Real estate professionals should include video marketing as a major component of their overall marketing plan in the next 12 months.
The internet is evolving and the most prized commodity to get new business is attention. Attention from millennial buyers, downsizes, potential real estate investors, you name it.
One of the most effective ways to capture the attention of your target customer in the real estate industry in to create engaging local videos.
The problem that most real estate agents and brokers face with video marketing is the fear of getting started.
Agents are often under the misconception that they need expensive equipment and a full production studio to create professional looking videos for their business.
So, we created this free video marketing getting started guide if you happen to fall under this category.
However, in this blog post, we are going to focus on why you should go all in with videos in order to get more clients and referrals and how it can help amplify your brand presence in 2019. Let’s get started.
#1 Video Marketing Helps Establish Your Local Real Estate Brand Presence & Generate Trust
Video marketing done correctly can be an amazing medium to define your personal brand.
Unlike text and pictures video gives you the ability to express yourself in front of homebuyers and sellers.
If you are uploading client testimonial videos make sure that you are branding them with a proper intro and a call to action in the end.
Client testimonial videos are the best method for gaining trust in your local area.
” The top three most effective types of video content are customer testimonials (51%), tutorial videos (50%), and demonstration videos (49%) ” (Source: Curata Statistics)
Bonus: Video marketing ideas to grow your real estate business
#2 Every Agent has an MLS website, video content makes you different
Let’s face it, every agent has some kind of an IDX website with their brand slapped all around and linked to a domain name. This approach is not unique anymore.
Instead, you should focus on creating original local video content and share them through a local blog linked with your main website.
Types of local videos you should create:
- Neighborhood overviews (you in the frame and not a voiceover)
- Interviews with local business owners and community influencers.
- Just sold case studies
- Client testimonials
- Real estate investment webinars
#3 Videos help generate social proof and build your trust as the “go-to” real estate professional
What do buyers and sellers value most in a real estate agent? Honesty! Having a lot of listings will only come if you can persuade others that you are in fact a stand-up, trustworthy person.
By using video consistently in your digital marketing, you can build trust through familiarity with your local audience.
Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable on camera and prospects will appreciate your honesty. In other words, share your struggles as well as your wins. Showcase your personality with humor and insights into your preferences.
#4 Video marketing can help improve your search engine rankings
Video is clearly emerging out to be the number one way people consume content these days. As a matter of fact, if you scroll through your Facebook news feed you will find 80% of all posts are some kind of video. YouTube (owned by Google) is the world’s biggest search engine and you need to create content that people will discover in local search results.
One thing most agents don’t know is that video marketing can improve their brand discoverability across Facebook and YouTube. Start by creating videos focussed on local market knowledge and it should rank for all long tail hyper-local keyword.
For example, if you are a real estate agent from Toronto, there is no point in creating a video about the Toronto real estate market. Why?
Because the top news websites are already covering this topic and it’s really difficult for your to rank.
Instead, focus on covering neighborhoods and smaller areas for market overviews.
Similarly, original local content (like featuring a business owner) and sharing their story will generate lots of local traffic from people searching any neighborhood intensively.
#5 Homeowners are consuming video content a lot more on mobile devices
90% of homeowners start their real estate search online irrespective of the fact if they know an agent or not. However, did you know that video is the number type of medium that engages both buyers and sellers.
Sure, pictures are great, however, if you add a video to your real estate listing it will generate more views and responses. People are browsing YouTube and Facebook to find out about an area they are planning to move and see who which agents have local market knowledge in their community.
#6 Videos Improve Home Buyer & Seller Leads Conversion Rate
One of the most important metrics to keep track of in your digital marketing is your conversion rate. If your landing pages, videos, and emails are not generating click-throughs that lead to clients, you’ll steadily shrink your bottom line.
By the time you actually do close a transaction, you’ve spent so much money on advertising and marketing and business expenses that your commission is bled dry.
So start using video marketing in your online prospecting.
Conclusion
It’s really never too late to start using video content to your advantage. Start with the most basic tools: your smartphone and an editing software or app. If that’s too much work, start an Instagram account and create Insta-stories about your local neighborhood.
Don’t expect amazing results immediately from your videos. The more video you create, the more experienced you’ll get, and the more efficient.
Video marketing pays off enormous dividends in the long run. Keep making videos that people enjoy in your target area. Your primarly goal is always to build trust and relationships with homeowners in your neighborhood.