YouTube

[tsteuwer]

You know, after some time, I've talked to our team about putting video of our homes and condos for sale on YouTube. I tried 9 videos and didn't get anything. Yesterday, we received a call from a lady wondering if we still had a condo for sale that she saw on YouTube. She will be buying something in two months.

From now on, all of our listings will be going on YouTube. Anyone else experience this?

[RobM]

YUP...Youtube is a great marketing tool if used correctly. The big key to this is the right video, the right music and the right description and keywords...I guess just like anything else on the net. Keep up the good work

[tsteuwer]

For sure. I use a program called ProShow Producer to make our videos. Well, that and a digital camera for video. They come out pretty good. We also have a text at the bottom that shows up every 20 seconds that says "Panama City Beach, FL Real Estate, www . ourdomain . com ***-249-6655." It works very well :)

[getrich35]

Yes youtube is a great place to market all kinds of products and services it just takes sometime for the search engines to pick up the video.You
might have to wait like 2 days before you start getting lots of traffic

[housetubetv]

YouTube is getting too big.
Besides uploading on YouTube , it is a good idea to upload to video sites like HouseTubeTv.com

Google will find your tag/keyword faster and easier
Video is the way to go now because Google is picking up what on video and the text that goes along with video.

As a consumer looking for a house, I won't even talk to an agent who could not be bothered putting video of the house on their site.

It is like a sleazy car salesman baiting you to come to the door.

The new generation of home buyers like me are more tech savvy and video is a must!

[realestate360]

Generally speaking, YouTube and similar sites are great places to post videos of your listings. As a virtual tour provider and marketing specialist, I've noticed that even if potential home buyers aren't visiting YouTube itself as a part of their home search, YouTube videos which are properly formatted and optimized are quickly and easily picked up by search engines!

We include online distribution of our video-based tours in our services. However, I recently had a Realtor tell me that I did all of that work for nothing, because all she cared about was her tours showing up on the local MLS. I understand the importance of the MLS in real estate marketing, however the fact of the matter is that the younger generations (around 25 to 40) are quickly grasping onto more ways to go about their home search. I've spoken with many folks who've never even heard of the MLS, but they know how to search for homes one sites like Google or Craigslist. Posting your video tours to sites like YouTube, in addition to the MLS, can greatly increase your exposure and raise your reputation within the community as forward-thinking Realtors who will go the extra mile to get a client's home sold! Why limit your exposure, especially when all future distribution is free?

-Real Estate 360°

[housetubetv]

Totally agree with you...realestate360
Most Agents are still in the dark when comes to technology.As the younger generation like me looks for homes all over the country and the world, they will not depend sites like MSL (or whatever/never heard about it)...they will go for the search engines.

Forget about print Ads or driving around aimlessly wasting gas looking for homes. Every objects will be and can be zeroed in via videos.

One has to use all the tools to get yourself "search" in the internet world.

With high gas prices and the new generation on the internet, my online business has gone up tremendously. I don't even sell Homes!!

HouseTubeTv.com
********************************************




Generally speaking, YouTube and similar sites are great places to post videos of your listings. As a virtual tour provider and marketing specialist, I've noticed that even if potential home buyers aren't visiting YouTube itself as a part of their home search, YouTube videos which are properly formatted and optimized are quickly and easily picked up by search engines!

We include online distribution of our video-based tours in our services. However, I recently had a Realtor tell me that I did all of that work for nothing, because all she cared about was her tours showing up on the local MLS. I understand the importance of the MLS in real estate marketing, however the fact of the matter is that the younger generations (around 25 to 40) are quickly grasping onto more ways to go about their home search. I've spoken with many folks who've never even heard of the MLS, but they know how to search for homes one sites like Google or Craigslist. Posting your video tours to sites like YouTube, in addition to the MLS, can greatly increase your exposure and raise your reputation within the community as forward-thinking Realtors who will go the extra mile to get a client's home sold! Why limit your exposure, especially when all future distribution is free?

-Real Estate 360°

[realestate360]

I feel that Realtors use what they know and trust. Video and even mass online traffic wasn't always an option for the real estate industry. Therefore, most Realtors learned to put all of their trust in the MLS system.

