroan on December 7, 2009 - 5:57pm.
I agree with your suggestion that video is the way to go with listings. But I absolutely disagree with your suggestions for video. I'm a professional videographer, but I'm with a brokerage doing their video tours and their internet marketing. It is as if whomever suggested what to do with videography was pulled out of thin air. What are they thinking?
1. Emotion at the level of interest of watching a video and wanting to see the interior DOES NOT sell listings. In fact, I'd bet that it would turn off a potential buyer who is sick of seeing crappy, shaky video on YouTube. What a nice change to see nice, steady shots of a home. If this is a selling tool, it should be professional. Why would you suggest less than amateur videography? Would you suggest that the photographs agents take be any less than the best they can do? Emotions sell homes after you've created interest.
2. Your article is about videography being a listing tool. What about the seller? How happy is your seller going to be with your silly antics and corny shots of a the agent in flip flops walking down the beach? If you're only suggesting a minute and a half of videography, then you better have only one shot like you suggest and make it 10 seconds, and the other 80 seconds better be devoted to SHOWING THE LISTING AND OTHER PERTINENT SHOTS. We have one agent who just lets her personality shine through, she doesn't have to do anything silly, she is just being herself which is charming.
3. Ideally you shoot A LOT less than 45 minutes of video. I shoot no more than 5-20 minutes of video even for listings upwards of 5000 square feet with lots of amenties. It may take you 45 minutes to get all of those shots, but you will do yourself a great disservice if you shoot 45 minutes of video. Our video tours range in length from 90 seconds to around four minutes. It depends on the home.
4. Your camera DOES make a difference. Go with a camera with a flash drive for memory. This makes editing a ... flash ... when you don't have to search through linear video shots. However, you have to use a program that will take the types of files that are created on a flash drive--I think most are h.264 files. I would also consider trying to find a wide-angle lens converter because looking at just part of a window and wall is just not visually interesting. I shoot on a Panasonic DVX100, which is a standard definition prosumer camera that I bought years ago, and I'm still using tape until my camera dies, and I have to buy a new one. However, if your brokerage will do so, invest in a Panasonic HMC150, which is about $3400. It is also prosumer and a flash drive.
5. Please use a tripod. They aren't expensive and you'll need one if you are shooting yourself walking down the beach in flip flops or jumping on a horse and riding away in the sunset.
6. The time of day you shoot can indeed have an affect. Outdoor light to your camera is actually blue and indoor light is actually like orangeish, so you're camera will need to do what is called white balance. Our eyes automatically adjust to the differences in light but a camera must be told what is white. Plus, if you shoot toward a window, a camera in auto mode will iris down so that not as much light will enter the camera. The rest of the room will be dark. I work in manual mode if shooting toward bright lights and windows and adjust the iris at somewhere in between.
7. Do post your videos to YouTube (we do www.youtube.com/sheridansolomon) and Realtor.com. I link them to our Facebook page also, and add the link to our MLS.
8. Consider this, do you have the time to add video to your already busy schedule? Do you think you could do it best or is your time better spent doing what YOU DO BEST, listing and selling real estate? You can probably find some starving film student who can do a decent job for you. I have it down to a science, I shoot in the order I'm going to edit, and have the agent narrate it in the same order. It takes me 10-30 minutes to shoot, 10-30 minutes to edit, and 10-30 minutes to get everything loaded to the different websites. Offer the aforementioned starving student $75-150 each.
Don't jump on the video bangwagon and do an amateur job of it. Your seller WILL NOT appreciate it, and buyers will be turned off by your lack of professionalism and what little they get to see of the home's interior.
I've been a buyer, and when I saw that an agent offered video I was thrilled until I watched the video and was sorely disappointed that it was just the agent babbling to shaky video of such tight shots I couldn't really make out the house or its layout.
Submitted by Heather McCroan on December 7, 2009 - 5:59pm.
Additional note, if you shoot on an HD camera with a wide-angle lens converter, you could easily pull still photos from the footage.
Submitted by Bernice Ross on December 7, 2009 - 6:49pm.
