Video: It's the talk of the blogosphere from listing presentation to testimonials. Unfortunately the cardinal rule that many forget in marketing is that,
"Everything that goes out, is posted, or released to the public with your name on it
IS a reflection of your business!"
Here's how I think that some of us "embrace" new technologies.
Read about new ideas or technology
Find out how others have used it
Figure out how to do it cheaper
Do it and make it public
Video is one of those things that has been around for a while, yet few really utilize it well. There have been hangups in the past with bandwidth, speed, quality, affordability, effectiveness, etc... and those are the reasons why I haven't really jumped on the bandwagon.
But don't let that stop YOU! In fact... take a look at some of these prime examples of Home Real Estate Videos:
Is This How You Highlight Your Listings?
Does This Really Reflect that Special Listing?
Is This How You Want Your Clients To Think About You?
Does This Testimonial Tell Your Story?
I realize that some of these videos are made for fun, but at the same time... haven't you seen some that look just like this? Ask yourself, "Is this how I want my clients or future clients to see me?" Think about, "Does this reflect the brand that I'm working so hard to create?" I'm not saying that you have to go out and spend Thousands of dollars to make a video... I'm simply saying make sure it tells YOUR story, in YOUR voice, to YOUR target audience.
Below is a great home listing video done by Phil over at Wellcomemat.com that he shot for his sublet apartment in NY. Does this tell his story??? I think so.
P.S. I in no way mean to make fun of anyone in these videos. I applaud your innovation and courage to move forward... I would just suggest you think about how this reflects your brand.
12 Comments on CAUTION! - How NOT to Incorportate Video into your Business
JUL
30
2008
"It's purty much ready to live in if you put a door on it." --If that doesn't attract buyers, I don't know what would. The second one wouldn't be too bad if the agent would get out of the way. Oh yeah, the porn music might be a little much too. I'll have to watch the others later. Thanks for the laughs.
Some of these were really amusing, unfortunately. You make a valid point that we need to seriously consider what we put out to the world, especially on the internet.
Matthew, I agree with you that one needs to think carefully about the videos they use in business. As the creator of the Desperate REALTOR series of videos, I have to admit that at first I had some trepidation at making these available to the public. However, my fears subsided when I had one client tell me that they hired me because of my sense of humor after seeing my videos and several other mention that they love the videos. While they are obviously tongue-in-cheek, these videos show a side of my personality and no sane consumer would ever believe that I would talk to or treat my clients this way. Instead they seem to have respect for someone on the inside who lampoons the "desperate REALTOR"...
I bet Phil is watching this video over and over again, wondering why he moved to Brooklyn. Phil, your commute went from 2 minutes to 45. Ouch!
Generally speaking Mathew, we can all count on three facts:
1) Generalist video sites will continue to distance themselves from real estate video.
2) Many of these sites will squash real estate video all together, like Vimeo, BlipTV and many others already have.
3) The legal issues that arise from the rogue use of video will far supercede the issues that we have seen arise from agents/brokers blogging under the umbrella of franchise/broker's brands. What I mean by this is that video is more powerful than any other medium online and can act as a positive or negative force.
Matthew, the reasons you stated (bandwidth, speed, quality, affordability, effectiveness) are the exact reasons I haven't jumped on the video wagon yet. It appears though the beast is getting bigger and if I don't make my move soon I may miss out on some SEO and client opportunities. I won't do it though unless I can create something of quality.
I've been doing video on my homes for sale for 2 and 1/2 years and still am the only one in my area that does it. Regardless of the quality...it's New...It's Innovative and Impressive to clients and gets a lot of business.
I think these video's are all EXCELLENT! My favorite is the 1st one. The testimonial is pretty bad if that guy is really serious.
And Brian....YOU GOT IT! Some people just don't get it....YOU DO! CUDOS!! Where can I see your entire "training series"? lol
There's a feeling among some in the real estate community that 'raw' and 'real' video is attractive to potential clients. It's something I still don't understand. If you go to Kohler's website, they have many videos on that site. They're selling $200 toilets - and they are professionally made and reflect the brand, yet some realtors think that walking around with a shakey Flip camera, narrated a house tour (and speaking like an audio MLS listing instead of in complete sentences), is somehow compelling to buyers who are parting with hundreds of thousands (or millions) of dollars - not a $200 toilet. I just don't get it. Not that it has to be a slick production, but it needs to be professional. There is a difference.
I look at a lot of real estate videos online as the video equivalent of taking MLS photos with your cell phone. Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.
Some of these 'raw' tours and productions are fine if you're doing it for a specific buyer who may be out of town or something - I think the expectations of your video are considerably different. But to put some of this out publicly as marketing for your listing??? I think you owe your seller more than that.
Ditto what Fred just said. Fred is a pro who makes his living producing videos that border on art. I would say the majority of folks who think they are going to jump on the video bandwagon with a handheld camcorder should not make the jump. Hire a professional or stick to photos. Most everyone can shoot acceptable video. The real proof in the pudding lies in your ability to edit.
A Panama City BEACH HOUSE? Under $300,000? Where is the beach? This is a pet peeve of mine - it can only be a beach house if it's on the beach! She was very serious about her video but the quality was so bad - I could barely see through the darkness.
I really did enjoy the true waterfront property in the first video. At least they were honest!
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"It's purty much ready to live in if you put a door on it." --If that doesn't attract buyers, I don't know what would. The second one wouldn't be too bad if the agent would get out of the way. Oh yeah, the porn music might be a little much too. I'll have to watch the others later. Thanks for the laughs.