Why Video Matters
Learn why your listing needs to have a video that tells a story, especially in todays market.
“A listing video is NOT a camera floating through empty rooms.
That’s what photos are for.
The video should accomplish something else.”
Think about the last real estate video you watched. I bet I can describe it to you.
The listing agent starts it off by saying something like: “Welcome to 123 Main st, this 3 bed, 2 bath bungalow is sure to impress! Come on in and have a look!”
From there the camera zooms past them and you’re instantly in the house flying through each room with some quickly edited shots cut to some upbeat music. The rooms are empty, they look exactly the same as the photos and then suddenly, its over. You never heard from the listing agent again after their quick little intro and as the viewer, you’re left with nothing. No call to action, no new information and no reason to consider moving into that home.
If this were your home for sale, would that be good enough?
Video needs to tell the story of your home, it’s the Realtors opportunity to do their job and sell the home”
It’s no longer 2010, back then a video of any kind was a wow factor, and due to that, the b-roll video was born. A few clips of the home with music that the buyer could watch instead of flip through the photos. In was more of a slideshow than anything, but truth be told, it didn’t add much value, but it made the listing more memorable.
Fast forward to today and video is everywhere. We are so far beyond the point of being memorable with a few clips of empty rooms, yet this seems to still be the standard for real estate.
“The real estate industry is behind the times? No way!….”
Thankfully I don’t pull my businesses direction from my local real estate market, instead I study the ones where things are progressing quickly and are highly competitive. Places like New York, Miami and Los Angeles. These markets are cut-throat and if you want to sell a home there, you had better have a plan that you know is going to work. Enter the Hosted Video Tour.
“Every listing is unique and every listing deserves a Video Tour”
When we bring a home to market, the strategy around how we are going to promote that home is centered around the Video Tour. With video being the most consumed type content on the internet (Video is also the easiest type of content for people to consume), we believe that a solid video tour is the foundation for a successful listing.
By appearing on camera and speaking directly the the buyers, it is very easy for us to convey and promote the subtle details of your home that make it better than the competition in your neighbourhood. For example, it’s easy to point our that you replaced your shingles last year, re-sodded the front yard and upgraded the main floor windows in a video. Other agents have to bury that information in text that few people read.
The scale of your home is easier to understand when buyers are watching a video of person in the space. I’m sure we can all agree that photos of home can be be misleading when it comes to the size and scale of a room. When a person is talking on camera, it provides an accurate depiction of the space.
“Feature focused videos allow for creative flexibility and extra marketing opportunities”
MEADOWVALE CASE STUDY: Another benefit our video production skill-set provides is the opportunity to capitalize on additional ways to highlight the features of our listings. For example, the video above is from a listing that had some of the most beautiful landscaping. It also had a massive home and shop. There was just so much to show off that the landscaping wasn’t getting the attention it deserved, so when the property came into bloom, we shot a video dedicated to the grounds. In fact, for this listing, we actually shot a “catch-all” tour that covered the property like a normal listing video and then we shot extended version videos. dedicated videos for the home, the shop and the grounds so that interested buyers could learn about the details of the property easily.
What’s the risk of listing the old fashioned way?
Am I saying that if you list without a video, that your home won’t sell? No.
However, I am saying that not maximizing your marketing opportunities means you could be leaving thousands of dollars on the table. Having an engaging video means your listing will reach more people, which translates to more showings which breaks down into more offers and having just one more offer is the difference in selling for $15,000 below list price of $30,000 over list price. It’s a numbers game, and the sure-fire way to boost numbers with your listings marketing is with an engaging video.
Think about it this way, you’re paying a commission when the house sells, wouldn’t you rather pay that commission to someone who did everything possible to maximize the audience and the sale?
You might be thinking: “Yeah, but video is expensive and commissions are already high. I’m not paying more”
Totally fair. That is why we don’t charge extra for it. It’s already included in our standard listing package.
When you choose Tyler Robb to represent your listing, you’re not just hiring a Realtor, you’re hiring a media Swiss-Army Knife. He is trained in television video production, is a professional photographer, licensed drone pilot, content creator and web designer (he built this website too). We are able to offer all of this media creation at a standard commission rate, because we handle it in house. Something very, very few Realtors can offer.