Last updated on 9th January 2024
Video marketing is made for the real estate business: the two go together like bricks and mortar!
Real estate marketing videos – whether it’s listing videos, client testimonial videos, real estate video tours or educational videos on platforms like YouTube – are increasingly becoming ‘must-haves’ rather than optional luxuries.
And yet the data suggests that there’s still a massive opportunity. Consider this data, via Splento:
- 73% of homeowners say they would be more likely to list with a real estate agent who uses video.
- 58% of buyers want and EXPECT to see video of a home they’re looking at online.
- And yet – only 9% of agents currently create listing videos.
So it’s pretty simple: if you’re a real estate brand looking for an advantage and a way to get ahead, high quality real estate videos could be the way to go!
Real estate video top tips
1. Keep it short
This is a great rule for any marketing video. Customer attention spans are always shrinking, so it’s vital to get your most important information across straight away.
If you’re struggling to condense your message down, think about the 3 most important points you want to get across and focus on those.
The purpose of your video should be to increase awareness and encourage people to get in touch, so you don’t need to tell them everything right away.
All you need to do is spark their curiosity enough that they reach out to you for a conversation. From there, you can get stuck into your longer sales pitch.
2. Tell a story
As a real estate agent, you’re probably used to telling stories. After all, people need to be able to picture themselves in the homes you’re selling – and a great story can help them visualise themselves in a new space, and help you close deals.
The same applies with your videos. The reason TV shows about real-estate are so popular and long-running is because they weave a narrative into the buying and selling process.
You can do this too, to reach more viewers and create more memorable marketing materials that appeal to your ideal customers and encourage them to take action.
3. Invest in quality where possible
According to Statista, hundreds of hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute. That’s a lot of noise you need to cut through in order to be heard.
Ensuring your video is high-quality and of a professional standard will give you a fighting chance of being seen.
This means clear, well-framed shots, slick editing, and excellent lighting. When people watch your videos you want them to focus on your message, not the boom microphone that crept into shot or the poor audio quality.
Hiring a professional will help to take some of the pressure off you and may also be more cost-effective, seeing as a videographer will provide all of their own expert gear.
BONUS TIP: Stand out with animation
Animation has a multitude of benefits when it comes to real estate video marketing. For starters, it’s a great way to market your brand if you’re not confident being on camera yourself.
It can also help you to build a strong brand image. You can use the same characters, colours, and design style across all of your animated videos to create an instantly recognisable brand.
Here’s a real estate video we created for Knights Estate Agency:
This colourful, engaging video features illustrated versions of the company directors and a whole cast of characters.
From a practical point of view, an animated video can be much more cost-effective than a live action video. You don’t have to pay actors, hire venues, or worry about expensive equipment.
Different types of real estate videos
1. Property listing video/virtual tour
Many real estate agencies consider virtual listings to be the future of the industry. They’re easy to shoot, great for the environment and can allow you to reach more potential buyers, faster.
It may sound cynical but they really put the agent in control of the narrative around a property. The video above is a superb example of this – not just a tour, but a guided tour, with personality and a real story about the surrounding area as well as the property itself.
Throw in the fact that we’re seeing growth in tech like 360 degree video tours and the use of drones to create spectacular, stunning videos…
2. Testimonials
Testimonials are a great way to build credibility with your target audience, something that’s very important in the real estate industry.
And they don’t need to be too flashy! The testimonial video above is simple and straight-forward, allowing different customers to talk about their experiences in a natural way.
In our recent video testimonials survey, we found that 79% of people have watched a testimonial video and 37% believe they’re more authentic than a business’ own pitch.
3. Social media
When trying to attract customers online, it’s important to consider where people spend most of their time on the internet: social media.
Short and fun videos perform well on social media because they’re engaging and shareable.
4. Educational video content
Did you know that most people (69%) would prefer to learn by watching a short video? This compares to 18% who would rather read a text-based article, website, or post, and just 2% who would prefer a sales call.
Real estate – whether buying, selling, or renting – can be a tricky business for newcomers. Educational content can help your customers to make better decisions, and can also increase their trust in you.
Take these ‘jargon busting’ videos from Zoopla for example…
5. Explainer video
Real estate can have a lot of different rules, depending on where you live, what you specialise in, and more.
For customers, this can be confusing. An explainer video is a great way to alleviate this confusion in a fun and engaging way.
We created this video for RentID, a digital assistant app, to help them explain their services to landlords.
If you would like us to create a video like this for you, click here.
6. Real estate agent video
Why should a customer choose you?
That’s the question that an agent profile video can answer.