Now, however, it is necessary, nay imperative that Realtors be willing to adapt to the times. It could simply be that Realtors don't have enough statistics or information to prove to them that home buyers are moving toward different methods of search. The marketing division of our company is conducting a survey to determine the most popular methods of home search among current home buyers. I hope that the data from this survey will help Realtors to better understand their current target markets' needs and preferences. It isn't for a professional to do something simply because they want it their way. In business, we must do things according to what our consumer base wants, which may or may not be in line with the "norm" that we are used to in our industries or professions.

Regardless, Realtors need to at least be willing to step outside the box and explore additional options. Especially with the current real estate market and economy the way they are, Realtors need every edge they can get, and need every available tool to make their listings stand out. At the very least, video can act as additional exposure!

-Real Estate 360°

[Malok]

While videos may have some use particularly in more urban areas - you have to remember, not all places have high speed internet.

The more rural properties are going to be on dial up.


I did some videos, and actually received NEGATIVE feedback from rural customers because the videos were choppy/slow, etc. because they were on dial up and they tried to view them.

[realestate360]

That is a very valid point. We are not saying that video should completely replace traditional methods, but should be used to compliment them. Of course, the local market should always be taken into consideration. Video isn't going to work perfectly in every location, you're absolutely right. However, there are still ways that Realtors can branch out beyond their local MLS.

Since everyone can view photos regardless of Internet connection, why not explore what all can be done with photos? We as potential home buyers often use Craigslist in our home search. But even there, it seems that Realtors don't understand how to make good use of the the Craigslist system. Craigslist allows up to 4 images to be uploaded. However, most folks don't even bother to include 4 photos, and if they do they are not always the best shots (small, blurry, bad lighting, insignificant features of the property such as a tree in the front yard, not positioned right side up or extremely cluttered). If you happen to know HTML, you can actually include most anything you want for your listing.

Or perhaps setting up social profiles can bring in more traffic and leads. Sites like Myspace are very overlooked in this industry (again, I had another client tell me that Myspace users were not of the income range that could afford the homes she's promoting...you mean to tell me in more than 700 million users, you don't think there would be a variety of average household income levels?). Branching out doesn't mean leaving behind what's tried and true, but rather adding to it to enhance a listing and going the extra mile, both for the home owner and for your career. We live in a day and age where it's necessary for us to learn a variety of new techniques. Print, while it makes sense in some markets, is on its way out in many others (not to mention expensive and not entirely environmentally-friendly).

My point is that while video may not be available in every area, there is still a need for Realtors to step outside of their normal methods of advertisement. Just be willing to explore many advertising options as a Realtor, and don't automatically rule anything out. You never know which method could become the best-producing one unless you give several different ones a try!

-Real Estate 360°

[bwiley]

this is a great idea. I never have even thought of marketing a house on youtube, but I will give a try. You know, after some time, I've talked to our team about putting video of our homes and condos for sale on YouTube. I tried 9 videos and didn't get anything. Yesterday, we received a call from a lady wondering if we still had a condo for sale that she saw on YouTube. She will be buying something in two months.

From now on, all of our listings will be going on YouTube. Anyone else experience this?

[RobM]

I have been using Youtube for a little while now....and it is great to get more sets of eyeballs on your listings

[housetubetv]

Google and Micorsoft SEOs can search for "text" or voice keywords.

HouseTubeTv.com ---

The more sites you upload your videos, the more exposure.

[castlelady]

I have never done videos for my listings before - is this much more complicated than using a digital camera? I have some visual tour software that allows me to stitch photos together to make them moving and panoramic. So I wonder if these types of photos would work in the video format somehow?

[realestate360]

My experience with these kinds of software is that many will allow you to save in both Java and Quicktime formats. These are normally interactive (user can zoom in and out, change speeds, move up or down etc.). These can sometimes be saved in a video/movie format (if you have Quicktime Pro, this is allowed). The other options would be using a software like Camtasia Studio to record your computer screen while viewing the stitched tour you've created. Other than that, I don't know of any way you'd be able to save those kinds of tours in video format.

