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Could Free YouTube Real Estate Video Postings Be Expensive?

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.

Posted by VirtualNdustry Feature on 04/23/2007 04:21 PM

Comments (55)

video, youtube, real estate marketing, virtual tour company, ahwatukee virtual tour, phoenix, scottsdale, chandler, gilbert, virtual tour software

55 Comments on Could Free YouTube Real Estate Video Postings Be Expensive?

APR

2007

Carolyn--I think it could be thinking outside the box to hit a younger generation where they are viewing.

I have a son who is into YouTube and have thought of having him tape my listings. Not because I expect that anyone who is a YouTube viewer to actually find the home as a buyer.

But I have a blog and can link to YouTube to host the video. Easier to put a link to another site than have the video on your site. Which can slow down anyone without highspeed.

Just my opinion...

Yes, you definitely don't want to host your own video on your site but you can't put the link on your site, just like you do in a blog? I always encourage my clients to link the tours directly to your site and say on craigslist, just post a photo as a teaser and make them go to your site to see the tour so they don't just look at the tour and keep shopping.

Carolyn--I don't like adding temporary links to my website but the blog is more immediate and changing where the site is more static. I would put on the blog where in opens a new window so your page is still up. Window shoppers will just browse through but buyers will still contact you or their agent. Either way your seller would be happy...nosey people pacified without taking up their time.

I haven't actually done it yet...just something I would keep an open mind too. :)

Teri, you have no idea how much I appreciate your input. I'm on the fence about spending close to 10,000 on the video equipment so I can provide a valuable service to my clients. I haven't heard any testimonials here yet about YouTube selling properties but I'm am 100% for creating a commercial for the agent. As far as I'm concerned it would be the same as having a TV commercial with that sites kind of traffic. The major question still lingers would an agent pay for the production and post it at their leisure anywhere or is video cool because it's free?

Ladies and Gentlemen, I introduce to you Mr. Norm Fisher. This is the hilarious reason why I will never go out of business.

Not to be a sellout(because I'll never sell it) but do all the new PC owners know that there is movie producing software on their NEW PC's? Go to start, all programs, then movie technology. You will see muveeproducer. It is unbelievably easy to use, you just drop in photos of homes

and add a photo of you and be sure to include a logo, choose a style and some music(make it royaltyfree) and there you have it(an over rated slideshow) a video file. Once it's done go to YouTube and upload it. If your PC is older go to this website to get the free version.

Carolyn,

I do not use YouTube, mostly because I don't do video. I also can never find what I am looking for, too many distractions there. This may just be me. I do thank you for the tip about muvee producer. Maybe I will get into film after all. :)

APR

2007

Carolyn--Do you really need 10k in equipment? My son invested in a good video camera for around $400 and has added another $300-400 in editing and graphics software. We did have to upgrade the memory and graphics card in his computer (another $300) but he is able to produce excellent productions with the $1000 investment. He has his eye on another more expensive camera but will have to wait as he wants to buy a car too...there aren't enough birthdays or allowances in a year for both! (He is just turning 15 :) )

Teri -lol- I'm a virtual tour provider http://www.virtualndustry.com/ so my products are a little more complex but I applaud your teenager, when he's ready to get serious, send him here http://www.apple.com/finalcutstudio/quicktours/ , I might need him one day! Our camera will more than likely cost more than his car. Here's the difference between my product and bad photos, as so brilliantly put by Mr. Norm Fisher

virtual tour

Carolyn--I did note that you were not an agent. As I said, I have not had my son do this yet. He is very good with the equipment he has and it would be worth paying him for and posting free for starter homes. The quality would be acceptible to entice a first time homebuyer who might like more information.

Your product I have heard of being used very successfully in the high end MN homes. I don't think that those videos belong on youtube though.

And--your cameras are probably the ones in my son's dreams. I know that Final Cut Pro is the software he would love to be using...It is what they have at his high school and the colleges that he is looking at anyway.

