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Using video in your marketing content

By
Services for Real Estate Pros with HomeFinder.com

Recently, we wrote about the benefits of YouTube and why it’s important to have real estate video tours. Expanding on that idea, there is value in using video in your marketing materials as well. If you do your research, it’s possible to record your own video or get one made without breaking the bank... but the question is, what do you want the video to communicate besides virtual tours/walk-throughs?

Here are 5 ideas to help you get started/continue using video in marketing content.

1. Get to know you
Use the video, no more than a minute or two, to introduce yourself to potential and current clients. Be honest and show them the person they’ll be getting the chance to work with if they sell or purchase a house with you. Above all, don’t be afraid to show your personality. Is your strength your sense of humor? Make it a spoof of a well-known TV show or YouTube clip. This isn’t a commercial for your services necessarily, but instead an opportunity to introduce yourself to potential clients.

2. Local events
You already know all the local events going on, and are hopefully blogging about them! Re-purpose this and make a quick video showcasing some of them. The video can show you walking through an arts and crafts fair, local museum (quietly of course) or school fundraiser. You can talk to your viewers about the great events that make up your community and what they will be able to get involved in by choosing to purchase nearby!

3. Local real estate market
A video is a great way to show your expertise on the area as well as your knowledge for the real estate market. Discuss current trends, home sale prices, etc. Video form as opposed to an email or blog post can be beneficial so the viewers get to see you talk about your industry with passion. That passion helps prove that you are the right person for the job.

4. Staging a home for a walk-through
Another great way to make the best out of video is to use it to show clients you you can help stage their home for a walk through. Using video will allow you to show the before and after of the staging and can help show the importance of decluttering, using minimal personal photos, etc. Show sellers the best ways you know to bring enough personality into the home, while still allowing potential buyers to imagine their lives there.

5. Client testimonials
These are perhaps one of the most powerful marketing tools to have in your arsenal (and can also be re-purposed into email and hard-copy form when needed). After a successful sale or purchase, have the clients that are willing give a few blurbs about working with you and record them in a few different new home stages (coming into their home for the first time, giving them the keys, kids jumping into their new pool).

Try to stay away from a “talking head,” where the viewers just see a person giving a monologue on their time with you, to avoid having the testimonials appear insincere or too rehearsed. Even try talking to the kids of buyers/sellers if their parents are willing. Hearing why they like a house or don’t like a house could provide sincere or humorous outcomes that are great in video marketing!

Hopefully some of these ideas were inspiring for you in creating new video marketing content. If you need more ideas, try looking back at some of your blogs and emails this year to see if there is anything that can be re-purposed into a video.

Hope to hear some great results, and maybe get some links to your marketing videos?!

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Dan Hopper
Dan Hopper - Gold Way RE - Westminster, CO
Colorado Broker / Referral Services

Thanks for the great content into the video tools!  It is important to have the right "theme" to your video and the right message to generate the action to capture your leads.

Dec 06, 2011 11:43 AM
Marcia Kramarz
Re/Max Executive Realty - Medway, MA
CDPE,LMC,CBR

All good advice!  Thanks for sharing - Watch our blog often as we tru to post the number of days before clsose..

Dec 06, 2011 11:59 AM
Ken Brandon
Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage (Jacksonville, NC) - Jacksonville, NC
Camp Lejeune, Jacksonville, NC

All very good ideas and just another way to keep out front of the competition.

Dec 06, 2011 12:39 PM
Jeffrey Ditri
JAD Realty Group, LLC. - Manhattan, NY
New York City Residential Rental Specialist

Advertising listings with a video tour has helped my business tremendously this year! Great post and advice for all RE agents who want to stay ahead of the rest.

Dec 07, 2011 01:23 AM
Celeste Chism - Serving You in Crossville, Fairfield Glade, Lake Tansi & Cumberland Cove
Legacy Realty - Crossville, TN
Serving You is My Top Priority

Great ideas here. I an getting the tools I need to start doing videos. I imagine I will be driving people crazy filming! Thanks for the new ideas.

Dec 07, 2011 02:53 AM
Sandy Acevedo
951-290-8588 - Chino Hills, CA
RE/MAX Masters, Inland Empire Homes for Sale

These are excellent ideas on using video. This is a timely post since using videos is one of my goals for 2012.

