How to Create Real Estate Videos with a Property API
A property API displaying the trends in local market conditions adds impact to any simple screen-recorded real estate videos. During slowdowns, it might be smart for local brokers and agents to comb that hair, set up a nice background in a room and create some screen recorded videos on their computers.
There are a few compelling reasons to have a real estate video strategy in place.
Real Estate Videos are a Necessity Today
When market conditions change, consumers out there want to know the latest news. In fact, they will frequently rely on the agent that provides them with that news in a quick and easy to comprehend manner. That’s where video comes in.
We are not talking about major productions where an agent hires a film crew to produce a slick, documentary style production. We are talking about screen recorded videos. The technology that allows an agent to make quick and informative videos on a variety of topics right from their desk with their computer.
Because here’s the data behind the use of videos: People like them. Millennials love them.
For example, did you know YouTube is the SECOND most visited website on the World Wide Web? Three hundred hours of videos are uploaded to that website EVERY MINUTE. FIVE BILLION videos are viewed worldwide EVERY DAY.
Here’s another bit of data that should catch every agent’s attention: Because of high-speed connections and more powerful phones and smartphones on the market, HALF of all videos today are viewed on Mobile Devices. As you can imagine, high speed mobile devices have increased the viewing of videos astronomically.
How to Create a Real Estate Video Strategy
Every agent should have a video strategy in their marketing plan. Thanks to technology today, it’s not difficult.
An agent can sit down at their desk and use tools such as Movie Maker, Free Cam, Camtasia, Ice Scream, OBS Studio, Recmaster, Share X or a variety of other on-screen recorders to easily create a video. Many of these screen recorders are free to use. Or charge a small amount.
We are also not talking about hour-long epics either. Keep those videos short. One minute is fine. For the most part, internet surfers just want to view a quick video. A clip that covers a subject in a short period of time. Leave a call to action and display links where the viewer can get more information (such as calling that agent for more details).
Obviously, the more in-depth the subject, the longer the video. For example, in a video on “How to Price Your Home for Sale” an agent might take several minutes to cover this subject because of the many factors involved and the degree of importance.
Creating an office or home studio is not a big endeavor. Find a place with a nice, uncluttered background. Make sure there won’t be any annoying noises in the background such as other agents talking on the phone or a dog barking at the front door.
Lighting is key. One of the most important aspects of screen-recorded videos is the lighting. Walk around the house or office to find a source of light that best illuminates an agent’s face. Natural light from a big window is usually a great source. Another is a simple “ring” light that provides a nice, soft even lighting.
Be sure to position the camera lens a little higher than the subject’s face for a more flattering look. For these types of videos, an agent doesn’t have to wear a tuxedo or a formal dining gown. But it would certainly be smart to dress professionally in business casual attire.
Another important tool is the microphone. A microphone built into the computer might not provide the best quality. Use an ancillary microphone or one on a headset.
There are a Variety of Real Estate Topics to Cover
Now that an agent has an adequate studio set up, obviously the next important step will be content. The obvious one is listing videos. But there are other opportunities out there as well to help consumers with a simple screen recording.
Those topics can include local housing marketing conditions, informative talks about important subjects such as financing, short sales, etc., or topics surrounding local neighborhoods that the agent is farming.
Also consider videos with helpful advice: how to declutter a home, tips for creating more curb appeal, staging, etc.
Use a video to give information on an agent’s background and qualifications. Add a screen recording to the About Us page to give a bird’s eye view of the broker’s office.
Mention big community events that might be coming up. Or, talk about improvements taking place in the local community, such as the addition of a new park or Whole Foods store, that add value to a neighborhood.
Even create a humorous video every once in a while, just to create some buzz.
Property API Data Boosts Credibility and Interest
One of the most important videos an agent can create during a downturn will cover local housing market conditions. People will want to know: what is the latest trend in homes sales? How much inventory is out there? What’s the direction of home prices? This is where a property API can be an important tool to use.
An agent can sit there at their desk and give a dissertation on what they think about the status of the local housing market. Or, they can add real impact by providing screen shots of actual market data from their website. They can easily incorporate this data with the use of a Property API. That API (Application Programming Interface) from a national real estate data aggregator can feed local market data to any page on an agent’s website.
(By the way, studies show if you don’t grab someone’s attention in the first 20 seconds, they will leave the video. So right up front, agents should tell viewers what they plan to tell and show them in their clip.)
The property API can provide the latest data on recent homes sales, trends in local home prices, neighborhood demographics, school data, etc. And with most of these screen recording programs, you can make it easy to insert a chart or other data to share.
Displaying that data will certainly enhance the credibility of that agent. That data, provided by their own property API on their website, will reinforce in the mind of any viewer, that this agent is definitely an expert on their local community, and they have the facts and figures to back that up.
During market slowdowns, where anxious buyers are keeping their eyes on the market and homeowners are wondering whether now is a good time to list their properties, imagine the value of providing brief, informative clips on local conditions.
Post links to those clips on social sites such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Encourage people to share these videos with friends and family.
An agent can spend just a few dollars to push these short videos out to the type of consumers they want to reach. Facebook for example, has highly targeted platforms where agents can promote their posts to a certain geographic area, age group, etc. for just a few dollars a day. Try a short ad campaign. If the videos get results, add a few more dollars to increase distribution.
And always be sure to include a call to action. After all, an agent’s video might be informative and comprehensive, but there is nothing like a one-on-one phone call to help a client or prospect get the answers they need. As we also know, everybody has different circumstances that require personal attention specific to their particular needs.
The major point here is that the technology is out there to create simple real estate videos. There are also tools out there, such as a Property API, that will add validity to your video messages and reinforce an agent’s image as a true hyper-local expert – with the data to back it up.
Now’s the time to add those real estate videos. Roll camera!