APR

2007

I've been doing real estate video tours for over a year. I upload all of my tours to about eight video sites, including YouTube and others (such as WellcomeMat.com). The tours are also viewable on the agent's website, on the MLS as well as Realtor.com.

Why?

If you upload them and code them properly, the video sites get indexed in the regular search engine results - often times within DAYS.... most often on PAGE 1. Do people search for real estate on Google? You bet.... That's the reason I do it.

If you subscribe (or read) Inman News, there is an article regarding Video Tours today. Tomorrow, in part 2, they are addressing this entire issue. You can't read it the next day unless you subscribe, but I will have them both posted on my site.

Nice product Fred, you don't charge enough because that rocked!

I will check back for the news.

Tell me about it! Problem is... realtors won't PAY a higher price I don't think.

Well, I've done well over a hundred of these things... so I've got it down and I'm pretty fast. It helps to have a kick ass computer, 3 terabytes of storage and a fiber optic connection to upload huge files a lot!

APR

2007

Daaang!

Ya know the topic of this forum is could FREE video be expensive. Meaning they manage their own video with a shaky camera that gave me so much motion sickness I needed a barf bag. The lighting is so bad, I just consider this tacky and obviously low budget. No way will it work for a home worth more than 200,000. Zero effects to keep my attention, if it isn't shiny I ain't look'n at it and neither is generation x, I'm just gonna go look at other videos. Bad audio is like finger nails on a chalk board me. Slideshows where videos or virtuals are suppose to be.....don't get me started. What's next, will they go take crapy video with their camera cell phones and post that?! If agents know for a fact that bad marketing will hurt the sell, don't they know that high quality will help the sell.

I would think an agent would rather pay the pros for their markting efforts and get the higher commission for selling their own listing. Isn't giving half the commission away more expensive?

Ok--Again Realtors point of view. Carolyn--You are absolutely right that no video would be better than poor video. Virtual tours...used for years show this...If the tour is bad, it actually hurts showings.

There is a firm doing video in MN for extremely high end homes. They don't post on YouTube. I believe they actually have dedicated web addresses or create CD's for the home...but I am not certain.

Just because you have a great video, doesn't mean you get both sides of the commission. A lot of the time great marketing brings in buyers that have representation.

Bringing down the price without sacrificing quality will make it more mainstream because the bulk of YouTube viewers are not in the market for extremely high end homes.

You are awesome Teri :) Is $200,000 considered high end? There's not much here in AZ under that, we had amazing growth lately. So let me ask you, if videos or virtual tours had ____ you would pay at least $150 for them. If it had a place for a coupon with an oil change(for example) that they got for contacting you, would that help the tracking results and give credit to our product for people contacting you? Please don't put a free market analysis there, let's think of something that is unique.

People like Fred and I incorporate custom branding for our agents in our products, always. It's about 50% of the reason agents do spend the money because we do make the agent look good and it is advertising a home for sale but it's also a commercial for you. I know you plan on doing something with video in the future so be sure to utilize as much graphic knowledge as you can to include branding for yourself. It does make a difference.

Carolyn--In MN homes at $200K and under are starter homes for first time buyers (Twin Cities Metro). The agents investing in video tours are marketing homes in $750K and up...usually up!

Gift giving has restrictions by state and is controlled by RESPA and other restrictions so beyond a free market analysis, I can't comment as I don't know what is allowed in all states.

The agent investing in video statistic is something I would love to have, where did you get? Gift giving restrictions explain all the free market analysis out there, thanks for that. Funny how you can give cash away by a discount commission but not a bennie baby or something.

Carolyn--I will keep an eye out for specifics on who is using video...just saw a news segment on the guy who is doing in the area and there were pricey homes being featured.

Realtors can give nominal gifts and can give larger gifts if part of a transaction but that can be limited by mortgage/RESPA laws too.

Trying to be helpful :)

You are, thanks for keeping it simple, any more elaboration and you'd be speaking chinese to me.