Dec 07, 2011 03:02 AM
Jim Mellen
RE/MAX Peninsula at New Town - Williamsburg, VA
Associate Broker - GRI - ABR - e-Pro

Good advice again. The only other suggestion I have is the quality of the video/audio has to be pretty good to have a positive impact. People are seeing so much quality streaming video online that we expect everything to be commercial quality and that is hard to achieve with a cell phone or flip camera.

Dec 07, 2011 04:15 AM
Ralph Janisch ABR CRS Broker
Janisch & Co. - Conroe, TX
Selling Northwest Houston to good people like you!

Thanks for the great tips!  2012 is going to be my year to really start making videos and boosting SEO for all my sites!!

Dec 07, 2011 04:48 AM
Anonymous
Stephanie Jacques

Great post. I sold a listing last month using Youtube's private feature. I knew what these folks wanted after spending 4 unsuccessful days viewing homes. They had to return to their homestate and I continued my search, ultimately creating a 30 plus minute long video of the home I knew was right for them.  They bought it and are due to close this month.

They have since viewed it over 35 times, planning where to place things, how to layout the rooms, etc. They love this and have since been able to send the video to family and get everyone excited about their new home with them!

I also use the public feature and have recently sent over the video for a listing I took after buyers purchased it sight unseen through their agent. My video helped them view the listing from multiple perspectives. I have experimented with adding verbal commentary, pointing out pros and cons when I represent the buyer, and highlighting key features when I am the listing agent. It's great!

Dec 07, 2011 05:20 AM
#9
HomeFinder.com Real Estate
HomeFinder.com - Chicago, IL

Great ideas everyone and thanks for reading! Sounds like you are all on the right track and are adding videos to your content marketing toolkit. We’ll be posting more tips on this in the future but let us know if there is a topic you’d like to read more about.

 And remember, when it comes to all your advertising, remember to always approach it with a clear goal, success metrics and a plan to evaluate your ROI to make sure you’re spending your money (and time!) where it counts. Good luck and let us know what works for you!

Dec 07, 2011 08:05 AM
Faye Y. Taylor
StepStone Realty, LLC - Floresville, TX
Country Living with City Convenience -Wilson Co TX

Thanks for the suggestions and info.  It is appreciated.

I have done one local video & now YoUTube is showing someone that I have never heard of says I am using their music.   I got the music off a website and purchased it a long time ago.   My computer crashed and I have lost my proof of purchase.  Per YouTube there is nothing to do or change at this time but I am upset that someone tagged my video as they provided the music.

Help!! where do I get music to use, etc so I won't have this problem in the future. 

Dec 07, 2011 08:37 AM
Sue Ellett
Synergy Property Group | Spyglass Realty - Austin, TX
Austin, TX, Lake Travis, Dripping Springs

Thanks for the continued good information.   My team and I are trying to get more involved with video and the hardest part of all is just doing it.   (No wonder Nike does so well...."Just Do It"!   We recognize the value of using video and look forward to improving our business with it. 

Dec 07, 2011 09:22 AM
Joy Daniels
Joy Daniels Real Estate Group, Ltd. - Harrisburg, PA

Great advice - we are definitely incorporating a lot of what you are suggesting.  Thank you!

Dec 07, 2011 12:41 PM
Ellie McIntire
Ellicott City Clarksville Howard County Maryland Real Estate - Ellicott City, MD
Luxury service in Central Maryland

My 5 year old seems to have a good camera presence. I plan to put him to work in the next year with short videos.

Dec 07, 2011 02:37 PM
Lynda Eisenmann
Preferred Home Brokers - Brea, CA
Broker Associate ,CRS,GRI,SRES, Brea,CA, Orange Co

 

Hi there,

You've provided great info on this post, imho especially the client/consumer testimonials as you described.

When it comes to videos I've been doing them now for a little over 2 years and most of them are 2-minute videos. Many are what I refer to a virtual transaction, meaning taking segments of the home buyer and seller process providing info in bite-size 2 minute segments.

In addition I've done localism videos showcasing my community. Most of them pretty much build on one another and it's an evolutionary learning process, hopefully improving as I go. But hey, we've all got to start somewhere, right?

Dec 07, 2011 02:58 PM
Steve Warrene
Your Town Realty - Lower Burrell, PA
Pittsburgh Realtor North and East Pgh.

This is great info and I need to do it.  Actually I will be doing it.

Dec 07, 2011 09:20 PM