As video continues to make its way into the Real Estate market, professionals want to know how to best distribute their content. A question we occasionally are asked is, "Can we post our video to YouTube?"
The short answer is yes, it is possible. To me, the more valid question is: Should you post your property video on YouTube? My answer would be an unequivocal, NO. I am a big fan of what YouTube has done. I regularly stop by and check out funny or amazing clips on the site. But from a marketing standpoint, do you want your property video sandwiched between silly pet videos and wedding bloopers? How many qualified luxury buyers are stopping by YouTube to find their new home?
In reality, if you have a Real Estate video the best place for it to reside is on a real estate site. If you are selling a luxury property it should be a site where luxury and second home buyers are searching. A few weeks ago I wrote a post about luxury portals. These are some of the spots you might consider linking your luxury video:
Luxury Real Estate, duPont Registry, Luxury Portfolio, Luxury Homes, Unique HomesWhen it comes to non-luxury properties, there are specific sites devoted to Real Estate videos. Phil DiGiulio has done some nice work with Wellcome Mat, a site devoted to property videos. Inman Stories also are focused on the world of real estate.
Keep in mind though, you want your distribution vehicle(s) to deliver to your target audience. If you have a multimillion dollar property, you want it seen by potential buyers, not property gawkers who just like cool video tours. Google, Yahoo and YouTube are not the right place for your real estate video. If you want distribution, think about where qualified buyers are looking and find a way to get the video in front of them.