APR

2007

Besides doing virtual tours and custom web sites I've recently added photo-video tours to Youtube.
I hoping to switch to HD Video tours as the price for blue ray DVD and HD cameras come down in price.

http://www.137orchardpark.com Click on see it on YouTube

If anything my tour on youtube has impressed my clients.

Photo-Video tours are much less expessive, you don't need a video camera and it is broadcast quality if you ever decided to air it on TV, or put it on DVD.

With a background in VideoProduction and the world pushing towards YouTube it was time to move into video ads.

-Adam
CENTURY 21 Mission-Bishop

APR

2007

great posts! I'm taking it all in!

I want to get into doing better quality video, but I gotta stack my paper a little higher before I can. I just don't have that kind of money to put into equipment right now.

People are still impressed with the fact that I can shoot video off my phone (TREO 700p) and I can show it to my buyers right on the spot when I meet with them! For some I even put the previewed video properties on a DVD and most agents (in my area) don't even go that far! It impresses them enough to want to do business with me and all I bought was a cellphone!

I do agree better quality IS BETTER. I haven't broken into the high-end million dollar properties YET--but I'm learning and I'm aspiring to be like yall when I grow up! :)

thanx 4 sharing!

MAY

2007

You do not need to buy cameras and equipment to produced your own home tour, that where people like myself are here for you to help you produced your very own Home Tour Video that can be air on Cable TV, Internet, and on DVD. Just think about this, do you really have the time to do all the videotaping, editing, and do your real estate business.. I do not think so. Let Professional Video Production company like myself help you to produced your home tour video, it the best way, and you save money in the long term, why it because the gears we have cost alot more than you think, plus we do all the work for you, and get it on the air, and on the Internet. Just think about what you can do during your own time promoting yourself as a Realtor in your area, you got alot to do, so let us do this production for you.

Right now I am in Pre-Production of Prime Real Estate Showcase in the High Desert, but we can also do video productions for others throughout the Southern California, and put them on DVD, and on the Internet. We will be getting our production on other cable tv system, so keep in touch, and we will keep you all inform of the updated of our show.

If you know alot of agents that really want to start their own home tours in the LA, OC, San Diego, Riverside, or other areas throughout the Southern California, we do offer Refer fee for each person you refer to us to produced their own home tour.

Email me with any question, okay.

Michael Reighley
RB Productions

Producer of Prime Real Estate Showcase

MAY

2007

I run a Streaming Video Tour company. Our company host video in a "Unique ,Deliverable, Streaming Video Player". Although our player is approved for upload on most MLS systems nationwide, we also post our video's on video websites such as youtube.

From our personal experience of tracking statistics on different websites , we have found that aside from the local MLS's IDX site we upload to, Yahoo is actually the best place to post and host your "free, user generated" video's if you choose to do them yourself. If you look at statistics, youtube is a mere form of entertainment for young people looking to pass the time while on the Internet. Not to mention the fact that in the next few months, YOUTUBE will be attaching 15-30 second commercials at the beginning of EVERY VIDEO ON THEIR SITE!!!

Although it may be a bit more expensive, it far more worthy of the investment to have a company handle the production, hosting and distribution for you. It is a very timely process creating video the "right way", and frankly you as an agent are wasting a lot of time tat could be spent prospecting for more listings.

There is something to be said for captivating someone with a professionally produced video tour instead of turning off a potential buyer with some amateur shot Video Tour.

and remember what your mom always told you growing up "YOU NEVER GET A 2ND CHANCE TO MAKE A 1st IMPRESSION"!!

Keep in mind YouTube is just one of the site you can share video on. Just to name a couple, Metacafe.com, ifilm.com both provide the similar service.

You can actually post YouTube video embed code on some of the real estate listing site now. Here is an example: http://www.findmyroof.com/ad/2969

A good video tour does draw some interest, but it is far from an actual visit. Personally I would prefer a visit if I like the content of a listing.

video should not be confused with an "actual visit" to the home"....

think of it like this...

real estate is like fishing ....the realtor is the fisherman, the buyer is the Fish, and a good video tour is big shiny lure fish want to bite, (as compared to a standard worm on a hook that just doesn't get their attention).....Once the fish is on , it's still up to the Realtor to reel them in!!!

