Latest Real Estate Marketing Tool Is Video Should You Embrace It
September 2013 Issue
The Latest Real Estate Marketing Tool: Video – Should You Embrace It?
Video has established itself as the way to communicate online. Did you know Google gives video content increased priority in its rankings? People of all ages watch videos on every kind of device, ranging from smartphones to television sets. If you’re not using video marketing tools for your real estate practice, you’re missing out on a golden opportunity.
If you’re like many real estate agents, you probably got your feet wet with video marketing tools by posting walk-throughs of listings on your website or MLS. Done well, a walk-through helps prospective buyers understand a home’s layout and start to visualize how they can live in the space. With a walk-through, viewers can get a sense of how all of the rooms work together, how the house flows and whether it’s a match for them. It also helps the home stand out against the competing listings that don’t have video walk-throughs, and probably helped you get more motivated buyers through and generate more offers. Everything that video does for your listings, it can do for you and your brand, too.
Here are some ways to think about video in your practice:
Video personalizes you.
With a video, the viewer gets to hear your voice, look you in the eye and see your body language. You become a real person, and hopefully one they can see themselves doing business with.
Video brands you.
It’s one thing to say that you’re an expert, but it’s another to produce a series of videos where you lay out useful information about real estate ownership, preparing for a sale, getting a mortgage and maintaining your home. Setting up a series of market updates also creates proof that your prospects can see—and share—that you’re the agent to do business within your area.
Video complements other content.
Instead of having your latest email marketing campaign link to a list of sold properties, consider linking to a video that you produce about how to quickly increase a home’s value.
Video is sticky.
On average, a visitor to your website will stay six times longer if you have video content then if you don’t. If you’re spending money on postcard marketing or other marketing tools to send people to your website, you can maximize your return on investment by having good content to keep them there so they get a full impression of you and your brand.
Video maintains relationships.
Once you’ve finished a transaction and sent a closing gift, retaining that relationship with that seller or buyer won’t just increase your chance of repeat business. It also increases the likelihood that they’ll remember to refer you to their friends. Sending a video as part of your customer retention media lets them see you all over again and remember how much they enjoyed working with you.
Integrating video with your other marketing tools can reap immediate benefits in both new customer acquisition and existing client retention.