For years it has amazed me that many agents only put one or two pictures with their listings, even though many sites will allow up to 25 still images to be place there. People who are looking for homes love sites that have tons of photos. They want to see what the home looks like and determine if it might be something they would be interested in. High quality photos in large numbers are attractive to buyers, especially those that can be "blown-up" to full-screen size.
Of course, if the photographer is not so great, photos can sometime do more damage than good. I have seen more than a few that made me think that I was looking into a cave at midnight or that I was on the tilted deck of a ship. But those are cases where the agents either did not know how to take the photo correctly or just did not care enough to "get it right". There is no excuse for that with today's digital cameras.
The next innovations in our industry were the so-called "virtual tours". In many cases these are just the same still photos with a computer program re-working them so that the scenes moved from side-to-side or zoomed in and out. Pretty music is in the background. But in my opinion, these are not much more than a fancy slideshow using the same still images.
A month ago, "bit the bullet" and purchased a high-definition video camcorder so that I can create true high quality video images for the properties that I sell. My sellers are telling me that they love these. As I do each video I believe they are getting better and better.
When I now list a home, I go to the property and create video clip-after-clip of the home. That way I can weed through them and select the best ones for use in the completed movie. I try to make sure I cover all parts of the property both inside and out and even offer verbal commentary to help people see how great the home is.
Once I believe I have a good selection of clips to work with, I go home and fire up my computer. I have a movie making program that allows me to put the the clips together with professional transitions, background music, captions in scenes to point out important aspects of the home, and my voice providing additional commentary when appropriate.
I not only capture the home but its surroundings. If it is in a subdivision, I make sure that I have video of any playground, swimming pool, health center, golf course, recreation building, etc. that residents can use. These are all features of the property and it is imperative that prospective buyers see all that they will get if they purchase the home.
Once the video is complete and I am happy with it, I post it on YouTube.com. I then use the links or embedding to put it on many of the sites that I use. So if someone visits my Bulletin Board or Realtor.com, they will see a link they can click on to see a great movie of the home! Views can even make the video go "full screen" if they like. They should even be able to see the videos on their "smart phones". Pretty Cool!
As far as I know, I am one of the few, if not the only real estate agent in our area that is doing this. And I believe that this gives my sellers an advantage that others will not have. Of course, I am not competing for an Academy Award. But having a video available for buyers is important, and is another way of presenting your home in a positive and interesting way.
To see an example of how this works, click on the arrow in the screen below to see the last video that I did. I think you will like it.
If you would like me to use my computer and internet skills, including my new incorporation of video into my marketing, to help YOU sell your home, please contact me at: John Elwell - REALTOR at CENTURY 21 Bill Nye Realty, Inc. 813-783-4444 or e-mail me at: jelwell1@tampabay.rr.com It will be a pleasure to use my experience and knowledge to help you "sell your home well"!
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