Is Video the New Photo in Real Estate Marketing?

Christian,

Good stuff, congratulations!

Great idea with the iPhone video app. I have yet to break down and upgrade my iphone, so not video capability for me just yet. But video is definitely where its at. The quality of the video that you produce yourself may not be professional quality, but it is more important to take action and get started. Don't let the "buts" get in the way - "but I can't afford to hire a pro", "but I don't know how to edit a video", "but I am uncomfortable trying something new". Search engines LOVE video (tagged with appropriate keywords, of course). There are so many options for the types of videos you can make. It is not just about videos of listings. Think outside the box.

I don't think video will ever replace the still photograph. Both have their place. They actually compliment each other. But they also must be done well to be effective.

That is a nice application. Especially, since it's made for my favorite toy: the iPhone. It does not get better than that. For some of us who own the GS version of the iPhone: Party Time!

Because of this Blog, I have logged onto WellcomeMat to create an account. I am amazed at how this pinpointed my location as soon as I have logged onto the iPhone. Great Recommendation Christian!

Have to agree with Clint on this. Video will be it, right now.  Time to change folks.

Gary & Melynda Wolter hit it head on! People don't want to sit through long pans of a living room, the kitchen, the on-and-on-and-on.  Video should be fast moving and highlight the essence of the home.  If some one is really interested, they'll make an appointment to see the property.  Isn't that the point?  Our attention spans have been shrunken from minutes to seconds.  Just watch any music video.

And people...when you make your commentary, don't drag that out either or make really obvious comments such as, "here....is....the...kit...chen (no kidding!  I was wondering which room would have a refrigerator, stove, dishwasher and sink)..........Here....is.....the....bathroom.....(obvious by the view of the commode, vanity and shower)"  Let's be a little more creative.

Add some action and excitement to your vid's and you'll see them come alive.

Gary & Melynda Wolter (Skogman Realty):

I disagree completely that nobody will watch a 3-4 minute video!

Real estate video is NOT entertainment.  It's NOT a decorating video.  It's NOT a commercial. It's NOT HGTV!

This is how it works:

1. Buyers search the MLS based on price, #bedrooms, #bathrooms, location, etc.
2. They then peruse the results... reading the descriptions and quickly looking at photos.
3. If they LIKE what they read and LIKE what they see in photos (which is why photos ARE very important!), THEN....They download and watch the video!

If they get to that point, they are VERY SERIOUS.  If they don't like what they read and the photos, they won't even bother with the video.

But if they get to that point, they WILL watch the video from beginning to end.  In fact, they usually scrutinize the video, and oftentimes watch it more than once!  

I can't sit through most real estate videos personally.  They bore me silly.  Why?

Because I'm not interested in buying the house!

It's really that simple!  If you're seriously in the market and seriously interested in a particular house, trust me when I tell you they WILL watch a 3, 4 or even an 8 minute video!  From beginning to end and then again!  I've talked to many, many buyers who see these videos and they all echo exactly the same thing.

I look at it like a wedding video.  Most people have NO interest in watching a wedding video... UNLESS it's YOUR wedding.  (or you're the mother of the bride!).  Why do most people NOT like to watch other people's vacation videos?  Because they weren't there... it's wasn't THEIR vacation!

It's exactly the same principal here.  If you're really interested in the home as a potential purchase, you'll watch.

The reality is people are making decisions based on what they see on a computer screen at 2am in their bunny slippers. Whether you think it's right or not is irrelevant, because most people will do it anyway!  Why?  One reason: Because they can.

Curb appeal of yesteryear is WEB APPEAL today.  What they see on that little computer screen is SUPER important!

So it's in your best interest to get the BEST product out there to entice them to pick up the phone and take the next step, rather than just clicking the "next" button.....

Christian,  You ask the question: "Is Video the new Photo in Real Estate Marketing?"  My answer is: No.  Based on the way that we, as humans, process information, video will have an important place, but will not replace photos, clip art and text.  I have read a lot of comments and had many discussions with clients and with other real estate professionals -- no one is going to view a video without some reason.  That reason is the Headline, the body of test that describes what will occur in the video or artwork which catches attention long enough for a person to decide that the video is worth the commitment of time.  Most of us skim through all the ads, e-mails, flyers, blogs, etc.  We don't have a minute or even 10 seconds to view videos unless we have a reason.  If we have a reason, then a good video has its place and it can be vitally important.  But as I said --it will not replace the photo, only work with it.                                

I don't know if it will become the new photo, but I do know that I like the Flip video.

I see video becoming more and more popular, and with Google Wave on the way there is yet another way in which it can be used. I love my Flip (no iPhone) and use it frequently for a variety of purposes. I look forward to the appl being available for the Blackberry.

Jeff

Fred - You completely misread my comment or maybe I wasn't clear when I said "People don't want to sit through long pans of a living room..."  I did not say the would not sit through 3-4-5 minute videos, just that the overly long video shots of each room would cause people to move on and not sit through the entire piece.  I have gone to your web site to view some samples and I found them to be generally fast moving, scene to scene.  I do disagree that this is not entertainment, decorating, or HGTV.  We are all influenced by the production of these media no matter how we classify them.  And don't think that people who are searching the net for homes are not watching HGTV, and they are (even subconsciously) comparing the production value of your video to the TV broadcast.

I spent many years in the wedding industry and agree that those videos are boring...mostly because they are produced by some guy who bought a video cam last week at the local Best Buy and now thinks he can make a few extra bucks on the weekend...FAIL.  Nobody wants to sit through 4 hours of a) a long distance shot of the bride and groom at the front of the church mumbling unintelligably, b) the groom's drunk best man droning on through the toast and c) three hours of watching the same 4 couples on the dance floor.  It's only interesting when something exciting happens like the bridal party jumping into the pool or grandma doing a strip tease as the garter is removed.

Informative post Christian. Thanks for taking the time to help us out.

Hey thanks for the informative post today. I'll have to try it.

Patricia

I hate to read more on this. Thanks.

The Iphone app is a great addition. 

Our company uses Wellcomemat and currently we have over 170 of our clients videos hosted there.  We also have sample videos on our company channel from a few different cameras including the "modified" FlipMinoHD .  You can see those examples on Wellcomemat on our Channel here http://www.wellcomemat.com/realestatevideotours

My new recommendation to agents though wanting to film their own tours is the Sony Cybershot HX-1(see our example on Wellcomemat Channel above under the "see my other videos section in the lower right) ---- The HX-1 shoots great 28mm stills, simple 4 second panoramics, 1080p HD video and a cool feature for taking stills of your listings at or near dark called "twilight mode".  The camera is listed on BH Photo for $499 but once added to basket it actually is priced at $419.   It is a steal and all that most agents will ever need for video, stills and panos.  We are also working on a clever way to "hack" it with a .75x Sony wide angle lens allowing you use the HX-1 to shoot at 21mm.  We will have that article posted soon.  

For those who own a FLIP already be sure to read the article on hacking your Flip with a wide angle lens here http://www.hdhat.com/hackyourflipvideo.html

Mark
HDhat.com

Hey everyone! Hope you're having a great day/night. Just a quick note to let you know we've updated the iPhone application. You can now shoot mobile videos and with one-click post them to YouTube, Twitter and Posterous! Other updates include minor bug fixes and a progress bar to view the upload as it progresses. Complete details here >

All the best - MM

I just bought my iPhone in Dec. and you're really making me want the 3GS! I'm sure you'll have even better features when I'm eligible for the upgrade...a year from now :(

Interesting.