Whether you’re a real estate agent or broker, video can help you connect with buyers and ultimately sell more homes. Unfortunately, video is something that many real estate professionals overlook, believing it’s an unnecessary element in their business. While there’s no rule stating that you must use video, doing so can prove invaluable in boosting sales. To learn more about video and why real estate professionals should use it, keep reading.
More Clients
Statistics show that homeowners are 73% more likely to list their property with a realtor who uses video than an agent who doesn’t. The visual imagery draws in viewers in, returning a higher conversion rate. This, of course, means more eyes on the homes you’re selling and more potential clients who could list with you in the future.
Surprisingly, however, only 9% of real estate professionals actually use videos to sell homes. Instead, they rely on outdated methods, which may or may not be effective. So if you’re willing to take the plunge, you’ll find video to be a highly effective tool that helps you connect with homebuyers and sell more homes.
360-Degree Curb Appeal
Photos only reveal so much about a home’s curb appeal. Even if you take a dozen photos, it still won’t show the full scope of the home’s exterior. Video solves this problem by showing the entire landscape and curb appeal, creating an emotional connection as it weaves above and around the property.
It’s no secret that curb appeal plays an important role in real estate sales. If a home’s exterior is unkempt and/or poorly designed, prospective buyers will likely pass and choose a different property. But if the home’s curb appeal is clean and properly designed, you’ll have an easier time selling it. You can further leverage the selling power of curb appeal by capturing it with aerial video. A 360-degree shot of home’s curb appeal shows prospective buyers what it looks like from all angles; thus, increasing the chance of them making an offer.
Highlight the Community
One of the most influential elements in determining whether a prospect will buy a home is the surrounding community. Prospects place an emphasis on the community, as most home purchases are made with the intention of staying in the residence for a minimum of five years (oftentimes longer). Using video, you can easily highlight the surrounding community to help prospects make smarter decisions regarding the purchase. Don’t just limit yourself to on-the-ground video, however. Instead, use professional drone videography services to capture a bird’s eye perspective of the community.
According to a joint study conducted by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and Google, 86% of prospects who watch video do so to research the community. This makes “community research” the single most common reason why prospective homebuyers watch video. So, if you want to connect with prospects and sell more homes (hint: you do), add video to your marketing strategy. It’s one more tool that can help you sell more homes.
Showcase Home Interiors
In addition to highlighting the surrounding community, video can also be used to showcase the inside of homes. The same Google and NAR study cited above found this to be the second most common reason why prospective homebuyers watch video.
Of course, some prospects prefer touring the inside of a home — and that’s okay. There’s really no substitution for a walk-through tour. However, not all prospects have the opportunity to physically walk through the actual home. Maybe they live several hours away, or perhaps they are busy working and unable to take time off. Regardless, a video tour offers the perfect alternative to conventional walk-throughs. It allows prospective homebuyers to see exactly what the home looks like inside. And with this information, they can decide if the home is right for their family.
Videos are Easy to Share
Another reason why every real estate professional should use video is because videos are easy to share. Real estate videos are often shared on Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus and email. Not every prospective buyer who watches your video will buy the featured property. Even if they don’t buy it, however, they may share it with their friends and family.
Video Marketing Tips to Sell More Homes
Here are some other video marketing tips to help you sell more homes:
- Whether it’s being shot indoors or outdoors, make sure there’s proper lighting.
- Finalize your videos by editing them before publishing.
- Before shooting video of a home, prepare the home by cleaning and “staging” it.
- Keep your videos short, focusing on key areas like the landscape, foyer, living room, master bedroom, kitchen and bathroom.
- Include a call to action — either in the video itself or somewhere on the page where the video is published — encouraging viewers to contact you for more information about the featured home.
- Measure key performance indicators (KPIs) of your video, such as unique views, average time watched per user, likes, comments, etc.
- Use drone videography services to capture both outdoor and indoor footage of the property for sale.