Marketing homes is all about images
Realtor Notebook
By Teresa Boardman, Thursday, July 24, 2008.
Being a tech-savvy, kind-of-geeky real estate agent, people seem surprised that I am not using video for property marketing or for marketing my services. There is some video on my Web sites but not very much. I prefer to use photographs for online marketing.
Photography has been around since 1839, and the first picture was produced in 1827. We use a different kind of technology to produce photographs today, but they remain two-dimensional still representations of what the photographer sees as she looks through the viewfinder. Video is newer, more high-tech, and sexier than photography.
Videos are a great way of communicating what a property looks like, in detail, but they take more time and money to create than photos do, and it takes longer to view them.
If it took the same amount of time and cost to make a video as it does to take property photos, I still see some major drawbacks to using it -- the biggest being the amount of time it takes a home buyer to play a property video.
Buyers can quickly browse property photos -- they have an amazingly short attention span. We get their eyeballs for only a few seconds. Viewing a video takes time and mouse clicks. The entire video has to be viewed to see all of the photos.
When it comes to attracting buyers, I like to lay all of the photos out on a single page so that they can be quickly viewed. I make them large enough for a buyer to see them all in one glance. If the buyer is interested, he or she can click on them, view larger photos, virtual tours and occasionally a video. Buyers can't glance at a video -- all they see is a player and maybe one blurry picture.
When it comes to promoting my services, video is a poor choice for me. I don't have the face of a movie star or the voice of a news anchor. Potential clients are not going to be wowed by the visual or by the sound, and it could frighten pets and small children.
But for some agents, like a friend of mine who is a former actress and does some modeling on the side, video would be a great way to advertise.
I might not be reading the right information, but to date I have not seen any studies indicating that property videos help in selling real estate. It is the buyers' opinions I am interested in. Most of what I have read about video has been written by the makers of video sites, video software, cameras, widgets and companies that sell to the real estate industry.
There are studies that indicate that both buyers and their agents are attracted to online listings that include photos. In fact, buyers just can't get enough of them. They collect property fliers and seldom ask to see homes without first viewing some photos.
Property photos are a huge marketing opportunity. As I look through the photos on our multiple listing service, many are very poor and it is easy to make listings stand out. Our MLS does not support video, but I imagine they will someday, and the videos will be poor just like the photos are today.
I am waiting for someone to give me some evidence that videos on the Internet help to sell real estate before I jump on the video bandwagon. It doesn't look like a must-have right now. With any kind of technology: Just because I can use it doesn't mean that I should use it.
Teresa Boardman is a broker in St. Paul, Minn., and founder of the St. Paul Real Estate blog. Boardman will speak at Real Estate Connect in San Francisco, July 23-25, 2008. Register today.
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Submitted by David Pannell on July 24, 2008 - 4:46am.
Its amazing how hard Realtors make doing something new is. Yes I agree with you about the videos not selling your listings, but the video act as a stage for myself. I can advertise my experience, my opinion, my creative view and show the clients how it all goes together. Listings will always sell themselves when the buyer comes along. I have noticed that I have gotten more out of state business because of my videos. My small brokerage is outranking Keller Williams and others for low cost. You can visit my videos at www.youtube.com/davidpannellrealtor and see for yourself. Just for kicks, type in your own name in google and see what comes up. Then do mine. The videos are worth the time to me...
Nice article, and good luck!
Texas Real Estate Agent
www.davidpannellhomes.com
Submitted by Elizabeth Weintraub on July 24, 2008 - 6:18am.
Personally, I don't have the patience for videos, either, T; however, home buyers love them. Don't ask me why. They will watch videos for hours. Some homes, though, are better candidates than others. I firmly believe you are missing a huge marketing opportunity if you don't incorporate videos into your practice.
P.S. You are a talented photographer, and your photographs showcase homes beautifully.
Elizabeth Weintraub
Broker-Associate, Lyon Real Estate, Sacramento
Submitted by Fred Light on July 24, 2008 - 7:30am.
Real Estate Video Tourshttp://www.NashuaVideoTours.com
Buyers LOVE video. Sellers LOVE video. It's the realtors who generally don't 'get' video.
Video is not intended to and never should replace photos. That is ridiculous to think that ever would happen.
To understand video, you have to understand the process:
1- A buyer does a basic search for a property, based on location, price, beds, baths, etc.
2- THEN, they quickly scan the brief description (and often call an interpreter to help understand the archaic,. made up abbreviations that realtors use).
3- Then they quickly scan the photos. They glance to see if the kitchen is good enough, or the master bedroom is big enough, or whatever their specific priorities are.