Most digital cameras allow you to shoot a short amount of video (usually up to 3 minutes). However, I've found that the quality of video with most digital cameras isn't good enough to show much detail in your property. I would recommend an actual camcorder that is designed specifically for video, or hiring a virtual tour team to do the filming and editing in your area.

Creating video-based tours can be time-consuming, and requires specific equipment and software. If you have the funds to purchase such equipment and time to learn the equipment and software, then go for it! Video will no doubt be a very welcomed addition to your marketing arsenal. However, if you don't have the time but want actual video instead of the rotating image-based tours, try your local MLS to see if they have a list of vendors you can choose from, or try a site like WellcomeMat to look for videographers in your area.

Hope that helps some!

-Real Estate 360°

[castlelady]

Yes - I don't really feel like I have the time to figure out how to do videos now. So I'll have to see if I can find someone in Columbus who does it for a reasonable cost and then I can post it on youtube and who knows where else. Thanks for the idea.

[realestate360]

One piece of advice...

Your virtual tour provider should be able to provide a certain amount of services for you. For instance, they should at least be able to provide initial distribution of your tour to your local MLS (if allowed), and to a small number of video sites. Most virtual tour providers that I have known will do this. If they do not offer any assistance with distribution, you may want to move on to other providers.

Be sure to also do some research on their pricing methods. Be sure you can understand how they have set their prices (for example, we start with a flat fee for travel and then a small amount per square foot. We do not charge by the hour, nor do we charge additional fees for editing or distribution). If they're prices are high, ask if they provide any unique or signature services or tools that other companies in the area don't (like a customized video player, distribution or web design). If you can't understand their fee schedule and their services seem overpriced for what they provide (it doesn't cost thousands to produce a virtual tour), then beware!

Good luck with your search! Let us know how it turns out!

-Real Estate 360°

[TimuM]

You know, after some time, I've talked to our team about putting video of our homes and condos for sale on YouTube. I tried 9 videos and didn't get anything. Yesterday, we received a call from a lady wondering if we still had a condo for sale that she saw on YouTube. She will be buying something in two months.

From now on, all of our listings will be going on YouTube. Anyone else experience this?

Great tips.... Thanks.. I have been trying to get feedback on YouTube and Social Networking sites....Your help is appreciated...

[portland real estate]

Wow, that's the first I've heard of a lead coming directly from a YouTube video. I've never personally found video tours to be that appealing, but if that's what consumers want then it could be worth doing.

[castlelady]

I will have to try and find a local provider to do these video tours. I think videos would also be an awesome tool to use on my own website - even if we can't use it on the mls yet.

[tina.anderson]

I have never heard of a sale being made directly from a Youtube video either until now. It is definitely getting bigger every day and more people are realizing that it could be a great way to get your message out.

[RobM]

I will have to try and find a local provider to do these video tours. I think videos would also be an awesome tool to use on my own website - even if we can't use it on the mls yet.

You may want to contact your mls and ask them if it can be used or not. In our market, we can use it, but there are some basic requirements that need to be met regarding branding. You may find out that you can indeed use it. It is worth the call

[realestate360]

It is the same here. Our MLS does allow virtual tours, however Realtors must use an approved vendor in order to have their virtual tours directly linked to the MLS. This does not include Realtor.com, which charges unless the Realtor has already purchased featured listing services.

If your MLS allows linking of virtual tours, they probably have a list of approved vendors that you can choose from. With our MLS, if a Realtor would like to use a vendor that is not yet on the approved list, they must recommend that vendor and then the vendor must apply.

My understanding is that in order to be in compliance with IDX systems and most MLS systems, the virtual tours that you link to your listings must not contain any branding, links, or promotion for the Realtor or the vendor's company. Good luck!

-Real Estate 360°

[JJohnson1985]

My understanding is that in order to be in compliance with IDX systems and most MLS systems, the virtual tours that you link to your listings must not contain any branding, links, or promotion for the Realtor or the vendor's company. Good luck!

-Real Estate 360°

I am not licensed so unfortunately I have not been able to see, let alone spend some time with MLS, but doesn't every listing have the agent/broker contact information? I believe it does, so why would that be different from putting it on the video? Just curious.