Bernice Ross, CEO of www.RealEstateCoach.com, home of 2008's #1 selling book at NAR--Real Estate Dough--Your Recipe for Real Estate Success
Heather--great observations and suggestions. I believe there is a place for both professionally shot and amateur video. The question is what will be the most engaging to web viewers that will make that listing stand out from all the others. Most videographers shoot the rooms and it looks great. But if everyone is doing it, does that hook the viewer in the same way that something that is unique, fun, and creative? I think there is a strong argument for doing both.
Submitted by Jason Hart on December 8, 2009 - 9:41am.
Certainly room for Professional and amateur video. I think agents need to realize that video is the new photo with regards to listings, neighborhoods, parks, etc. Its just too easy too include video and too powerful to ignore. I see merits in both Bernice's opinions and Heathers counter points, but no doubt video will give an agent competitive advantage.
Great discussion!
Submitted by Bernice Ross on December 10, 2009 - 10:42am.
Bernice Ross, CEO of www.RealEstateCoach.com, home of this year's number #1 selling book at NAR--Real Estate Dough--Your Recipe for Real Estate Success
In retort to the professional videographer’s response on Bernice Ross’ article regarding Video as a listing tool;
Ms. Ross was quoting me regarding short, 1.5 to 2 minute, do-it-yourself videos on homes for sale. May I introduce myself? As a lifetime student of human behavior, in which the last 38 years has helped immensely in conducting a successful real estate career, I have applied what I have learned, and continue to learn, to my writings, teachings, presentations, consulting, and television productions. None of which, by the way, were pulled, as suggested, from thin air.
Currently, I am a professional REALTOR and teacher – mentor – consultant - edutainer, I am not offended by the videographer’s comments paraphrased ‘poor quality emotional video won’t work’, than I am from an agent’s comment to a For Sale By Owner (FSBO) that, “You need me, you can’t do it yourself.”
You see, I am firmly convinced a FSBO can sell their house. And, yes, I believe professional agents can do a better job of managing the many intricacies and legalities of the sale far better than the owner who is inexperienced in such matters. And, I also have no doubt, that a professional videographer can produce a higher quality video than an amateur.
However, regarding your comment, “I'd bet that it would turn off a potential buyer who is sick of seeing crappy, shaky video on YouTube.” I’ll take that bet - as here is what millions of today’s ‘Evolved Consumers’ actually do watch - YouTube™ video.
According to YouTube™ itself, http://www.youtube.com/t/fact_sheet, “Traffic and Stats - People are watching hundreds of millions of videos a day on YouTube and uploading hundreds of thousands of videos daily. In fact, every minute, 20 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube.” That’s 28,800 hours of YouTube™ per day! Don’t you think that if people were actually sick of this, it wouldn’t be this high?
What they (real estate consumers) don’t want is another ad or commercial of slick, highly produced video. We, and I’d bet this includes videographers, mute commercials or DVR/TiVo programs so we can speed through them. We even listen to satellite radio to avoid hearing ‘Spots’. I write extensively on this in my book marketing, Dog Eat Dog & Vice Versa. Businesses have turned to other nonconventional methods of gathering loyal customers. And SO HAVE REAL ESTATE COMPANIES!
Therefore, in listening to the demands of the consumer, I stand by the non-professional video as a way to capture the consumer’s attention. Add to this that 100% of ALL PURCHASING is Emotional! Yes, even Videographers get emotional before they buy into an idea, product, or service.
Regarding your comments in #2, what about the seller? If we, as practicing real estate professionals, continue to train our sellers that it has to be expensive to work and or be of value, we will spend ourselves into the poor house. If sellers had their way, they would insist that the agent put their house in a full page, color ad in the newspaper daily. Truth is, it doesn’t work and agents are finally training sellers to this reality. In fact, sellers’ demands of classified advertising are waning - as most now know that even newspapers don’t advertise in newspapers.
