The world is teeming of hard-working real estate agents who want to do great things for their clients. If you’re a real estate professional who really wants to soar, especially in the time of COVID-19, video marketing needs to be an essential part of your lead generation and nurturing strategy.
In this first installment of a two-part blog series, we will show you techniques to create video content that boosts your presence within your sphere of influence, and creates conversations that convert to closed transactions.
Real estate listings that utilize video marketing receive 403% more inquiries than those without video.
Content Is King: A Checklist of Videos Every Agent Needs
If you are a beginner at creating video content for your listing and website, you first need to craft a checklist of content that will draw in potential customers. Your videos should answer key questions consumers have at each stage of the buying/renting process. Some videos can be shot and used for months or year. Other videos including property tours, will need to be done more frequently.
86% of homebuyers use video search to research a particular community and 70% use it to tour the inside of homes.
So let’s walk thru each type of video marketing:
The first type of video offers you an opportunity to demonstrate your expertise with a neighborhood, and skill as an agent. When someone is ready to make a move, they will first research information about neighborhoods. They will also search their corresponding housing market trends. A 10-minute tour of the neighborhood’s shopping, dining and entertainment options, as well as community schools and events will develop consumer trust in your ability to find a home that fits their lifestyle.
According to Inman, 85% of buyers and sellers want to work with a realtor who uses video.
A second kind of video is for shoppers who simply want to get to know your team as people. They want to see what sets you apart from other agents in the area. Consider also posting other videos of team events or charity work. Testimonials from past customers or others involved in transactions such as mortgage brokers and home inspectors are good too. Both kinds of videos can be very valuable to consumers before beginning a relationship with you and your brokerage. And, all of these videos are generally usable for months or longer.
Once they have narrowed their search by geography, consumers want to review available listings. Beyond static photos of the property, video walk-thus showcases your knowledge of the property and brings the neighborhood to life. This third type of video marketing can be the first step in developing a level of trust that can yield a long-term relationship.
Real Estate Agents, Video Clips and Unrivaled Lead Generation Glory: Getting It Done
Whether you are a novice or tech-savvy real estate marketer, these fundamentals of a good video shoot apply:
- Plan out a video script
- Every home has a story, and a little bit of prep work will allow you to sound authentic when you tell it. Practice what you are going to say and the keywords you want to emphasize.
- Ensure proper lighting
- Even though today’s smart phones capture high quality video, many videos fail if poorly lit. Also make note if particular areas are best shot at a particular time of day, such as a back yard at sunset, or a sunny eat-in kitchen.
- Tell the story
- Believe it or not, the agent’s voiceover can be more powerful than video image quality. People will tolerate a video that is less than perfect. If the audio is difficult to understand – too soft, too much echo, feedback or background noise – it can damage your ability to engage a potential client. Remember, today’s renters need to envision a lifestyle. Your voiceover should create excitement about a location in a way a video tour of an apartment alone can’t.
- Deliver perspective
- Home seekers want perspective: where does the house sit on the lot, not just a closeup of a pretty front door. They want to see the apartment complex, not just the inside of a particular unit. Even if you can’t afford to create interactive 360-degree digital tours, give enough perspective to allow clients to really envision themselves living there. Often, they want an experience more then an asset.
- Add some polish
- Once you have shot a short walk-thru video, add a few finishing touches. Create an intro clip with your brokerage logo and your headshot to capture branding opportunities. Be sure to use that intro in all of your marketing videos. Utilize captions in YouTube to reach anyone who is hearing impaired, or wants to watch videos without sound on.
- Syndicate your video content across multiple channels
- Consider where your customers spend their time online. With so many people working from home these days, they have discovered many social media apps where they search for video content. Do not limit yourself to only YouTube and emending that content on your website. TikTok and Instagram should not be overlooked. TikTok was the fourth most downloaded app on iPhones in 2109 with 46 million downloads, trailing only YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat
- Spread the word
- Depending on your budget, you may want to consider promoting videos through Google and Bing Ads or as sponsored Instagram and Facebook posts. An email newsletter can also be a great way to feature videos for new properties on the market, especially where you have defined clients’ area of interest and needs.
Cisco predicts that by 2021, 82% of internet consumption will be video content.
Conclusion on Video Marketing:
Above all, connect with your target audience members on an emotional level. If you want to market your real estate services effectively, then you cannot forget that you’re trying to connect with individuals who are actual human beings. That’s why you should be honest and straightforward with them. Don’t hide your feelings. If you want to showcase a desirable real estate property to your audience, then it can help you to draw people in with anecdotes that are witty, engaging, and sincere. Remember, consumers connect with their fellow human beings. They do not develop lasting ties with real estate properties regardless of how amazing and contemporary they may be. Whether you create virtual tours and property walk-throughs, or full featured informational videos, sharing and engaging with your audience on social media can really help your lead generation efforts.
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In addition to providing software tools to help brokers and agents be more productive, Connect Now™ offers lead generation services to power growth for their business. Let our Google Analytics Certified marketers take the stress out of digital marketing, so you can do what you do best…turn inquiries into closed transactions. Learn More