[realestate360]

I wish I knew. It makes our job a little harder, as we have to create 2 versions of every tour (one with branding that will be distributed to sites like YouTube, and another without specifically for the MLS). Sometimes I think they make the MLS system complicated for no reason, or to make themselves feel important (because they're the only ones who understand why or how it works)...

Now that I think of it though, the listings on our MLS actually don't have the contact information of the individual Realtor. It simply says "Presented by..." or "Courtesy of..." which every real estate company is handling the listing. They do not even list the company's contact info or anything. I guess it could be to cut down on discrimination between home seekers and Realtors (home seekers avoiding individual Realtors because of race, gender, age or whatever). The MLS is supposed to be an unbiased, objective view at each property listing. This is the only thing I can come up with.

-Real Estate 360°

[JJohnson1985]

I've been told to plan to use up time just getting to know the MLS. I was figuring on just because it will be new, but maybe it's more than that. :eek:

Thank you for answering.

[tsteuwer]

Pardon my inability to remember your name, but whoever asked if you can use your digital camera, you sure can.

All of our videos are shot with a Canon PowerShot. It works great. Now, to add text or captions to your video, you can use Microsoft Movie Maker (if your on a budget.) Best of all, it's free.

[housetubetv]

I am really starting to LOVE video.

I did this for fun - but imagine how you could promote a listing!



Yup, I was fooling around with videos and just having fun -- I might as well create a website for it.

It always have to start from somewhere....

[housetubetv]

iwantanoffer.com allows real agents the ability to embed youtube video directly into their property listing pages. Curb appeal starts online!

- iwantanoffer.com

Why pay to subscribe to iwantanoffer when there are so many good sites that are free to list like
HouseTubeTv (http://www.HouseTubeTv.com)-online video for real estate

[misch.chief]

That is excellent, I have heard that it is an excellent marketing tool and it's great to see soemone who has made it work - did you optimise the video or did you just put it on and wait?

[realestate360]

I was discussing this in another thread, but it may have some relevance here also. I have had some issues with a Realtor in our local area who feels that some of the things we provide as a company aren't necessary (the main issue was a survey gathering information about buyer search patterns online). However, the discussion brought out that many Realtors may not think of the Internet as a tool that can help them, but rather something that could potentially put them out of business. I can understand the fear, but here is the thing. I think most Realtors feel that the Internet is a more hands-off way to run their business, and they've been taught from the beginning that real estate is (or should be) extremely hands-on. I don't think that most agents realize that you can be just as personal with potential customers or current clients online as you can be offline. Video is one of the best ways to do this!

With the multitude of free sites allowing video these days (including the fact that video can now be added in blogs, on personal websites and even in email), there is no reason not to take this tool and harness it to benefit your business. Especially with equipment being so accessible these days. tsteuwer was absolutely right. Most digital cameras are coming standard with the ability to record video. I also own a home business, and the first camera we used was also a Canon PowerShot. They allow up to 3 min. of recording time, though the fancier models may allow more. Not to mention, the output file type is .avi, which is usually accepted by every video site out there! If you have a digital camera and you have the time to record, edit and convert video, there is no reason not to be implementing video into your strategy at this point. If you don't have the time, there are plenty of companies out here offering great quality at decent prices.

Here's a little side note that may be encouraging to those who haven't jumped on the bandwagon yet. I just completed a virtual tour for an FSBO client who also ordered classified ad campaign services from us. I began their classified ad campaign yesterday afternoon, making sure to list "Virtual Tour" in the title of all of our ads (I also added some SEO & graphics, particularly screen shots of the virtual tour video). Not 30 min. after the first ad went up, our clients received a request for a showing! It helps that their home is absolutely wonderful, but the woman who replied to the ad was blown away by the virtual tour and photo gallery! Their home has been on the market for about 30 days, and they've received more interest than most of the homes in their area! We're excited that the virtual tour is having such a positive effect on their home-selling process, and we feel the responses they're receiving now are much more targeted, and much more serious because these buyers have already had the chance to view the home inside-out!

Just taking the time to show potential buyers MORE will greatly increase results. Even if it's just more photos, or a slide show, it's better than one or two photos. Buyers are becoming more web-savvy, and as a result are expecting MORE. So we should all be doing what we can to give it to them!