Also in #2, you highlight, “SHOWING THE LISTING AND OTHER PERTINENT SHOTS,” you have missed the whole point. It seems that you believe you can sell the house on the Internet. Wrong, it is now considered the office visit when a buyer visits an agent or company website to look at videos. If the agent attempts to sell them in the video, it will be like your videos and everyone else’s. As I state in my book, when you do what everyone does, you get what everyone gets. However, when you generate emotion in a video, you have a chance of a return visit.
You see, videographer, I used to show properties to you. You would wander through the homes that I selected based on what you conveyed as what you wanted, needed, desired, and could afford to buy. Those days are over. Today, you (a suspect home purchaser) will look for 1 to 2 years at homes on the Internet - because you can. All the information is available to everyone. Then one morning, you wake up and say, “Let’s change properties.” Now you search for specific properties on the Internet with a great knowledge base, as buyers know more than ever before, and select one before you select an agent! That’s right, properties first - agents second! Real estate agents no longer wear the hat of ‘Information Provider’. They wear the hat of ‘Advisor’. We no longer have the luxury of watching you get emotional about a property, we must generate emotion. Again, I look at it 180 degrees differently than you, it’s the emotion that creates interest.
In case you misheard, I said you may shoot 45 minutes of video to get what you want for the final edited 1.5 to 2 minute video. I’m sure you can do it in less time, as will the agent after a little practice. As the producer of the CBS Morning Show recently said to me, “It’s known in television that even the Second Coming doesn’t get 2 minutes.” I guess that shows where Michael and Tiger stand with viewers.
Dear Videographer I will continually fight for your right to speak your mind, even if I do believe you’re stuck in the last century.
Keep Smiling, Jerry Rossi
Submitted by Fred Light on December 13, 2009 - 8:05am.
I think there is room for amateur video as well as professional video.
Realtors can easily shoot highly effective video testimonials from satisfied clients, which is incredibly powerful. They can easily shoot a video blog.
They can also shoot a tour of a home. I've seen some very good quality home tours shot by Realtors. I've seen some amazing photographs taken by Realtors. I've seen some striking brochures, flyers and websites created by Realtors.
However... the reality is that 90% of Realtors do not have the skills, equipment and most often, the time, to do these properly. They all take time, skills, the proper tools, and - most importantly - knowing how to USE those tools. Can it be done? Absolutely, If you've got the time, the skills and the tools to do it properly. Sorry, but $150 Flip camera is the right tool for some things, but it's not the right tool for a property tour. Without a wide angle lens, without the ability to shoot in low light, and without the ability to capture good audio, you're creating the moving picture version of a really bad cell phone photograph.
Comparing a real estate video promoting a home that is selling for hundreds of thousands (or millions) of dollars, with YouTube videos of a cat summersaulting into the toilet is not a fair comparison! Yes, many people enjoy and watch extremely shaky, raw, blurry YouTube videos of stupid things everyday. That does NOT mean they expect or desire that quality on a home that they are potentially interested in purchasing for hundreds of thousands of dollars!
Curb appeal of yesterday is WEB APPEAL today. The presentation online that someone is viewing at 2am in their bunny slippers on a 15" laptop determines whether someone picks up the phone to see the home in person - or clicks the NEXT button. Making a quality, compelling presentation online is key to success.
Many people put real estate professionals in the same camp as used car salesman - it's not exactly at the top of the food chain in the eyes of consumers. Putting a marketing piece online of a product selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars that looks like Uncle John's bad home movies does not exactly reverse that stereotype!
Granted, many sellers don't even bother to pay attention as to how their agent is marketing (or NOT marketing!) their home, but if I was a seller and I was potentially paying you $15,000 - 20,000 in commission, you'd better market my property in the best, most professional way possible. That does NOT include dark, blurry, crooked photos snapped with your $150 point and shoot camera in 5 minutes as you quickly run around the house. And that most certainly does not include a blurry, shaky video tour with bad audio and "raw" narration! Just imagining a tour of a property on HORSEBACK as suggested, galloping up and down makes me nauseated just thinking about it! That idea is absolutely insane - sorry.
