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Could Free YouTube Real Estate Video Postings Be Expensive?

By VirtualNdustry Feature

Services for Real Estate Pros with Virtual Tours

April 23, 2007 09:21 AM

I've seen some the real estate videos posted to YouTube and other sites. First of all I'll give a pat on the back to the agents who actually post video footage and don't try to pawn a generic slideshow or virtual tour off as a video. There are three separate forms of media that realtor.com makes available to you for posting with a listing, Video, Virtual Tours, and Still Photos. One's not replacing the other because they are all different and if you cross them, you might disappoint that potential buyer expecting to see a video. A video link deserves video footage.

Now help me out with YouTube. Are agents actually having success from this site or do they just like it because it's free? Why in the world you send a customer off to a website that doesn't have anything to do with selling homes? YouTube is a pro getting people enrolled in viewing other videos, that's the purpose of their site. My marketing instincts say find a way to get the video on your site so it's not BYE BYE BUYER.

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Tags:: video; youtube; real estate marketing; virtual tour company; ahwatukee virtual tour; phoenix; scottsdale; chandler; gilbert; virtual tour software

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VirtualNdustry Feature

Virtual Tours - Chandler, AZ

Yea, glorified slideshow. Sorry you could'nt tell the woman was the agent.

"YouTube videos get indexed in the main Google search if you code it correctly.

THat's the ONLY benefit." Who are you Paul and why do you think this? Can you share tracking results?

Aug 30, 2007 11:22 AM

Billnulls Blog Florida Realty Professional

Charles Rutenberg Realty - Clearwater, FL

AHWD

I question a professional using UTUBE for real estate.....just my thoughts.

Aug 30, 2007 11:54 PM

Jennifer Monroe

Indigo Home Team powered by Compass - Charlotte, NC

Real Estate REALTOR®/Broker/Designer

You could always try another venue for the same thing. I know Splash Cast will work from several different sites if you want to avoid YouTube. You in effect create your own channel. And it's FREE!

http://web.splashcast.net/console/

Aug 31, 2007 03:32 AM

Tammy Stone

Prudential Preferred Realtors - Grand Rapids, MI

"Eco-Green" Agent in West Michigan

Carolyn,

My questions would be, what type of audience are you trying to reach. YouTube is definitely a good source because so many people know about it... so I agree with the videos but maybe the teasers being there and then linking into your website. I've been considering the videos myself but haven't figured out the best way to handle them yet.

Aug 31, 2007 03:37 AM

Sandra Naroian

Keller Williams Realty - Boston, MA

Realtor, CLHMS

Carolyn,

You may want to check out www.ZIPVO.com , the site launched about 6 weeks ago and has taken off faster than expected. Any real estate agent or video tour professional can go to ZIPVO and upload real estate videos for FREE.

Unlike YouTube, it is for real estate videos ONLY, blogs, interviews, walk-throughs, testimonials, & community videos .. no hand eating contests.

Also very EASY to use .. put in a zip code or town/city name and you get video content .. this site is first of its kind .. Zip to Video.

Sandra

Oct 24, 2007 08:12 AM

Mehmet Met Dilsiz

FND Photography / M2 Real Estate Solutions - Midvale, UT

WOW...

I would have never thought about the uTube :)

I've always considered it as kids viewing those videos, or adults view the funny stuff... not for adults who shop for homes

Oct 26, 2007 06:26 AM

Anonymous

Dukester

Reading through all of this - I'm a licensed but inactive agent, recently sold my interest in a locally-owned and -operated virtual tour company in a major metropolitan area after 10 years, and am now involved in a technology venture dealing with automated, narrated video production for real estate - let me ask this:

Imagine you took good photos (or had them taken) and put them on the MLS. We came along as an MLS vendor, rendered your photos into a video-format slideshow with human speech (TTS) description of the major features of a home (square footage, year built, beds, baths, specialty rooms, kitchen and master features and such) ...

