Q&A: Real Estate Videography

Real estate photography alone is not enough to stand out from the crowds anymore! For instance, did you know that YouTube receives over 1 billion users per month, who watch over 6 billion hours of video? In addition, the National Association of Realtors reported that homebuyers had 7,300 years of property video watch time on YouTube in the past two years. And this is all to do with the shift from offline to online. Ever since the rise of the internet, videography has been a fantastic way to relay information out to the public in a fast, informative and engaging way. 

Q&A: How is real estate videography changing the way realtors do marketing:

Question 1: Now that social media is on the rise and video is trending more than ever, what do I do as a realtor?

Social video generates 1,200% more shares than text and images combined (Mansfield, M, 2019). As an answer, start by getting your listings captured through professional video as it will help cater to those who are connected via social media.

Question 2: There is a huge market for international buyers who seek to buy real estate overseas. In recognizing this, how can videography best appeal to international buyers as a realtor?

The internet is a fantastic way to reach expand your network to international buyers. Just by expanding your network online you can get more leads and close more deals.

This said, the best way to cater to international buyers is through video where 88% of international buyers said that they would rather see a listing through video than a photograph (Fisher, A, 2018). This is because videos allow buyers to get a sense of space where flat photographs oftentimes only display one angle.

Question 3: Are home buyers really shopping online more and what does this mean for me as a realtor selling real estate?

According to the National Association of Realtors, 44% of home buyers opt for the internet before sending an inquiry about an open house (National Association of Realtors, 2017). What this means for you as a realtor, is that having a social presence is becoming a necessity, to the point where if you do not have a social presence, you could be at a major disadvantage.

Question 4: As a realtor, the internet has made competition fierce. I’ve heard of videography but how can I stand out amongst the crowd?

Did you know that it is 50x easier to achieve a page 1 ranking on Google with a video, than without a video (Moovly – Video Maker). If you want to up your real estate game as a realtor, the first step would be to start integrating video into your real estate marketing plan. 

However, this cannot be just any video. Since the abundance of videos online, realtors who use professional videos versus amateur videos, come off as more trustworthy and skilled in their profession. This is why we strongly suggest veering away from using your smartphone to capture your listings video. Plus, professionals videographers are trained to capture all of the details in a listing they know what to look for.

Question 5: Millennials are all grown up and are starting to invest in real estate. In recognizing this real estate trend, how can I best cater to this new generation?

In the next 10 years, there will be a 30 trillion dollar wealth transfer from the baby boomer generation to millennials (National Association of Realtors, 2017). What this means is that realtors need to tune into popular trends with millennials in order to cater to them. For instance, YouTube, Netflix, Instagram—almost all millennials use these platforms. So how can you best cater to this demographic? Videos, relatable content, high-quality content and the list goes on.

Question 6: I want to invest in videography for my real estate listings because I see all of the benefits, but I am worried about the cost! Is it worth it?

Absolutely! Did you know that real estate marketing can add up to $11,000 in premiums to your listing (Accinelli, B, 2018)? In addition, there are many great real estate marketing companies offering videography and more for a baseline cost.

See also:

1. Listing Videos Convert 80% of Sales for Real Estate Agents
2. Common Myths of video marketers in real estate
3. How can roomvu help you in real estate marketing

References 

1. Why Use A Professional Real Estate Photographer. Retrieved from Accinelli, B, 2018 
2. 10 Stats That Prove Real Estate Agents Should Use Video Marketing. Retrieved from Fisher, A, 2018
3. 27 Video Marketing Statistics That Will Have You Hitting the Record Button. Retrieved from Mansfield, M, 2019
4. Google Loves Video: How to rank higher on Google. Retrieved from Moovly – Video Maker
5. Real Estate in a Digital Age. Retrieved from National Association of Realtors, 2017