Zappos, an online shoe retailer who did $1.2 billion dollars in sales last year seems to know a little bit about marketing. For a $35 sandal, they offer seven (7) professionally shot photographs! That's more than many agents use on a $500K house! They will now be producing videos on each shoe, with a goal of 50,000 videos next year! And guess what? They're not shooting them with a $150 Flip camera! Maybe they know something?
There is a huge difference between a slick, overproduced "commercial", and a shaky, blurry, blatantly amateurish video that makes most people lunge for the barf bag. Ideally, you want to be somewhere in the middle. Nobody says it needs to be slick and overproduced, but it definitely needs to be something that will make your seller happy and increase the professionalism of your brand to future clients.
Learning to do a quality video is something that anyone can do - if that is a priority for you. Spending $200-$300 for a quality video that makes them look professional and lets that agent do his JOB where he can make a lot more money seems to be a small price to pay. I see many agents pay far more than that for a small ad with a photo of their head in the local shopper that nobody reads anymore....
Having shot well over 1,400 property tours and having spoken to many sellers (who are usually future buyers), they're NOT pleased with zooming slideshows regurgitating the same MLS photos they just saw and they're NOT thrilled with "Blair Witch Project" types of "raw" videos.
Real Estate Video Tours
http://www.NashuaVideoTours.com
Submitted by Andrew Mooers on December 13, 2009 - 12:00pm.
For starters, slick Hollywood creations are not what the average Joe and Suzie Home Buyer are looking for. They want to feel the broker is there in the house kitchen with them..touring the place and showing how the rooms tie together. I agree with side of the high school gym that says the sandals, horse in the sunset like the Marlboro man who misses his lung are not what the small town rural broker should be trying to achieve. He will fail if you are looking for entertainment value and the budget for a $45,000 house does not warrant the attempt for a emmy or cleo.
This video is not a recreational escape you pay to sit thru. It is information gathering in a down and dirty, quick fix short of way. The viewer gives you 6 seconds to hook, cook or lose him. Don't make him feel he came in to the wrong theatre for the wrong movie and remember your purpose young Jedi video maker.
Shoot the audio at the property so it is not scripted, is not announcer guy. You want the viewer /listener at the property, not the sound booths. Use your voice as the credible one that knows the property. Heck weave in your seller who tells you how he and his dad built this river camp and describes the process as you pan the outside log cabin, catch fish jumping, the sound of wind in the pine trees.
Picture capture a moment, just a glimpse during a short visit to anywhere. When you and I look at a vacation picture, we smile and remember the rest of the movie in our head. But with real estate, out of state buyers have never seen the movie..until you make it for them to experience. Stills or video that breaths life in to the production and makes it "home sweet home", or land, farm, waterfront or community event, etc.
Video keeps them at the property for the full 3+ minute treatment. Its not a 30 or 60 secdond ad which is expensive during a super bowl or world series. You have time to do the job right..up to 10 minutes on youtube if it gets involved with say a 1000 acre lake sporting camp with trails, views, buildings to tour. Video, it's real, honest, letting the property features say something to the guy/gal on the other end. You make the connection for the buyer and seller to bring them together.
Take them to the home, show them around it, inside and out. But get them into the home, talk to them and show them the place. The old way of curb images of the place with your driver's side mirror in them because you are too lazy to get out and show the rest of the real estate iceberg is wasting their time. Keeping the buyer blind folded, your real estate listing your own secret. And the "one size fits all" bland copy written by someone that answers phones and files transactions is what the buyer is used to along with those crappy, limited images. Be different than the rest of the real estate herd. Trade in your single shot for a gatlon automatic 30 frames per second video of the property to get it sold, exposed to more people who talk it up, email it around, share in on line sites like facebook, myspace, twitter, etc.
Audio is 40% of the presentation. You can always edit the audio out if windy but get it captured at the property with the accoustics of what it sounds like at the property..what the lake shore, bird and loons singing at the property do to make this place special. I diasgree whole heartedly with the don't capture audio statement and using just a dubbed track back at the studio with over processed EQ and compression. Keep it honest, simple and let the voice of the property sing, speak to the viewer/listener. Use all five senses..not just the eyeballs with video. Run your hand over the granite counter top and explain how smooth, solid it feels.
