While video marketing is not necessarily new to the real estate industry, the demand for it has certainly increased by leaps and bounds in the last few years. Since 90 percent of consumers watch online video (Invodo), this visual medium creates even more opportunities for your listings to be discovered by local buyers, sellers and renters.
In fact, websites with videos are 50 times more likely to be ranked high on Google’s results page (Forrester). A new eBook, “Rise to the Top: Be the Local Expert,” from Homes.com and For Rent Media Solutions, presents video marketing best practices, in addition to content ideas, social media and mobile marketing tips.
The eBook explores the importance of video and how using the medium will help you better connect with clients and appeal to new prospects. According to YouTube, more than 6 billion hours of videos are watched on the site. Consequently, online messaging through video has become one of the most powerful mediums for getting a marketing message across. Many real estate professionals have taken advantage of all that video offers and have reaped its benefits.
YouTube is the perfect avenue to post real estate videos, as it is utilized by more millennials than any cable network, and that’s the audience real estate agents most want to reach today.
Why Video?
There are some who might think that photos and creative descriptions are enough to grab someone’s attention, but that’s an antiquated way of thinking in today’s tech-savvy world. An eye-opening stat in the eBook states that 70 percent of homeowners would rather list their home with an agent using video, but less than 1 percent of agents offer it, according to NAR.
While photos and descriptions can highlight the features of a property, video offers a rare opportunity to take it a step further and enhance all that one can see. Potential buyers or renters want to picture living in a new home or apartment, but they also want to envision the lifestyle that comes with it, and videos can help capture those dreams.
“When people watch videos, the subject is perceived as an authority,” says Michael Krisa, a real estate marketing consultant. “If you can articulate, you can be seen as an expert in your niche.”
Using Videos Effectively
Some agents may use videos simply for a way to promote a community or listing, but thanks to a plethora of easy-to-use apps and editing programs, a real estate pro can prove their tech worthiness and show clients a house in a way that’s different than the others on the market. By standing out, it will lead to more views, more shares and eventually, more sales.
It’s important to use videos to capture everything that members of your community love in order to illustrate why it’s perfect for new buyers and renters.
Here are some tips the eBook offers on what you should be filming to make your videos stand out:
1: When taking video of the home itself, don’t just do a standard walk-through, but look for features or amenities that make it stand out and will become a talking point of those who watch.
2: Highlight activities and destinations that make the community desirable to live in, such as parks, schools, shopping and nightlife.
3: Record stock videos, or what the film community calls “b-roll,” to use when you’re selling a different house in the same area. These can be considered “filler” clips that can be peppered throughout the video and can include short clips of things like a popular restaurant, kids playing in a park or anything else that can set the tone for a neighborhood.
4: Make an appearance in the video to help the community put a face to your name. This will help house hunters remember that you’re the local expert when it comes time to find their ideal house or apartment and they will reach out to you.
In addition to YouTube, real estate agents should also share their videos on their personal website and all social media channels. Be sure that a link or method for contacting you is displayed on the video.
The importance of video is just one of the valuable subjects explored in the informative eBook. To delve in deeper to the eBook, and possibly win a valuable prize in the process—real estate pros can enter Homes.com’s sweepstakes for a chance to win $500 and receive a free copy of the “Rise to the Top: Be the Local Expert” guide. Click here for full details.