... INCLUDING not just your own point-something percent or your BIG broker's 10% of the listings, but ALL of the IDX listings on MLS with, say, 3 or more photos ... i.e., "virtual tours" (let's not get into semantics here) on 80-90% of the listings on your site, all for FREE ...

... And then offered you a "production seat" at a reasonable cost to enhance your own listings with video commercials and banners you can use to advertise yourself, your brokerage, mortgage services, home warranties, etc. (you provide content), and offered the ability with a few clicks and a little typing, to syndicate your listings to YouTube, Google Video, OpenHouse.com, etc., with keywords of your own choosing, also for a reasonable fee ...

Would it be "too expensive?"

Mar 13, 2008 09:58 AM

#44

Ross Quintana

Real E Smarter - Spokane, WA

Real E Smarter Real Estate Coach - 509-362-1966

No I think as a culture savvy buyers use you tube and the blend is they feel like you tube is like google, you search for what you want and watch. So I think there is a market, how big, well, It's if you want to be ahead of the curve.

Mar 13, 2008 11:21 AM

Ryan Vivo

Gateway Realty - Fairfield, CA

NRBA Realtor Solano County, Gateway Realty 707-384-5894

why not embed the video into your site instead of having them directed to youtube.

Mar 15, 2008 05:47 PM

Chuck Willman

Chuck Willman - Alpine, UT

NewHouseUtah.com

I'm with Ryan... posting to youtube is one thing... embedding the youtube video on your own site is even better... now your in two places and it's better to have them click your links as opposed to youtube's.

Mar 16, 2008 09:30 AM

Anonymous

NancyMarketsYou

Just chiming in here... I've been uploading slideshow ''videos'' to a number of places, including my Nancy Markets You channels on YouTube, Google Video and Yahoo! Video, since July 2007. I research key words and phrases to determine which have the highest popularity, and I use those in my title, description and tag line. I am having PHENOMENAL success with this on behalf of my clients. Of course, the more specific the search is, the better the slideshows do (i.e., titling one ''Sacramento California real estate'' will not do nearly as well getting to PAGE 1 or 2 as ''Sacramento California luxury real estate'' or ''Sacramento California single story luxury home for sale,'' etc.). Do a search on Google for ''verdera estate home'' -- I have 9 of the top 10 positions on PAGE 1 (and another 5 positions on PAGE 2). Or search for ''lincoln ca home for sale" on Yahoo! where my slideshows hold 3 of the top 10 positions on PAGE 1 (and another 1 or 2 on PAGE 2). Verdera is a luxury golf course community, so that's more specific. Lincoln CA is much less specific, and they're still making it to PAGE 1. Just to let you know that Fred's post from April 2007 is absolutely right on (and my clients are very pleased, as well!). Realize that the point of this is NOT to have a ''video'' on YouTube (or anywhere else); the point is to attempt to hit PAGE 1 or 2 of the search engines so that Buyers -- whether in your home town, or across the U.S. who are relocating to your area -- will see YOUR LISTING (hopefully!) when they do a search on the Internet. My experience is that Yahoo! cycles the ''videos'' up in as little as 36-48 hours. I say go for it (or call me and have me ''go for it'' on your behalf!).

Mar 16, 2008 03:21 PM

#48

VirtualNdustry Feature

Virtual Tours - Chandler, AZ

I firmly stand by not sending buyers to YouTube ESPECIALLY if you are only using a photo slide show disguised as video to keep a potential buyers attention. I took Nancys advice and Googled "Verdera estate home" and found a lengthly slideshow with no text to read and no voice over and of course video has no interaction so it was easy to be distracted to the other videos on the site. As far as using it to be indexed on google, it's real hard to do unless you live in tiny town or hope the buyer googles the specific community. It's no secret that ""whatever major city" homes for sale" are THE majic words for most home searches. Google brilliantly put combo boxes there for the buyer to put filters like luxury, single story, pool, verdera, whatever so they can find the perfect home. Your time would be better spent putting a listing on Google Base directly instead of hoping for rankings. Embedding the video on your personal website is also a good idea, THEN drive traffic to your site to see the video. Instead of putting th home on YouTube, I'd put a commercial of myself on YouTube and then drive buyers to my site away from YouTube. Same with craigslist.

