Video Marketing for Real Estate

Video Marketing for Real Estate

Video is changing the way we buy and sell homes. It allows them to easily connect with home-buyers, sell more properties, and stand out in their local market. We know these are big claims, so let's take a deep dive on the benefits of real estate video marketing. 

With the real estate market becoming more competitive than ever, real estate professionals need a sure-fire way  to stand out amongst the crowd. According to NPR, there are more real estate agents than actual houses for sale in America. While video marketing is popular, it's not yet an industry standard in comparison to property photos. So, it's imperative to get started in video marketing as soon as possible before real estate videos become the norm, and you lose out on the advantage.

Companies that Failed to Adapt and Paid the Ultimate Price:

• Blockbuster.
• Blackberry.
• Nokia
• Kodak.
• Toys R Us.
• Yahoo.
• Polaroid.

Why Video Marketing for Realtors Works

Video works because it's easy and persuasive. 44% of people are more likely to purchase something after watching a video about it. Due to their popularity on social networks, real estate videos are now more important than ever. Property listing tours and video tours are being searched almost exclusively online and through social networks. 51% of home buyers use YouTube as their number one destination for home searches, followed by Facebook, Instagram and then TikTok. What does this mean for you? If you want to reach prospective customers, you’ve got to be where they already are - and be ready with video content. If not,  your competitors will.

The Benefits of Real Estate Video Marketing

Show & Sell More Listings

Video allows you to be in multiple places at once. This is huge for realtors working with, out of state buyers or busy home shoppers wanting more than photos or property descriptions. In fact, viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch a video, compared to 10% when reading via text (Forbes).

So why talk about high-end amenities, when you could just show them on a property listing tour? Let video do the work for you and show your clients exactly what they'll be getting!

Attract Your Ideal Clients

Higher net-worth clients have higher standards and expect a real estate agent who offers these types of services. It not only endorses the quality of your property, but it ensures your credibility. It shows that you've invested in yourself and have a system in place that caters (and attracts) higher net-worth buyers and sellers. This isn't just exclusive to realtors who've been in the game for years. Even if you're a entry-level real estate agent, just having a video gets 157% more organic search results and generates more than 4x more leads. Plus, video allows you to be social across multiple platforms.

Dominate Your Local Market

Real estate video marketing helps you stand out against your competitors while building your online and local presence. You could easily become the face of the town that everyone recognizes and trusts. It lets you connect with potential clients and ultimately sell more homes. Just by incorporating a video in an introductory email, you can increase your click-through rate by 96% (Implix). If that wasn't convincing enough, according to Rechat, 73% of homeowners say they’re more likely to list/sell with a realtor who uses video  marketing. 

If you have the time, I highly recommend watching this Keynote from Gary Vee from Inman 2016

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Types of Videos for Real Estate Marketing

1. Need to Sell More Properties?: Property Tour Videos

Property listing videos are a great way to show potential buyers what a home looks like before they step foot inside. It provides an in-depth look of each room, and high-ticket features outdoor amenities along with stunning drone footage. Listing videos are becoming more popular due to out-of-state buyers who are looking to get in on the action,  in real time. This not only widens your demographics, but saves you time and money on property showings. 

Once the video is finished, now publish it on YouTube and optimize it for the community you're trying to market to. This will help potential customers find you as they start their home buying process.

2. Want to Reach Potential Clients?: Social Videos

These videos are perfect for any social media platforms because they are short, sweet, and to the point. They effectively capture the essence of property, without losing your audiences' attention span. These cost-effective videos don't take up too much of your time, all you have to do is record your intro and outro and your videographer can handle the rest. If you want to take it a step further, you can always do a voice-over once the video is edited and to highlight key home features. 

3. Instantly Connect with Website Visitors?: Landing Page Videos

These videos provide a visually engaging way to introduce who you are, what you do, and why buyers and sellers should get in touch. It humanizes your business, allows you to instantly connect, and gives you the power of always making the right first impression. Just by having a video on your website, users spend 88% more time on there which increases your Google ranking .Studies show that realtors who have a video on their website saw 403% more inquiries than those without it. 

4. Gain Trust & Credibility?: Customer Testimonial Videos

Let your previous clients do the selling for you by compiling their positive experiences in a testimonial video. These videos help generate consumer trust and social proof because you’re using real-life people - not paid actors. These video styles are extremely persuasive because they instantly resonate with prospective clients and showcase how easy you make the home buying/selling process. Showcase your expertise and give future clients a reason to choose you over other agents.