-Real Estate 360°

[realestate360]

I have also checked out HouseTubeTV and the iwantanoffer website. I can definitely say that as a provider of video-based virtual tours, mini commercials etc., HouseTube will become part of my regular list. I can see the interest in this fairly new site picking up already.

I have nothing against iwantanoffer, but it is still a bit too new to have to pay for services. While they're prices are quite affordable, there just isn't enough traffic coming in yet to make it worth paying for. Perhaps if they include a free level which will allow some basic features, and then a more advanced level to be priced, this would be more beneficial in these beginning stages. Heck, we had to give out free virtual tours when we started to build up our samples. This is essentially no different. YouTube's main pull is that it's free for everyone, including those of us who publish larger and more videos.

Real Estate 360°

[housetubetv]

I am not in the real estate business...I don't sell house...I just know what people need -the power of the internet!! and video advertising

Video is the next Web2.0

All my websites are advertisers paid.

Thanks

[mjgiorgianni]

Anybody ever sold a home from YouTube?? I have never heard of it. If so, please let me know. I'm sure everyone else does too :)

[realestate360]

One of our FSBO clients just received an offer which came from their video tour listed on YouTube & AOL Video! We're very excited for them, as their home has been on the market less than a month and a half! Another client of ours closed on an offer at the end of last week as a result of having a video tour linked to their classified ads.


The buyer who presented the offer to our FSBO client viewed the tour on Friday, viewed the home in person on Saturday, and made an offer this morning. She commented that the video tour was a very unique and helpful approach to showcasing the home online, because they were able to see exactly what they needed to see, even before viewing the home in person. This particular home is a vintage property with lots of character that images alone would not capture, so the video tour was able to really showcase those features, and that is what drew the buyer's attention.

[mjgiorgianni]

" One of our FSBO clients just received an offer which came from their video tour listed on YouTube & aOL Video! We're very excited for them, as their home has been on the market less than a month and a half! another client of ours closed on an offer at the end of last week as a result of having a video tour linked to their classified ads. "

WOW! That's great. I'll spread the news :)

[erobbins]

wow! what an interesting idea! i have never heard of someone doing that before!

[housetubetv]

wow! what an interesting idea! i have never heard of someone doing that before!


What have you got to lose?

[milot]

hello, this is my first post on the forum :)

just to make a comparison about the exposure potential for your YouTube video take a look at this alexa graph. alexa is a company that measures website traffic all across the internet.

this graph compares youtube to google and to realtor.com...

oops, it won't let me post a website yet. but go to alexa.com and you can type in youtube vs google vs realtor.com to see how they rank against each other in terms of traffic and page views.

you may be surprised, but youtube gets more pageviews than google does!

[jron]

Youtube, has been very much used now as a way of advertising so I think it is not an old news now that it is one of the basic tools for marketing.

[castlelady]

So I think I'm sold on the idea of trying to create videos for listings to be posted on the internet. I do have a camera that can do short video's but I don't know if it would pick up sound or if that's something you add later and how you even do that kind of stuff.

So would it be better to invest in a camcorder to do this instead or can you really do enough with a digital camera video option? Does anyone have any experience with this type of equipment to recommend one that's reasonably priced and easy to use - yet still takes decent quality photos?

[realestate360]

First off castlelady, what kind of digital camera do you currently have. Different models will have different capabilities, but normally if it can record video it can also record sound. Even if it can, you can always (and should always) use some kind of video editing software to ensure that the sound is the quality that you want (or override it completely and add music or narration, which you can easily record and do at your home or office).

We started many moons ago with a simple Canon Powershot (though not for our virtual tour business). It was sufficient for many things, but we were looking for increased video quality. We now use a combination of our Kodak digital camera (which takes both excellent quality photos and great video) and our Sony for HD video. The Sony also takes decent photos, though we separate the two to have more professional quality (and to make the task of filming & photographing a property more time-efficient because one of us can shoot the photography while the other does the videography). If you're thinking of looking into a new piece of equipment, it would depend on your price range, but our Kodak was just under $300 and does great with both video and photos. If you're going to consider any Kodak though, just be aware that you'll need to invest in rechargeable batteries and that you'll have to purchase those separately & directly from Kodak (if you plan on purchasing your camera anywhere else). Nikons and Sony's are also great with both video and photos.

