VideosByAddress.com 1st MRIS Approved Live Video! Free (for now).

Cool Bring it here it good old GA

Sorry, Frank, but this video just reaffirms my belief that a well-done slideshow is preferable to a jerky, poorly lit video.  Video is great if you have the right equipment (lighting, steadicam, etc.), but it's just not within the reach of the average agent.

Wow, you are cutting edge, Frank. This is awesome.

One of my goals this year is to get a video solution I am happy with.  I haven't worked on it much, but this inspired me to play around a little.  Thanks.

Frank,

you are really very advanced guys out there. Very promising idea. Video quality is always a concern, but can we be also Spielbergs?

OK Frank you're forgiven and you really didn't have to remove it from SIF...just explaining is enough. 

Frank, you are right that unless a buyer is interested in a home, they won't watch the video for more than 30 seconds.  That is why it is important for the agent to appear on-screen and sell themselves at the beginning.  If the viewer doesn't want this home, it is likely that they want a home, or why would they be looking at all?  If you sell yourself to them at the beginning (and end) of the video, you are more likely to get those people to call you for the home they do want, and to sell their current home.  This can maximize the ROI for the video.

Glenda, you are right that the video needs to be a good one.  A shaky, poorly lit video is like having yard signs and business cards done in crayon on poster board.  But I disagree that video is out of your reach.  Our videos cost $200 ($150 for multiple orders).  If that video helps sell a 300K home, and gets two viewers to call and hire you, that $150 investment could generate $45,000 in commissions (assuming 3% on the home in the video, and assuming the two new clients both buy and sell 300k homes).  Is it within your reach to spend $150-200 to make $45,000?  I hope so!  after all agents spend far more on newspapers and supermarket, free real estate magazines, even though 85% start their search on-line, not in the paper.  "Victory goes to the one with superior forces at the point of contact"  The internet is the point of contact and new media is the superior forces.  You don't need to spend more money, you just need to put the money in the most effective places available at the time.

First, as Frank mentioned, a video should be used in conjunction with photos.  The reason why we believe in videos is because it adds value.  Videos provide the "feel" of a house that photos just can't provide.  I used to shoot videos for out of town clients all the time, and when they physically visit the property, their comment is: "oh, it's just like the video - it's almost as if we've been here before."  So, why wouldn't you add a video with your virtual tour?

As for equipment, all you really need is a nice sturdy tripod (less than $40) to keep your videos stedy.  While lighting is an issue, and you can purchase camera attachments, but these are only good if you're going to focus on a person or a specific item so I don't recommend buying a lighting attachment.  Instead, find a time when your house is the brighest and do your best to make the lighting consistant from room to room.  Most newer cameras have great auto focus features so they will adjust on their own.  Lighting is a big issue only if you have extremly inconsistant lighting area (example, dark basement with lights off and bright sunlight is penetrating from a small window).

Also - National Association of Realtors prohibit virtual tours that promote the listing agent or the brokerage.  This means that the agent's face, name, and brokerage firm info can't be in the video.  However, the agent still can speak in the video - just not promote yourself.

I disagree on the ROI statement because you're going to visit the property and study the house to take photos anyway; additional effort to shoot the video is marginal.  Infact, for most homes, my photos take longer to shoot than my videos because videos shouldn't be long.  ROI for a video if at an absolute minimum because 90% of your investment (or cost) is just driving to the property and taking photos.  Of course this changes if you hire a professional service firm that charges thousands of dollars for a video shoot - but why would you do this unless you have a mult-million dollar home.  BTW - I'm doing a study on professional video vs. amateur video and will post the results.

Finally, I've worked with many buyers and asked for much feedback and the response is one of two: the buyer thinks the property is promising and will watch for 2-3 minutes; or the buyer will stop watching within 30 seconds if he/she sees something that absolutely hates the house.

Frank - I have been wanting to incorporate video into my listings, trainings, etc. for some time.  I think now is as good a time to start as any.  This is good stuff.

"Also - National Association of Realtors prohibit virtual tours that promote the listing agent or the brokerage.  This means that the agent's face, name, and brokerage firm info can't be in the video.  However, the agent still can speak in the video - just not promote yourself."

Thats incorrect (kind of).  For internal listing, that is the side of your MLS that agents search through, this is true.  However, on the external consumer side, it is permittable.  This means we actually have to cut two versions of the video, one that is branded and one that isn't.  

"Of course this changes if you hire a professional service firm that charges thousands of dollars for a video shoot - but why would you do this unless you have a mult-million dollar home.  BTW - I'm doing a study on professional video vs. amateur video and will post the results."

Sorry to be so negative on you, but this is wrong as well.  We charge $200 per video ($150 in bulk), and most of the other video producers I know across the country charge about the same, not thousands :)  This makes the price about the same as the old-syle virtual tours.

OpenHouseHD - 

Regarding the branding issue, I was referring to the MLS virtual tours and not external search engines.  There are no rules on external search engines since external search engines are no different than having a random web page of whatever you'd like.  I think you're .missing the point on this, which is that we're focusing on providing videos tours within the internal MLS network; if we're talking external sites, then what's the difference between video virtual tours and youtube?  Also, we actually cut multiple versions as well per the agent's request, but this requires more work from the agents so we give them the option.

As for the cost, it depends on your definition of "professional" service.  Anyone can charge to shoot a video and call it "professional" service, but that doesn't mean the quality is much better than what an agents can do themselves.  To produce a high quality video that match the quality produced by network televisions, such as HGTV, it's not possible to produce videos for less than a thousand dollars.  I think your cost and service aligns with our cost and service, which is a hybrid of the two extremes.

I appreciate and respect your opinion but I'm not wrong in either case - just that we are approaching the issue differently.  Best of luck in your video service.  Together, I hope to demystify the myth that video virtual tours are difficult.

VBA. what I am talking about with the MLS (at least in our area) is that they allow branded videos.  They have two sides to their listing service.  One side is where the realtors log-in and search properties.  This has to be unbranded.  The other side is where consumers can search listings.  On this isde the MLS allows branding.  I am not saying that your MLS allows this just because mine does, but what you said was not correct for all MLS systems.

I still disagree about the pro video, though.  Most pro videos are much better than what the agents can do.  Assuming they are using a halfway decent camera, a halfway decent tripod (fluid head) and a real mic for any voice recordings.  Now if you are talking about HGTV, then obviously most pros can't compete with a high-end camera, a lighting crew that gels the windows and an audio technician, but I don't think most homeowners would want that anyway :)

OpenHouseHD -

Yes, our MLS does not allow two separate virtual tours so I see what you are saying.  We had to circumvent this problem in a more cumbersome way but we can still do the same!

I guess we will agree to disagree on the pro video.  Still, the most important thing is that we both believe video is the virtual tour of the present (not future!).

Doubtful any blatant self promotion in a video would net any buyers - but it is a very nice listing tool.

Frank, I've been using Real Estate Shows in MRIS, but this looks like a great alternative.  'Better polish up my Flip and dig out my little tripod.