Reading copy, seeing a few images used to be the tried and tested way everyone peddled real estate. Used to be. It's no longer chocolate and vanilla, black or white any more. You have more than eight crayons with video. And like a diamond, a jewel, every property is different. Just like people. Don't keep it a secret.
Video..what are you waiting for? It's 11 o'clock at night and do you know where your real estate videos are? Being watched on a mobile device at an airport during a two hour delay. Followed up with forwards to loved ones and friends with the email remark entry "Check this out Dad, Joe or Jill. Look what I found". Videos being rolled over and over after a holiday celebration in a place fourteen states away, whole different time zone.
Folks searching for a term and seeing your little video opening screen and descrition right there on Google's page one. That is huge. Would you click on copy or hit the video screen to get way more..to hear what that guy next to the lake or victorian is saying. Pssst....Video..we all know the country, world loves it. Started with black and white silent film and TV ramped it up. Video games and home theatres took the batton and ran with it. Now Youtube, owned by Google is the second largest search engine. Plant some video seeds and see how they grow.
Your real estate buyer is watching the lakeshore, farm, land and small business listing property videos. Not just homes we sell. And the local community videos you shoot, edit, post are popular with buyers and sellers. A person looking for property is buying the area. You are selling property, your community, yourself. They meet you ahead of anyone else. If you do a good job, you are the first guy or gal of anyone that shows up to shake their hand at the town line you serve. You the broker with video is the welcome wagon and your images are not one at a time. They are 30 frames per second with motion, sound, feel and go way way deeper in the person who absorbs them, experiences them.
Keep them simple and remember their purpose. Give them what you would want if looking in to their real estate location from your video portal. Link your videos to blog posts, email signatures and drip campaigns. Plant them in social media web 2.0 platforms. Marketing...the rules have changed..have you?
Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers - Houlton Maine / Aroostook County
www.mooersrealty.com
Submitted by Judy Orr on December 13, 2009 - 12:05pm.
I still see very few property videos that I like - in our area they are still too fast, too shaky, too dark or have that fishbowl look. I can't pinpoint any listing I've viewed that has used a professional videographer. I prefer slide shows.
I also agree that a video marketing property for sale is not the same as viewing an amateur video of Ninja cat or people doing stupid, scary or interesting things. Those are a cute, scary or funny slices of life. Marketing a home to interested buyers is just not the same thing. And not many of those YouTube videos ever go viral.
With that said, if there was a professional looking video that showed me the entire house, inside and out, that is what I am looking for. We just bought a townhouse in a different state and prior to our quick trip to choose which one we would purchase, I relied on photos, slide shows and videos. The still photos and slide shows were what I preferred looking at. And I viewed properties that had no videos or photos (or not many). I knew what we needed as far as number of bedrooms, baths, etc. If it sounded like a fit, I'd look at it whether there were photos, videos or not.
Do I need emotional marketing? No, I just want to see the property, and as much of it as possible.
We will be selling our home soon and looking for another. I'm already searching our MLS and I look at the still shots first, then I'll view the "video" (mostly slide shows, which is all right with me). Some videos are so bad I'll stop it and go back to the still photos.
I provide slide show videos to my clients and they love them. No one has asked for an actual video. In fact, I've taken some small, drab houses and made them look beautiful online. That's not always a good thing! Could be a letdown when buyers step in the door. But the sellers were amazed how nice I made their house look via my pictures/slide show and those houses did sell.
I have a couple of video cameras and maybe will try my wide angle lens camera on video on my own house as an experiment. But what I lack is proper lighting to take good videos and that is something I want to look into for regular picture taking. It has to be something I can lug around, though.
I work in the southwest suburbs of Chicago. I can't remember the last professional video I've seen on a listing. I suppose if I wanted to stand out I could offer one. But I stand out as it is with my current marketing (I've been told by sellers no one comes close).