I also wanted to touch on something that milot mentioned about comparisons in traffic. I have had many Realtors tell me that the best, cheapest and most effective way to advertise a property online is through Realtor.com. However, I have always felt that this is because Realtor.com is a site which is sponsored by the National Association of Realtors and therefore there is a great bias (as Realtors are sometimes made to feel that they have to buy into featured listing services etc. on the site). No one wants to feel that something they are strongly encouraged to do by their association is a waste of money or time. However, if it is then it is...but facts must be considered.

I've done quite a bit of research on traffic ratings for several sites that can be used to promote a property online. Here's what I came up with using Alexa's graphing feature alone. Realtor.com has a traffic ranking of 1,030 out of millions, which is great! It has a steadily rising daily & unique visitor percentage which is also good. However, the majority of it's traffic comes from inside the US, with traffic from Canada & Europe being less than 2%. This is not so good for home seekers who may be out of this country. It seems as if Realtor.com is not promoted internationally, which could be hurting its potential as a successful way to market a home. Because no Realtor knows where the next home buyer will be from (they could very well be Canadians looking to relocate, which isn't far-fetched), it seems silly to limit promotion only to the US.

I also checked out Craigslist, which is widely used to promote property for sale, rent, rent-to-own/lease-purchase and swap. Craigslist has a traffic ranking of 45 out of millions. That's a HUGE difference. There is also a larger part of its traffic which comes from Canada and other countries, and though based in the US, it is clearly promoted internationally, which gives it quite an advantage. It is also free to post property listings with photos and HTML, and one can easily link to virtual tours and photo galleries from a Craigslist ad. Craigslist allows for more creativity, which means that a Realtor or FSBO has more opportunity to help their listing stand out from others.

In addition to these, I checked out YouTube, which has a traffic ranking of 3 out of millions. This is even better than Craigslist. There is also a much larger percentage of traffic coming from other countries in addition to the US, which allows for a much wider reach. YouTube is also free, allows those posting video content to choose exactly what tags (keywords) they want their videos to be showcased for, and allows for much more interaction from viewers. You can even post links back to a main website, and embed YouTube videos on a host of other sites, blogs & social networking profiles.

Knowing all of this, it is beyond me how Realtors could still feel that Realtor.com is the best and cheapest way to promote a property online (when both of the other sites analyzed above have free & unlimited use). I realize that the site is specialized, but according to Alexa's data the most visited spots on the site are to areas that would only interest Realtors, which makes me feel that the majority of its traffic is from Realtors, not home seekers. With all the other benefits that have been discussed here, it seems like Realtors should be trying to include more video in their regular promotion. I applaud those who are taking steps to incorporate more video into your marketing plans. For those who are not, I'd like to ask why? Is it lack of equipment or know-how? Those issues can be easily ratified, but stubbornness cannot. With the Realtors in my area, I feel it is just stubbornness. They don't seem to want to take the time or spend the money to embrace new technology that could help them. I've even had some state that they felt we as virtual tour providers were out to replace them. This couldn't be further from the truth, as our original intent with our company was to provide services to Realtors.

If new technology is scary or for some reason you may feel like it isn't worth it, think again. These times are calling for more creative approaches to selling. Home buyers are much more Internet-savvy than they used to be, and as a result are expecting more from merchants because they know it's possible and not that expensive. Best to get into it while an advantage can still be created over your competition. Once it becomes old news, many who didn't take the initiative to embrace video will be running to catch up to the next big thing.

Real Estate 360°

[castlelady]

My camera is a Canon Power Shot SD870 IS. So it sounds like you're saying I can use it to take short videos and somehow maybe stich them together and then add my voice over and music to it later?

What kind of software do you use to do that? I'd need something user friendly as I've never done this before.

I haven't found a company here locally that offers video services for listings yet - but I bet it wouldn't be a cheap service even if there was one. So if it's easy enough for me to figure out, then I'll give it a try.

