Videos are becoming more important to marketing efforts every year. Are you using videos to improve your lead generation? There are some videos that every real estate agent should have. Find out if you’re using the right real estate videos to power up your real estate business.
Why You Need to Increase Your Use of Videos
HubSpot has published the results of their research in a 2017 report called The Ultimate List of Marketing Statistics. These are just some of the things they’ve discovered about video usage.
- Fifty-five percent of people will thoroughly review videos.
- Companies who use videos increase revenue 49 percent faster than those who don’t.
- Almost 52 percent of marketing professionals identify videos as having the best return on investment.
It’s not a matter of whether you should use video; the demand for video requires that you do.
Real Estate Videos You Need Today
Some real estate professionals make a video every day. If you’re not in that category, here are several types of videos that you need to have in your marketing toolbox.
-
An Intro Video
Start by creating an introductory video. The purpose of this video is to introduce yourself and your business to your marketplace. Buyers and sellers want to work with a real estate agent they can relate to and trust. Video is the best way to start creating a relationship with potential clients when you’re not able to talk to them in person.
Your introductory video should include information about your background. However, make sure that it contains answers to the typical prospect’s question, “What’s in it for me?” Include information about your competitive advantages and reasons why someone should choose you as their real estate agent.
-
Neighborhood Overviews
Another question that’s top of mind for your prospects is how well you know the neighborhoods in your market area. Create pages on your website to highlight individual neighborhoods, and include a video tour that you narrate highlighting the type of homes in the neighborhood and local amenities.
-
Listing Videos
This is another excellent way to show your personality and highlight the key features of your listings. A tour that consists of a slideshow of the photos you had taken for the MLS listing won’t compare to your personal tour of the homes.
-
Testimonial Videos
It’s good to have written testimonials from satisfied clients. But, a video of your clients talking about how you helped them to buy or sell their home goes far beyond the written word. If you choose to do these videos yourself, make sure you put your clients at ease. Don’t just point a camera at them and ask them to talk. Prepare questions beforehand and provide them to your client. Choose a “safe” place to do record the video – sitting in their home might be more comfortable than sitting in the conference room at your office.
Should You Create Do-It-Yourself Videos?
Many agents use their cell phones for informal videos to capture community events, monthly market updates and short informational videos with real estate tips and advice. On the other hand, they hire a videographer for more critical videos like introductions and testimonials. You need to choose your approach based on your budget and video talent.
For most people, the biggest video issue they have is getting a smooth image when they’re moving around, as you would be for a home tour or community overview. The good news is that there are apps for your cell phone that can solve the “jitter” problem that plagues many DIY videographers.
For example, the Google Photos app does an amazing job on Android phones. You can see the difference between a video with and without the stabilization features Google Photos provides. There are also highly rated stabilization apps available to you for your iPhone and iPad.
Whether you do your own real estate videos or hire a professional, you’ll find that videos give your marketing a definite competitive edge.
