Why Use Video
Your personal brand is defined by your marketing.
One of my jobs as a photographer is to take pictures of commercial and residential properties that are going to be listed for sale or lease. Many times agents think that taking pictures is my only job and they are hiring just a photographer when they schedule the shoot. If that is what they think, I have let them down, I have so much more to offer as does most of my competition. A good photography company should provide resources to help agents with their marketing and branding strategies.
There are many other services that most photography companies offer in addition to photography which can help with the branding and marketing of the agent and the property they are listing. Providing resources for video is just one of those services and one that is even more important in today’s competitive market. So why use video?
If you’re a real estate agent then video might seem like something optional and something that you do only if you really have to. Real estate coach Tom Ferry says it’s much more than that, as you can see in this video:
So Why Use Video? At one point in there Tom says that if you’re not doing video, then “you might be in the wrong career.”
That might seem a little extreme to a lot of you, but I think he makes a good point.
Video is now so pervasive that agents who want to excel must be creating videos, not just for their property listings, but for themselves!
Why Use Video?
Because it works.
Short of knocking on the front door of every home in your market, video is the best way to build trust and likeability with buyers and sellers. Videos give you a chance to educate them on the market, videos also shows your personal side, you can share news from your local area, and build a connection with people even if you have never met them face to face!
As Tom says at another point in that video:
“Video has become the cultural norm. It’s become the new standard. Like, you have an email account, and you do video.
… And if you’re not doing video the thing I would challenge you on is, if not video, how are you scaling trust? How are you taking your best gifts, your DNA, your super power – whatever it may be – and make it available for everybody so they can choose you or not choose you, and either one is fine?”
So where does Tom see video going over the next few years?
“The next evolution is the better quality, better editing, better post-production, more thoughtfulness around really thinking about the client …”
Create more video content and win:
In Austin Texas, I am starting to see the switch to high-quality, consistent video content more and more, and in Tom’s video up above you can see that he has a videographer following him around creating content, and then another real estate agent approaches him before a conference and she also has a videographer shooting footage. Again, I ask “Why Use Video”
This is the kind of thing we’ve been seeing for a while, and it’s great if you can do it: however, that may not be something you are wanting just yet, especially if you haven’t even started creating videos, but it shows you the extent to which some agents are going in order to develop a big advantage over their competition and it works. I personally work with Chris Pesek with the Dripping Springs Home Team and he has told me that sellers hire him because of what he does with his videos for each of his listings.
In terms of how that works, I think there are three stages to creating video content:
Stage 1.
Shoot your own videos, and manage it all in-house. It’s cheap, but you’ll need to learn a few skills to get it right, and if you don’t do it right then it will make you look cheap.
Here’s a quick video from real estate agent Karin Carr who is shooting her own videos and is doing a really good job, so this just shows you that it can be done quite well, and Karin includes a few helpful tips for agents who want to do their own videos:
Stage 2.
Hire a videographer for an hour or two each week to create weekly content for you to share. This requires a bigger financial investment, but the benefits for you and your business will be huge.
Stage 3.
Hire a videographer full-time (or almost full-time) to shoot everything. This is next-level stuff in terms of cost, but you would be unbeatable in your market with this approach.
What kind of real estate videos can you create?
Here are 10 ideas that agents can use to promote themselves and their real estate listings: This will make it easier to get started and answer the question “Why Use Video”
Here’s that list:
#1. Interview videos – Talk with other business leaders in your community and create video testimonials.
#2. Informational videos – You have a wealth of knowledge so you can create ‘how to’ videos like, “How to select a real estate agent” or “how to arrange an inspection” or “How to prepare your home to be photographed”.
#3. Market Updates – We know you stay on top of local trends, especially market updates so why not create a video titled “What’s happening in your local market?”
#4. Local business reviews – Review some local business, this will give you and them exposure. This is also a great highlight for people moving to your neighborhood?
#5. Go live – Do a live review of a business or a new listing. Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram provide an excellent option for this type of video.
#6. Listing videos – do a walk-through tour of a home. At some point buyers will start expecting this for all listings they see. This can set you apart from your competition.
#7. About me video – Introduce yourself in a video so they know, like and trust you. This could be a business card video.
#8. Community events – Do a video covering events happening in your area.
#9. Neighborood videos – Talk about the location and why someone would want to buy there. You most likely work multiple neighborhoods so there could be multiple videos here.
#10. Get creative – Put your own spin on things and create a be creative and just start creating videos.