How Many Ways Can You Use Real Estate Shows (RES)?

There are a number of ways I use RES shows in my business for buyers, sellers and marketing in general.

I am, of course, referring to Jeff Turner's Real Estate Shows virtual tours that you all likely know about. If you don't, your head has been in the sand, I think. And you are missing out on a terrific marketing and advertising tool if you are not using it, IMO. But you may have your reasons. It can't be financial - AR folks get a 1 year subscription for unlimited shows for $99.95.

RES shows' leading proponent (other than Jeff himself, natcherly), Sarah Cooper in WV, is to be credited with inspiring this post. Recent tweets on Twitter about the shows (I follow Sarah @SarahWV) reminded me of the many ways I use them personally - you likely have additional thoughts.

I currently have 116 live shows myself (a total of over 15000 views), probably far fewer than some of the heavy users. They are a cinch to create, with varying lengths of 5, 9 or 15 photos shows (30, 60 and 90 seconds), and the edit function is a breeze. Add some music, grab the embed code and you are good to go. They are easy to email, and you can create videos from them and upload them to YouTube. And you can link shows together.

RES has done a terrific job of adding solutions to the site to meet varying needs in the last 2 years. They now offer 21 Instant Shows - already created - that you can download and customize (Humor, Holiday Greeting, Inspirational, Self-Promotion, Special Events) so you don't even have to do much thinking on your own. These are terrific for staying in touch with past, present and potential clients, and as part of an email campaign.

Here's an example - this one is their Humor Instant Show.

RES shows do well in Google, and I have seen that they can even be found by consumers even although I have not shared them publicly (unless they are in the Offline folder).

Here are some other ways I have used RES shows, tactics that will benefit my buyer snd seller clients:

Community Profiles for Localism - tours of shops, restaurants, beaches, tourist sites, street scenes, etc. I have also done theme tours, like a tour of the local restaurants, the neat shops on a particular street, and different types of housing that is available to buyers and renters. Folks who are relocating love this sort of thing

Neighborhood Tours - for listings, or simply to share information on neighborhoods I service (street scenes, views of the area, neighborhood amenities)

Listings - the obvious tours of interior and exterior. With the 9 photo tours I usually do 1 interior and 1 exterior including the local neighborhood. The 15-pic tour can work for both unless the house is quite large, then I recommend 2 separate shows. Then create CDs of the tours to hand out (branded, of course) at Open Houses. And of course the client gets one when the home sells. All this is good for sellers.

Buyers - You can use them for relocations when you preview homes and neighborhoods. And if you bring in the buyers to a home once they have closing they may want a few copies to pass along to their friends and family, or you can send them the link by email which is easier, and easy for them to share, too (why not create a special show for them of the home and include their photo - I heard about this from Amy Chorew, the Digital REALTOR).

Pre-listing - I create a tour of the exterior of the home I hope to list along with some area photos to demonstrate how I will use RES for my potential clients and show this during the listing presentation. When I send out a pre-listing packet (or email one) I include links to past shows to demonstrate how I will market the home even before the potential sellers have met me.

Marketing - lots of opportunities here. I have created shows about me, about my marketing materials (e.g., reports, signage) and services, and about things I enjoy doing - watching sunset, making the holiday cookies, places I have traveled, etc.

Are YOU one of the Jeff Turnerites, as The XBroker, our very own Jeff Corbett, referred to us? Share YOUR thoughts on how they can be used.

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If I can provide more information about Del Mar, Carlsbad and surrounding areas, or the housing market in general, or otherwise assist you in your homes search, please contact me by phone or text at (760) 840-1360 or email me at JDowler@remax.net.

All content copyright © 2008 Jeff Dowler Carlsbad Homes and Real Estate Tidbits