In the new normal, all industries are exploring creative strategies to ensure that growth is not disrupted. Digital solutions, including digital transcription services, are helping businesses meet the rising demand for virtual options by customers. The real estate industry is facing unique challenges with an uncertain property market, offices forced to close and in-person property viewings banned real estate agents, according to a recent report from www.techhq.com. In this context, video marketing is growing in importance as an effective digital marketing strategy for real estate professionals to get their message across and close more sales.
Why video matters for real estate marketing
Most people search for homes online and video is the content format that attracts the most engagement. People tend to retain information provided via video better than via text. Video can display a property effectively by providing information on elements like space, décor, lighting, environment, etc. Here are some statistics that a Lemon Light report referenced to show why video matters for real estate marketing:
- Real estate listings with video get 403 percent more inquiries than listings that don’t have video.
- 85 percent of all buyers and sellers prefer to work with an agent who uses video for marketing.
- 86% of homebuyers use video to research a particular community and 70 percent use it to tour the inside of homes.
Additionally, Techhq reports that a survey by Matterport revealed that, even before COVID-19, more than 80% of prospective buyers said they would switch to a real estate agent offering immersive 3D virtual tours. Up to 36% of Americans are likely to use online methods to buy a home during the COVID-19 outbreak, according to online real estate database Zillow Research. This report notes that even after the pandemic ends, one-third of Americans would prefer a virtual video home tour rather than an in-person visit.
Different pathways and strategies to use real estate marketing videos
Real estate marketing success depends on using different types of professionally created videos with great content:
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- Tours: Create videos that provide an in-depth guided tour of the best features of the property, such as each room, amenities, the outside, etc
- Customer testimonials: There’s nothing quite like customer testimonials to build trust with your audience. A video review of your services by past or current customers can inspire leads to make a purchase decision.
- Q&A: Prospects and leads will have a lot of questions. Make frequently asked questions videos to provide people with information on topics they are curious about.
- Introduction: Introductory videos allow real estate agents to tell people about themselves, their agency and services, experience, brand mission, goals, and more. Explain why they should choose you over the competition.
Source: engelvoelkers.com
- Advice: As a real estate agent, you can advice buyers and sellers about how to manage real estate transactions, choosing a mortgage lender when to sell, etc.
- Neighborhood highlights: Make videos showing off the neighborhood. Feature the best properties, schools, hospitals, restaurants, parks, and other community attractions.
Real estate videos can be used in different ways:
- Website: Surveys show that websites are considered the top source for real estate information and that sites with embedded videos attract more traffic. Videos can be posted on the homepage, About Us page, listings section and so on. If feasible, consider posting videos for each property up for sale.
- Social media platforms: Reach out to clients on your social media channels. Try live videos as they are unscripted which makes them more personal. As soon as the listing is confirmed, consider posting a live listing video on Facebook Live and YouTube Live. Live videos on social media are also the ideal option to share local news, review a newly opened business, or interact with your audience about their concerns.
Source: Facebook.com/loopnet - SMS and email: Messaging offers a great option to reach customers directly. Both SMS or email can be used to target people in your lists who have shown an interest in buying a property.
A professionally crafted real estate video will include relevant enhancements based on the content such as music, graphics, stock video, aerial footage, and more. However, regardless of how well your video is designed, you would need to optimize it to show up on search. This would involve including keywords in the description, adding a relevant keyword in the title, using an outstanding thumbnail, adding call-to-action buttons, and more. Video transcription services play an important role in video marketing. Adding quality transcripts and captions to videos will boost their visibility in online search and attract a wider audience.
In the current scenario, online marketing is all the more vital for agents, brokers and other real estate professionals to connect with potential customers. Using video marketing and other digital tools effectively can boost online marketing efforts.