I am open to buying a camcorder - especially if I can get one that takes decent quality images for under $300.00. I've been wanting one anyway to take videos of my son - playing sports.

Time savings is very important to me. So whatever is easiest and less time consuming is what I would need to do. So would that be getting the camcorder or using my current camera? What editing software is the easiest and most user friendly to use?

[realestate360]

If you want the best quality, I suggest you invest in a newer camera. I don't know of many decent camcorders you can get for under $300, but there are many higher-end digital cameras (like the Kodak I mentioned, which is model Easyshare Z812 S) for around that price.

I really use a variety of software, but perhaps the easiest to use if you're new to this would be Windows Movie Maker (comes standard in most newer Windows machines and Media Edition PC's). It's free, and you can download it straight from Microsoft's site, or from Download.com. There are some pro's and cons, mainly that like a lot of MS software, it crashes and often has to be restarted. If you choose to go with this one, just be sure to save your projects often. It's a fairly spacey program too, at 2 GB, so be sure your system has enough memory to use it properly (installing, running and saving projects, which are also fairly large files). I also use a host of professional editing software, which can range from $80 to several hundred dollars and which one must take the time to learn in order to use it effectively. Windows Movie Maker would be your best bet.

With your current camera or a newer model, you can take several videos and use the software I mentioned (or perhaps something equivalent if you're a Mac user) to stitch them together and add audio later. Because live environments aren't stable or controlled, I wouldn't recommend using the natural sound from your filming.

It does take a bit of time to learn how to produce good quality videos for sites like YouTube which stand out from other less thought-out video, but it is well worth it in the end, I feel. I will be creating a short video tutorial which teaches step-by-step how to use this software to create good-quality video. If anyone is interested in this, feel free to contact me and I'll provide you with the details!

Real Estate 360°

[castlelady]

Thanks. It looks like I do have Windows Movie Maker on my computer. So I guess I'll start with that and try to do some more research on a reasonably priced camcorder to buy.

[milot]

castellady, you might want to look at the Flip video camera. I picked one up for about $110 on ebay but here's their website: theflip.com

it's not high end, but is very easy to use and takes some great videos.

[housetubetv]

castellady, you might want to look at the Flip video camera. I picked one up for about $110 on ebay but here's their website: theflip.com

it's not high end, but is very easy to use and takes some great videos.


yes, Video is the IN thing.

[vbcannon]

First off castlelady, what kind of digital camera do you currently have. Different models will have different capabilities, but normally if it can record video it can also record sound. Even if it can, you can always (and should always) use some kind of video editing software to ensure that the sound is the quality that you want (or override it completely and add music or narration, which you can easily record and do at your home or office).

We started many moons ago with a simple Canon Powershot (though not for our virtual tour business). It was sufficient for many things, but we were looking for increased video quality. We now use a combination of our Kodak digital camera (which takes both excellent quality photos and great video) and our Sony for HD video. The Sony also takes decent photos, though we separate the two to have more professional quality (and to make the task of filming & photographing a property more time-efficient because one of us can shoot the photography while the other does the videography). If you're thinking of looking into a new piece of equipment, it would depend on your price range, but our Kodak was just under $300 and does great with both video and photos. If you're going to consider any Kodak though, just be aware that you'll need to invest in rechargeable batteries and that you'll have to purchase those separately & directly from Kodak (if you plan on purchasing your camera anywhere else). Nikons and Sony's are also great with both video and photos.

I also wanted to touch on something that milot mentioned about comparisons in traffic. I have had many Realtors tell me that the best, cheapest and most effective way to advertise a property online is through Realtor.com. However, I have always felt that this is because Realtor.com is a site which is sponsored by the National Association of Realtors and therefore there is a great bias (as Realtors are sometimes made to feel that they have to buy into featured listing services etc. on the site). No one wants to feel that something they are strongly encouraged to do by their association is a waste of money or time. However, if it is then it is...but facts must be considered.