With that said, I've been wanting to shoot local videos about the towns I work in and put my personality into it. I'd also like to do a seller interview. So I do have to learn how to create good videos.
Judy Orr
Cook County IL REALTOR
Submitted by Victor Lund on December 13, 2009 - 12:31pm.
It would be great if this discussion could include links to good and bad video clips on youtube that illustrate your perspectives.
Interestingly enough, I did a little research on YouTube for a friend on Friday. I believe that any marketing project should begin by identifying your voice and the target audience for your communication. For example, http://www.prudentialgeorgia.com/atlanta-real-estate-market-update.aspx uses video to provide a message from the broker to the consumer about what is going on in the Atlanta Real Estate market. The communication is made available to everyone, but some content is expressly pointed to buyers, other to sellers, and some for Public Relations (market trends).
Coldwell banker has some great stuff too - check out their content and note that they are including pay-per-click strategy for top search results for the keyword 'real estate' http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=real+estate&search_type=&aq=...
Here is a virtual tour published as a video with no audio - just panning through images - but includes all of the good community stuff
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOKVsCLcWPA
Here is a very cool PR piece for an agent http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edI0lhXEVik
See how the samples help tell the 'best practices' story?
Victor Lund
Partner
WAV Group
http://waves.wavgroup.com
http://www.wavgroup.com
Submitted by Fred Light on December 13, 2009 - 1:08pm.
Victor:
Here are some nice, "raw" videos for ya!
http://www.nashuavideotours.com/virtualtours/bad-video-real-estate-tours...
Real Estate Video Tours
http://www.NashuaVideoTours.com
Submitted by Heather McCroan on December 13, 2009 - 5:25pm.
I would hardly consider myself stuck in the last century considering I've been shooting video of real estate off and on since 2002. I've been shooting video since 2001 when I worked as a one-man-band television reporter.
When I say amateur, I don't mean an agent doing their best, I mean something that looks like it was shot by a six-year-old, or teenagers who are goofing off with the video camera or as mentioned above "Blair Witch Project."
Just because YouTube is the #2 search engine in the world doesn't necessarily mean that it is the #2 search engine for real estate. Just because 20 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute doesn't mean it is all amateur video--several networks, special events, movies, etc. all professionally shot are being loaded to YouTube. It also does not follow that it is all being WATCHED and has an audience. Plus, if amateur video is really "it" why are the networks, production companies, etc. still hiring professionals to shoot their video? Why are cameras getting better? By the way, who shot your television productions? Did you apply your knowledge of amateur video to your TV productions? Who were your camera operators, grips, gaffers, line producer, producer, director, etc.? Were they just anyone who had a pulse or were they professionals? You can't compare real estate video, as has been said, with amateur video of bad plane landings--which I watched on YouTube last night. Also, if a more professional presentation is not the norm in today's amateur video world, doesn't that make us stand out?
Video is used as a tool to generate interest and give the new type of buyer--the anonymous one, the one who starts their search on the internet (over 80%), the one who doesn't want to talk to the agent, the one who doesn't want to call for information but rather gather the info themselves, etc.--a taste, a look to create enough interest to see it themselves in person or rule it out. That's the emotion generation I CAN agree with, not the silly antics by and agent.
No, you've never shown properties to me. I'm not a Realtor, I'm in my mid 30s, I embrace new technologies. I became a homeowner for the first time only five years ago, but I have since looked for property as a buyer several times and wished that the photos would actually give me a better idea of the listing. What a waste of time it is to visit a listing that you've seen pictures of that seems nothing like what you expected or wanted. I hate wasting my time. I don't think I'm alone. We've had agents from other brokerages say they love them also because it helps with their buyers. That is why I like video, and real video not a video of the stills that I can flip through myself, video that shows more than just 8 feet of width at a time (wide-angle lens converter).
No, I did not mishear or misread what you wrote about the video. What you should say is "you may shoot FOR 45 minutes" rather than "you may shoot 45 minutes of video". Shooting video over the course of 45 minutes and shooting 45 minutes of video are two very different things. I think I understand that you meant shooting FOR 45 minutes, but you didn't come across clearly as you said to shoot 45 minutes of video.