These examples are great in so many ways. Not only are they professionally shot, they humanise the real estate agents and show their level of care for customers and their happiness – triggering an emotional response in viewers.
There are tons of real estate agents out there and competition is fierce, an agent profile video like these examples can help people make the decision to work with you.
5 Benefits of real estate video marketing
1. People want to see more videos
According to our state of video marketing 2021 survey, 85% of people want to see more videos from brands.
When compared with a wall of text, videos are much easier for your ideal customers to engage with – and they’re more memorable, too.
What’s more, real estate is an industry that relies heavily on images and visuals – so the more videos you use, the better!
2. Build stronger connections
A video allows your personality to shine through. You can show prospective clients who you are and what you’re all about.
This is especially important when it comes to introductions. A video is so much more personal than an email, and – with incredible cameras in our pockets these days – probably doesn’t take that much more effort to make.
3. Increase leads
According to a study by Campaign Monitor, including videos in your emails boosts click-through rates by 65%.
If that wasn’t enough, 73% of homeowners say they are more likely to list with a real estate agent who uses video.
As a real estate agent, getting leads is half the battle. Both of these stats prove that using video marketing can help make your life a whole lot easier!
4. Differentiate yourself
As mentioned above, not many real estate agents are currently taking advantage of video marketing.
Early adoption could give you a competitive advantage that sets you apart as a leader in your field, which would help you to attract more customers – both on the buying and selling side.
5. Increased convenience
Video tours of homes can save both you and your buyers time and money. By allowing people to view homes whenever and wherever they want, you omit the hassle of scheduling bookings – something that can be frustrating and difficult for your busier customers.
According to Lisa Alexander of Del-Co Realty, “In today’s digital era, it’s much easier to connect with clients. We used to keep our virtual tours for our luxury homes, but we’ve found it adds to the home buying experience for our clients. We feel as though this will become the new normal.”
How to make your own real estate video
1. Create a plan
If you’ve never made a professional video before it can seem like a daunting task. So the first thing you need to do is create a plan.
Decide what type of video you want to make, for example an agent profile video or a virtual house tour, and then map out the steps required to achieve this.
There’s no right or wrong way to create a plan – it all depends on what works best for you. Your plan can be as simple as a list of shots that you need to take, or it can be more detailed – such as a written script that includes a storyline.
The more videos you create, the easier it will be to understand what you need from your plan.
But when you’re just starting out, the more planning you get done, the easier it will be to create your video.
2. Use the correct tools
Next, make a list of all of the tools you will need. For example, a good camera, lighting, possibly a microphone.
You’ll also need to consider the tools required for post-production, such as editing software and a royalty-free website to find your music.
3. Don’t forget about the finer details
When shooting your video, you don’t want to keep retaking shots. To prevent this, make sure you consider the finer details before you hit record.
Have a look through the viewfinder and study your frame. Make sure everything is in its place and looks perfect.
If you’re going to be in the video, take a look at yourself, too! Consider what you’re wearing and how you want to present yourself to the audience.
4. Consult a professional
We know that this is a lot to unpack. The real estate agents on Selling Sunset probably have whole departments dedicated to their outfits, another department focused on the lighting, and another concentrated solely on set design.
And you have to do it all by yourself.
Well, actually you don’t.
You already have enough on your plate, and becoming a part-time videographer might just be a step too far.
Consider hiring a professional to take care of the video-marketing arm of your business.
5 Quick tips for the best real estate video marketing strategy
1. Make sure your videos are polished
This means perfect shots, slick editing, and a great soundtrack. Think about everything that appears inside the frame and dress up your video the same way you’d dress up an open house.
2. Promote your videos
Don’t expect people to stumble across your videos on their own. Promote them in as many different places as you can, such as your social media pages and your email list.
3. Hook people from the start
Imagine that every single viewer is going to turn the video off after 5 seconds. If you only had 5 seconds, what would you say to grab their attention?
4. Include a call to action
Your video is no good if it doesn’t tell viewers what to do next. Be sure to end with a clear direction and details on how people can get in touch with you.
5. Pay attention to the metadata
Metadata is the information that tells search engines (like Google) about your video, so that they know who to show it to.
Metadata refers to things like your video’s title and the description, so be sure to use keywords in these places.
Here’s a great guide that can help: Video SEO: The ultimate guide.
Real estate agents: feeling inspired?
According to the 2020 Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Report, millennials currently make up the largest share of home buyers, at 38%.
It’s important to switch up your marketing strategy in order to appeal to each new generation of buyers – and currently it looks like video is on top!
If you want to find out more about how to get started with real estate video, we’re always happy to help! Creating videos might just be the best decision your real estate agency ever makes!