Eric made a very good point, using the technology to bring in more clients and be differ than all the other agents. Again you show something to your clients as a Realtor that you offer more services, like home tour on the internet plus also use this to advertise on TV, this what make agents stand out of the crowd.

The only differ between me and eric is, that Eric do video home tour for the Internet, but the question is are you willing to do it on Cable TV, Eric?

Michael

yes Michael, as we spoke about on the phone, cable TV can be done, but you are wasting your time. Cable is what we call a "novelty" item, and will not be effective enough for the majority or real estate agents to justify the cost.

JUN

2007

Adam Fettes,

Great pictures. Did you take them or is that a professional. If you did what kind of equipment do you have. Looks very professional.

AUG

2007

As previously mentioned I feel a better way would be to embed a video into your own personal listing site without sending the buyer directly to YouTube. Sam

youtube is a portal that has a very significant high number of viewers and can not be underestimated in terms of reach

it is too early on to leave out any distribution portals

AUG

2007

Robert, I totally agree with you regarding YouTube. YouTube has the eyeballs and they have a quick and easy to use search feature that is also connected with Google Video. I believe the ownership of YouTube/Google will prove to be a very powerful one in the future.

Some great info here...Thanks Carolyn for the blog!

"youtube is a portal that has a very significant high number of viewers"

Counting all of the available videos on youtube, agreed. However, they have a paltry average of viewers for property videos. It ran between 10-16 video views in the critical first two weeks for the last 2 times that we did studies of YouTube property video traffic. The two studies were done before and after Universal search was implemented by Google and are published on our AR blog.

Tony

Finally, someone said it. Youtube is not significant when when it comes home searches! Regardless of traffic on that site. Besides that, who's is your traffic, generation x? When they are old enough to buy a home, who knows how we'll be virtually showing homes by then.

The above mentioned testing was probably better coded than my test for traffic but here are my results over a two week period. Some video sites count a view every time I or my client looked at it which would make video views almost null.

This home had already been on the market for over 300 days, I can't show the actual ads because this home sold quickly after our efforts for exposure. The agent said it wasn't getting pulled from the mls so we replaced some pretty awful photos that were posted there previously and put effort into advertising it directly in front of the buyers with success. We didn't forget Yahoo for an ad, they give buyers the ability to search the mls so it seemed redundant to advertise there.

For sites that didn't have a tracking device, I sent buyers to my website to be tracked. The virtual tour/remote walkthru had the stage but video did get views. Again I can't show the ads we placed but they pretty much just said "Do a remote walk thru of what our clients have to offer in this area" here's my page were we tracked hits

http://virtualndustry.com/azhomeswithland.aspx

Ads placed as of 7/14(only 11 days)

Craigslist

84 views

Google Video

59 Views (keep in mind craigslistdrove buyers to my site to view the goggle video, I can't tell how many views it acually got on the Google site)

Google Real Estate Listing(Homes for Sale search results ex. "New River Homes for Sale")

10 views

YouTube Video

6 Views

WellcomeMat Video

9 Views

Craigslist seemed to be the champion on views, I highly recommend placing an ad there. Now.

That's a bizarre slideshow. How come some woman kept coming up? It was weird. YouTube videos get indexed in the main Google search if you code it correctly. THat's the ONLY benefit.

Virtual Tours are a must, but I think video tours are a waste of time at this point. There are programs that will mimick a video tour with still photos, but I do not have the time to take video and edit and then add voice over.

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

2007

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

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/

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.

OCT

2007

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

2007

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

MAR

2008

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?"

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

2008

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

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.

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!).

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

2008

You can get youtube cameras for $100 now

MAR

2008

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

APR

2008

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.

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

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

APR

2008

Post those properties...whoever told you you could not is incorrect!

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