BTW Fred, I've been following you for some time now. I shoot on a tripod, then switched to using a Merlin, now back to tripod. I may go back to the Merlin who knows. Loved your hall of shame.
And Judy, I don't use any special lighting equipment for my video. I just use the natural light and have the agent turn on every light in the house. That is why someone above was saying you need a camera that performs well in low-light. If you can adjust your iris, you can even shoot in houses with the power off, which I've had to do several times.
We had a lot of success with our videos. Here is a sample with one of our agents with personality like crazy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyhHZghc9C8 She is natural and funny. She seems more extemporaneous, even though sometimes she is reading, because she writes like she talks rather than writing formally.
Our broker does semi-regular amateur broker updates from his office using a web cam and Livestream. You can see this on our Livestream page www.livestream.com/sheridansolomon or on our home page.
I agree with Jerri that there is a mistake in training sellers that agents must use expensive or outdated methods for marketing. For instance, agents still get requests from sellers to put their listings in real estate magazines or newspapers, which are quickly becoming useless.
I don't think I nor the others who have posted here are wrong or in the last century. We're actually the ones in the trenches who are testing and trying and doing and finding what works and what doesn't based on experiences and feedback. We're the ones who embraced the technology before most others. My brokerage is having a lot of success. Our videos are marketed virally from our website, in e-mail, and via Facebook. Our website boasts nearly 0% in bounce rate. Since I've been working with this brokerage marketing the listings and shooting video since about March this year, we're the number one residential brokerage in our area with fewer agents. We're doing better than last year. The #2 brokerage is a distant second. In one of our areas, we're $18 million ahead of the #2 in sales.
Submitted by David Ross on December 14, 2009 - 4:06am.
Professionally shot video or photo's (or any content) is going to be consistently better than that shot by agents (or vendor supplied). It should be treated as an investment rather than expense, that allows an agent to spend time on dollar-productive activities such as listing and selling property!
Real estate is more than just bricks and mortar. It is about how a property interacts with the area - lifestyle, amenities, schools, parks, shops, transport etc, and it's about emotion. Video conveys these like no other medium.
Context is just as important. You provide the right content, in context and you get the right attention. I will always push professionally captured content as the results do stand for themselves.
See http://tsr2.propvid.tv/tsr3/pv/view.php?sc=63bd8785b0#
Video (done well) is a USP that agents should embrace wherever possible. Don't be scared of it, use it to your advantage (73% of sellers can't be wrong) and try to focus attention on what you do best - listing and selling.
David Ross
Managing Director
IMAGEination
Submitted by Ray Lane on January 18, 2010 - 10:36pm.
I agree with a lot of what you said, except for one glaring mistake. The idea that "Highly polished videos turn people off" is 190% wrong. What turns people off is 'Blair Witch' camera work unintelligible audio. The video does not need to be a blockbuster movie, but it MUST be competent and watchable. Just as a professional videographer shouldn't try to sell his own home, a real esyate pro should not try to videotape a home, unless they have the skills and equipment to do so, which most don't.
People that are looking at a video of a home, are there to see that home, and they are not going to turn away because it 'feels like an ad', they KNOW it's an ad, regardless of how it's produced.
In fact the #1 reason people don't watch past 15 seconds on ANY video is bad audio. #2 is bad camera work.
Let me ask you this. Would you create your business cards using crayons and index cards? No, you wouldn't. Why? Because it makes you look cheap and unprofessional! The same thing in video. You want to look professional and look like you are doing 'the best for your clients'.
Why is that? If the video is to sell the home, why would that matter? The answer is simple. The dirty secret is that real estate videos are more effective for getting new clients than selling the home! If you do a video and sell the house in three weeks, does it matter if the video was viewed by 2 people or 2 thousand? Of course not, because the house still sold. However, if 2000 people watched the video, that is 2000 looking to make some transaction. 2000 who saw that you do really nice videos for your clients. 2000 people that could hire you.