If they are still interested after reading the description and seeing the photos, then they take the time to download and watch a video tour. Because they are very serious about this particular property.
And they DO watch it. Oftentimes more than once. In fact, they scrutinize every frame.... is there a closet down that hall? What kind of carpet is in that bedroom? What is the view across the street?
The video is never the first thing that people see.... it's the last. It's the final qualifier for a buyer.
This is why video does work. This is also why video 'sites' that just present a bunch of video tours doesn't work. Because most people do NOT want to watch a video of a house - they're boring!
But they're anything but boring if you are truly interested in that particular property.
Real, true video creates emotion. (don't get me started on the zooming slideshow fake videos......) People buy homes based on emotion. I have heard time and time again where buyers have watched a video repeatedly... dozens of times... literally talking themselves in to falling in love with a property.
There will never be a substitute for good photography. Video will never replace photos. But video provides a service that photos and slideshows cannot.
And video will replace those nauseating, 'fun house' spin around virtual tours. RIP
Submitted by Paul Eastwood on July 24, 2008 - 7:51am.
I think there's something about large, quality images that is appealing to potential buyers. When we see photos that are clear and obvious (i.e. not panoramic and fish-eye) then it's easier to comprehend the item in question. As a buyer, I want to know about what I am buying - especially when I am doing research.
Video is certainly cool - but I wonder if we subconsciously treat video as 'advertisements' and therefore trust them less than still images.
Paul Eastwood
http://www.SinglePropertySites.com
Submitted by J. L. Winn on July 24, 2008 - 7:56am.
Teresa, shame on you! Brad isn't going to let you speak at Connect after seeing this article! :-)
Marketing real estate - engaging buyers, agents separating themselves from others, competing for listings - has included visual marketing forever - even when it just meant holding an open house or showing a buyer a listing one at a time.
Video is not any better at achieving this today than is a still photo slideshow, a pallette of photos or a more traditional rich media virtual tour. As Fred Light says, a buyer has to be really interested in a property to sit through a video tour of it.
However, more proven solutions such as VisualTour provide all of the best parts of a rich media showcase. Fast loading, fast running scrolling panoramas, a gallery of photos, voice narratives, full text descriptions, agent and broker branding, lead generation, mapping, contact tools and more. And of course, most important - maximum exposure to buyers on websites where home buyers actually visit. All for a time and dollar cost far less than video can ever be for the masses.
Great post Teresa! Keep up the great work!
Submitted by Chris Jones on July 24, 2008 - 8:03am.
Fred is 100% correct! I don't know Fred but I have seen his work and he knows what he is talking about. Buyers LOVE video and sellers LOVE video.
I own a real estate brokerage in Atlanta and I helped create RealtyVID.com (which is at Inman Connect right now). I did a shoot yesterday on a $420,000 house and it took me two hours. Why, because I also did a photo shoot and a video shoot at the same time. What Teresa doesn't mention is that taking good photos takes time as well. For example, have you ever looked at the photos in the MLS? They stink! Some even have kids, dogs and you name it in them. Why, because Agents don't really know how to take photos or video.
Most Agents have the basic digital camera model and some even use their phone camera (bad idea). If you told them that they need to ALWAYS use a tripod and shoot with a camera that can handle manual settings so you can set the shutter speed and aperture (f/22 is a good setting) then they may give you that glazed eyed puppy look.
So, does good photos take time and skill? Yep. Does video take time and skill? Yep. Is making a GREAT first and lasting impression of a home you are marketing important? Yep.
It's your career, ok work or GREAT work? Times have changed.
Chris Jones
Hans Christopher Realty
www.hanschristopher.com
Submitted by Dave "Utah Dave" Robison on July 24, 2008 - 9:33am.
With video, there is too much problems this can cause. Half of showings occur at work online. People dont want their sound on their computer going off while they are at work. Thats a downside to video too. People like speed.
Your Friend,
Utah Dave
www.utahdave.com
Submitted by Lawrence Sanek on July 24, 2008 - 9:50am.
Listened to a webinar on Wednesday July 23rd that had to do with keeping the visitor on your website. Part of that webinar mentioned that a study was done about video/virtual tours and other items that interested visitors was done. It was interesting that only 4% of the people surveyed wanted video/virtual tours. There were other percentages also listed for the survey that can be supplied if you contact me.
Lawrence F. Sanek
Licensed Real Estate Broker
Castle Dream Real Estate,LLC
www.castledreamrealestate.com
Submitted by Sebastian Diessel on July 24, 2008 - 9:59am.
I kind of have to agree with Fred Light when he states that "Video is not intended to and never should replace photos." But like you, Teresa, I'm not really looking to incorporate video into my online presentations anytime in the future.
