It may not be your first idea, but using video's to establish yourself can do wonders.
A real estate video can create a connection between you and an owner.
Video marketing is another way to make sure you stand out and get people to remember who you are. It's another platform you can provide and prove your value on.
If you make good videos and connect with your audience, you'll be steps ahead of your competition.
It's a different ballgame when they see you on a video or are entertained by it, as opposed to getting a business card from you.
They'll feel like they know you when you meet in person. It's the same principal used with almost anything you see on TV, especially newscasters.
Homes listed with a video get four times the traffic of homes listed without one.
You should already know that basically and have walk-through videos for each of your listings. But you can make an appearance in them in order to make a connection with your audience.
Videos even carry over more information to the viewer against someone who reads the same thing.
90 percent of information is retained when people watch a video, compared to 10 percent of information while reading.
58 percent of consumers consider companies that produce video are more trustworthy.
This is one of the best ways to get the customer to know, like and trust you.
I spoke with James, a veteran agent, who does videos and promotes them online. He mostly uses Facebook and targets his area.
"It's more branding and more of keeping my presence in front of people," he said, "I've had tons of people over the last two years mention that they've seen my videos. A few handfuls of them have turned into listings. I mainly do the content that everybody wants to know about: should I buy or should I lease? Is my house priced properly?"
James addresses the concerns of homeowners, buyers, and sellers in his videos. Then people will interact with the videos, and he can get in touch with them.
Or he can direct leads to those videos, and they'll see what he offers as a realtor and gain trust in him.
"(I like to address) The frequently asked questions and I try to approach it from a standpoint of there are two sides to every story," said James, "Each of my videos is designed to give them insight. It doesn't cost anything, and it doesn't take that much time."
You don't need a brand new camera or anything like that.
A new iPhone or Android will shoot HD videos that are more than acceptable. They each come with software to edit and cut the video as well.
If you're going to put music in it, which you probably should, it needs to be royalty free. There are plenty of options here or anywhere you can find with a simple google search.
A great strategy is to film and add in various local landmarks and your immediate neighborhood you do the most business.
This is because 86 percent of home searchers who watch videos, use it to research a particular community.
We mention becoming the community expert a lot on this website. Videos are a great place to do this.
It gives you the opportunity to show off your area and even your connection that you have with it.
Promotional videos at events or even concerts can accomplish this.
Local business reviews are another great way to show off the community.
Since people are buying into those areas, this is extremely valuable to prospective buyers.
This will give them a deeper insight into what the area is like and what places are local favorites. Here is an example.
This is just a short 1-minute clip that highlights the local place behind him. It helps give potential leads a feel for the area.
This is how you can stay known around the community as well.
The goal is to be entertaining and to find something to bring the viewers in on an emotional level.
As long as the production is solid, not shaky and framed right, you'll have the chance to do that. Introduce yourself, maybe try and add a few funny things and then connect with them.
Another great strategy is to base the video around a story and testimonial by a happy client, sprinkled in with yourself.
This is a great example.
She goes through the listing, but also introduces herself and her area and gets people familiar with her and her brand. You have to be careful not to produce anything that's dry or fails to humanize you or your business.
That kind of video is somewhat common, and it prevents businesses from growing and denies realtors the chance to make connections with current and prospective clients.
Just be yourself in it.
That's what people look for and want to see. If you're soft spoken on camera use that toward your advantage.
Here is an excellent example of a realtor showcasing a neighborhood and homes in California.
This isn't a video promoting herself, but rather a house she is trying to sell. It works with the same idea though.
A video like this is an extreme example of how to get people to interact with you.
But it works, and you can do something like this as well, just scaled down much more.
73% of sellers are most likely to list with an agent using video to market themselves versus agents without video.
Add this in with something creative, and it could skyrocket you pass the rest.
The fact that Google ranks video content higher since consumers like video, makes it a no-brainer.
Once you've done a few and promoted them across each different platform you utilize, you can start broadening out the type of videos that you make.
Community lists such as schools, neighborhoods and parks or venues make for great content that viewers will find useful.
Case studies and review videos with some testimony sprinkled in gives the viewers a potential thing or scenario to expect if they list or buy with you.
There are many, many things you can use for content, but the first step is establishing your brand online and connecting with viewers.
Here is one of Jame's videos. He uses a slightly different approach from the example we just spoke about.
This video is about the common question, should I buy or rent.
Of course, he's going to speak about the benefits of buying. But he uses these videos to attract leads just like the other examples.
They just have different benefits.
The newest development in real estate videos is Facebook Live.
This provides even more direct interaction with the viewers. Agents use it for a live Q and A, then follow up with their leads after.
This is a great stream to host in your office. A lot of people don’t know where to start when it comes to buying and selling.
Host the Q-and-A on a particular topic like first-time buyers or when’s the best time to sell your home. General Q and As are good as well.
Topics like how to stage homes, how to financially prepare to buy and home and screening buyers will show any potential clients your expertise.
Since this is wide-ranging, promote it to your entire sphere of influence in some way or another. Even your past clients can benefit from this.
Here is our blog about Facebook live:
http://smartagents.com/blog/using-facebook-live-to-improve-your-social-media-presence/
Just like any other content you promote or give to leads, videos will demonstrate your value and knowledge.
They can also create trust with you and a lead before that lead ever meets you.
What if you made videos but never had the time to edit them?
Or you hate the editing software? Imagine if you had a virtual assistant who could edit each video for $5 and get it back within an hour.
So this is one of the tasks you can get done with a VA. But how do you hire them? What do you pay them? How does the training go?
Imagine You Had A Business Like This:
- You didn’t have to set up the appointments.
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- All the grunt work is handled perfectly.
Our team has written a book that shows you how to build a business that runs itself. We go over hiring, paying, training and anything else you need to know about VAs.
Joe Nickelson is a real estate professional dedicated to helping home buyers and sellers achieve their dreams of owning property, and helping real estate agents stop using the sometimes-vicious tactics that weigh on their consciences. He believes that the Smart Agents books will, quite literally, change people’s lives for the better. Check out his full bio here!