Mar 16, 2008 04:13 PM

S J

Pittsburgh, PA

You can get youtube cameras for $100 now

Mar 16, 2008 06:42 PM

Andrew Mooers | 207.532.6573

MOOERS REALTY - Houlton, ME

Northern Maine Real Estate-Aroostook County Broker

You park the video on you tube so you free up your site. You are not going after teenagers to buy although when you also post videos on youth hockey, baseketball, local snowstorm, etc your teenager watches. If you plan to be in real estate awhile, think of this audience as future buyers. But more importantly, the community videos you post, show the viewer what the flavor of your area is. You are not just selling real estate. You are a one man chamber of commerce beating the drum and covering the beat for localism for your spot on the planet. You Tube is great and take advatnage of a variety of other spots to post video. Just like websites, podcasts, another "transmitter" beaming back to the mother site. Catch viewers, readers, listeners anyway possible. I have had 16,000+ views and came wonderful comments that lead to more exposure and ultimate prospects to buy and sell real estate with. Have 125 videos on You Tube..just added another one for a Grand Lake cottage. The viewer hears you, gets to know you. Was a broadcaster in an earlier life. http://www.youtube.com/mooersrealty

Mar 29, 2008 09:33 AM

Lyn Sims

Schaumburg, IL

Real Estate Broker Retired

I post my tours on YouTube, Google and Yahoo video. What do you mean you can't put a house there? I put my listings a couple of different ways when posting to each. One has the address, one has the price only, one has the area name. It gets posted with a small pic icon on Yahoo which then goes into AOL. I think your being naive about it, about a year ago I was the same way. You don't have to spend $1000's on it at all. Once you get a tour, post it everywhere & let the search engines help! You can track the hits & I am sure you will be surprised. I agree with Carolyn Morton above.

Apr 16, 2008 12:13 PM

Glenda and Steven McDaniel

Long and Foster Smith Mountain Lake Office - Smith Mountain Lake, VA

I placed a Video on You Tube just recently and it has been viewed 174 times. I guess its worth trying new technology: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2gzvjAcqm8

Apr 16, 2008 02:17 PM

Rob Muller

ReMax Town & Country - Canton, GA

Cherokee County Real Estate

I started with youtube but have since switched to welcomemat, much better results

Apr 16, 2008 03:04 PM

Jody Moore

Blue Shirt Photography | SendOutCards - Lexington, KY

I think YouTube is a great way to show property.

Jan 30, 2011 11:15 PM

Andrew Mooers | 207.532.6573

MOOERS REALTY - Houlton, ME

Northern Maine Real Estate-Aroostook County Broker

Revisit...now have over 450 videos...working their hearts out. Not just on youtube. You ask why would a broker send a buyer late at night in a different time zone and zip codes far far from your home office in to the dark cyber path to youtube? Because it is a honey pot opening up in the same frame so they can find their way back. But that is not the only way to roll 'em with full motion video. Why not embed that video hosted at youtube but all set up nice and pretty just whispering loudly to the buyer to toggle me on your real estate site? That is one way if you are thinking of the buyer loosing their way. And when they search for a type of listing and that little video player shows up on page one of the result...which one do you think their eyeballs track to, their trigger finger itches to toggle and watch? Video is huge but only one percent of brokers using it. Can't find the time I guess to give it a "whirl" as Kevin says about tv dinners on Home Alone.

Jan 30, 2011 11:55 PM

Andrew Mooers | 207.532.6573

MOOERS REALTY - Houlton, ME

Northern Maine Real Estate-Aroostook County Broker

Time for your vacation Jon, or better coffee.

Jan 31, 2011 01:49 AM