5. Want to Dominate Your Local Market?: Neighborhood Tour Videos

Home buyers aren't just interested in the property, but the overall vibe of the surrounding areas. They want to make sure that the neighborhood they move into will allow them to enjoy the same luxuries they had before. Mentioning nice restaurants, good schools, shopping centers and quality grocery stores all can drastically improve the appeal of a location. By creating this type of content, you will become the go-to person for that area and organically attract other new clients in neighboring cities... or even across the country!

6. Attract new Buyer/Sellers?: Tips & Tricks Videos

Tips and tricks videos give you the most bang for your buck! They're easy to produce and you can shoot multiple pieces of content in one recording session. These videos are a great way to gain credibility because they present you as an industry leader in your field. Viewers will also see you build a connection with them since you're providing them with free value. But that's not the best part -  by creating educational videos covering frequently asked questions, you're able to reuse these videos with new clients, creating an evergreen content for your business.

Here are some great topics to get started:

• Home Buying Myths
• Avoid These Mistakes when Buying a Home
• Buying Process
• Tips For First-Time Home Buyers
• How to Sell My House
• What to Look For When Choosing a New Home
• How to Negotiate

7. Need a Way to Stand Out Amongst Competitors?: Real Estate Listing Videos

Real estate listing videos are an important tool for realtors to help them sell homes. These videos allow buyers to see the property from different angles and perspectives, giving them a chance to see what the house looks like from all sides. They can also show the property from above, below, and even inside. Listing videos can also inspire leads at the top and bottom of the funnel to contact the agent for more information about the home.

Not Ready to Invest in a Professional Video Production Company? No Problem!

We understand that not every realtor is ready to invest in marketing videos. So here are some real estate video ideas that you can shoot all on your smart-phone!

• Go Live! Going Live on social media is a great way to create authentic, personal video content  - all for free! Live videos are perfect for property announcements, market updates, or just connecting with audiences. These videos are also especially great for interacting with audiences, either through comments or questions. You can also later export live videos and turn into multiple social media videos and distribute them across different social media channels.
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• "Just Sold" Videos These short videos showcase recent sales and the kinds of properties you usually represent, making it easier for potential customers to choose you. The best part is that they are very easy to make and a powerful tool. All you need to do is repurpose your property photos, add some text and some music and your video is ready to go! Canva.com offers great templates and easy to use software making the editing process very easy to create photos and video content. 
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• Real Estate Tip Videos These are exactly the same as educational videos, except there is less production. No studio lights, professional editing or industry camera needed, everything can be shot handheld from your smartphone or even from a selfie-stick. The main focus with these zero frills videos is to provide your audience with quality advice, insight, and answers to their commonly asked questions. Using Instagram, you now quickly add captions to your videos. For good lighting, try facing a window for a soft look. 

How to Pick The Right Video Production Company

Now that you know the benefits,  and you're ready to get started! Here are the most important questions you should ask when vetting video production companies. If you need a more in-depth look, check out this article.

1. Do they have experience with real estate video production? Many people think that any video production company can shoot a property video and that's exactly why so many realtors go wrong. An experienced real estate videographer understands that time is money, so they don't need a whole day to capture a property. They know what to capture, what sells and what angles make your home look best. 
2. Do they understand your market? What separates an "okay" property video from a great one? A videographer that can think like a marketer. They know what unique features to capture and amenities to capture like granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, a reflective ceiling or trending home decor must-haves. 
   
   They also understand how you plan on using the video, having a clear goal on how the video will be distributed has a huge impact on the style of video you need to capture and how your audience will be watching it. A video shot for YouTube is very different from a video captured for TikTok.At the end of the day, the video is selling the property, so find a team that will do your property justice.

Conclusion

Real estate video marketing has become one of the most effective ways to attract new clients and keep current ones coming back. By adapting your real estate marketing strategy and incorporating video, you will be able to easily build your online brand, attract more clients, and increase your business’ bottom line revenue.

If you're a real estate agent based in South Florida and looking to get started in video, we'd love to help! We're an award winning video production company and have thorough knowledge of the entire production process and have years of real estate industry under our belt. Contact us or give us a call and see why we're one of the top video production companies in South Florida.

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