This is because over the 8 years I have been presenting properties online, I inadvertently created a style of photography that made sense to me as a buyer looking online. In effect, my pictorials serve as both a quick palette of photos and a still video tour.
Lets not forget that video or film is really a series of photographs. So, if you present your photos like those nineteenth century moving image toys, e.g., how Zoetropes and flipbooks made use of drawings like an animated film, then you can provide enough additional detail and interest like the flow of a video.
For example: Court Square Press Loft
The other point I would concur with is Chris Jones' comment that good photos take time and skill to produce. Obviously a cellphone camera shot is not going to cut it. That said, I, unlike Chris Jones' suggestion, never use a tripod. I prefer to get in and out of property as quickly as possible. A tripod would slow me down.
That's not to say that bracing yourself against walls, door frames or furniture isn't important. Anything you can do to mitigate against camera shake is important. Judicious use of manual settings on more sophisticated cameras, like aperture and shutter speed and exposure override, can also be a wise investment.
However, if you can't afford a more expensive camera or don't have the time to absorb the learning curve then, PhotoShop is a one-stop tool for image correction and manipulation. I put all the processing time in post-production of an image. Many of my clients would not be able to have me disrupt their day by setting-up an image with lights, levels... all that pre-production that goes into say a professional model shoot.
The dirty secret of my website is that of the over 17,000 photos presented on the site (that represents just 430 loft properties... that's approx. 40 photos per property), 94% of the images were taken with an 8 year old, point-n-shoot camera (Nikon Coolpix), with a wide angle converter attached to the lens mount. The power of PhotoShop is that I can make the relative poor quality images from my point-n-shoot camera pop out of the screen once I go live with the finished pictorial on the site.
Neither the sellers nor the buyers are any wiser as to how badly my original photo shoot turned out. Thank you Adobe for PhotoShop... and thank you Teresa for this discussion thread. Great comments everyone.
Sebastian Diessel
LoftsBoston.com, Inc.
Submitted by Michael Espiritu on July 24, 2008 - 11:28am.
No pictures and the buyer moves to the next listing. Almost all of our listings incorporate a video virtual tour of the property.
In SoCal we use a company called HouseFlix.com.
They make a short film w/ a musical soundtrack.
No narration and no agent in the shoot. They are brief so the consumer does not get bored and click out of it. $99.00 is what they charge and the agent doesn't have to do anything!
The video is available to view until the listing is sold or taken off the market. They have a great product.
I'm not trying to sell myself, I'm trying to give a buyer a feel for the property I'm listing.
Again, we have a case of an agent afraid to embrace new technology. I have sold listings based on a viewing of a video tour so it does work.
My only suggestion is to stay away from a pasted together set of pictures to make your tour. They are choppy and the views are skewed.
Why not throw all avenues of best marketing available to get a property sold???
Why doesn't your MLS have a link to video tours? I would definitely request at least the ability to show a video tour of a listing? Your MLS needs to step up or they will get left behind.
Michael Espiritu
Broker
Copeland Wealth Manegement/ CWM Real Estate
SoCal
Submitted by Mindy Allen on July 24, 2008 - 4:27pm.
What would be really nice is if the average agent could just learn to take a decent photo...forget about video! I was looking at properties for a buyer the other day and I was appalled by the poor quality of photos! Anyway, I am with you on the video marketing and just for the reason you give "because we can doesn't mean we should". There is a lot of technology available to us Realtors and as a result I see a lot of low quality advertising because people don't do it well... Sure, YouTube videos google fabulously and drive site traffic...but I have seen some REALLY BAD videos. If you are going to use technology to "enhance" your business make sure to learn to use it right. If you can't, don't do it at all...after all the primary goal we're working toward is not selling us or our agency it's selling a house with these tools...and if you can't even do that right the other two things are unlikely to occur.
Submitted by Evan Kane on July 24, 2008 - 4:52pm.
I couldn’t agree with you more. I feel the same way about home staging companies and staging designations. I have not seen any empirical data that shows staging has any effect on sale price or market time. And I doubt I ever will.
Submitted by Ralph M on August 6, 2008 - 8:58am.
"As I look through the photos on our multiple listing service, many are very poor"
and teresa's other comments were
"Photography has been around since 1839, and the first picture was produced in 1827"
Teresa, don't be a hater of video. Your own comments state that realtors like you have over 180 yrs experience with photos and the pictures still look crappy.
As far as the statistics for video, Realtor.com published that 9 out of 10 open houses fail, but you still have and believe in open houses..
Embrace the future instead of bashing it..
The ones who embrace evolution are the ones going to succeed.
www.aarsteam.com