I've done quite a bit of research on traffic ratings for several sites that can be used to promote a property online. Here's what I came up with using Alexa's graphing feature alone. Realtor.com has a traffic ranking of 1,030 out of millions, which is great! It has a steadily rising daily & unique visitor percentage which is also good. However, the majority of it's traffic comes from inside the US, with traffic from Canada & Europe being less than 2%. This is not so good for home seekers who may be out of this country. It seems as if Realtor.com is not promoted internationally, which could be hurting its potential as a successful way to market a home. Because no Realtor knows where the next home buyer will be from (they could very well be Canadians looking to relocate, which isn't far-fetched), it seems silly to limit promotion only to the US.

I also checked out Craigslist, which is widely used to promote property for sale, rent, rent-to-own/lease-purchase and swap. Craigslist has a traffic ranking of 45 out of millions. That's a HUGE difference. There is also a larger part of its traffic which comes from Canada and other countries, and though based in the US, it is clearly promoted internationally, which gives it quite an advantage. It is also free to post property listings with photos and HTML, and one can easily link to virtual tours and photo galleries from a Craigslist ad. Craigslist allows for more creativity, which means that a Realtor or FSBO has more opportunity to help their listing stand out from others.

In addition to these, I checked out YouTube, which has a traffic ranking of 3 out of millions. This is even better than Craigslist. There is also a much larger percentage of traffic coming from other countries in addition to the US, which allows for a much wider reach. YouTube is also free, allows those posting video content to choose exactly what tags (keywords) they want their videos to be showcased for, and allows for much more interaction from viewers. You can even post links back to a main website, and embed YouTube videos on a host of other sites, blogs & social networking profiles.

Knowing all of this, it is beyond me how Realtors could still feel that Realtor.com is the best and cheapest way to promote a property online (when both of the other sites analyzed above have free & unlimited use). I realize that the site is specialized, but according to Alexa's data the most visited spots on the site are to areas that would only interest Realtors, which makes me feel that the majority of its traffic is from Realtors, not home seekers. With all the other benefits that have been discussed here, it seems like Realtors should be trying to include more video in their regular promotion. I applaud those who are taking steps to incorporate more video into your marketing plans. For those who are not, I'd like to ask why? Is it lack of equipment or know-how? Those issues can be easily ratified, but stubbornness cannot. With the Realtors in my area, I feel it is just stubbornness. They don't seem to want to take the time or spend the money to embrace new technology that could help them. I've even had some state that they felt we as virtual tour providers were out to replace them. This couldn't be further from the truth, as our original intent with our company was to provide services to Realtors.

If new technology is scary or for some reason you may feel like it isn't worth it, think again. These times are calling for more creative approaches to selling. Home buyers are much more Internet-savvy than they used to be, and as a result are expecting more from merchants because they know it's possible and not that expensive. Best to get into it while an advantage can still be created over your competition. Once it becomes old news, many who didn't take the initiative to embrace video will be running to catch up to the next big thing.

Real Estate 360°

RealEstate360,

I did just want to note to you that Alexa does have scewed results because it is mainly rankcheckers for the most part that really even know about Alexa.

"Alexa does not get much direct traffic and has a limited reach with its
toolbar.
• a small change in visitor count can represent a hug change in Alexa ratings.
• Alexa is bias toward webmaster traffic.
• Many times new webmasters are only tracking themselves visiting their owns site.
Why do many marketing hucksters heavily promote Alexa? Usually for one of the following reasons:

If you install the Alexa toolbar and then watch your own Alexa rating
quickly rise as you surf your own site, it is easy for me to tell you that
you are learning quickly and seeing great results, thus it is easy to sell
my customers’ results as being some of the best on the market
• If many people who visit my site about marketing install the Alexa
toolbar, then my Alexa rating would go exceptionally high
• The marketers may associate their own rise in success with their
increasing Alexa ranking, although it happens to be more of an issue of
self-selection than a direct correlation"

Quoted from Aaron Wall's SEOBOOK

[RealEstateVideoTours]

The reality is....

1) Most people are NOT searching on YouTube or Vimeo or Yahoo Video or Metacafe for real estate! They just aren't!

2) To think that buyers are going to be searching "video only sites" for real estate is also misguided. They just aren't! I mean think about it, if you're searching for real estate in Boston, MA, would you go to a site like Zipvo.com and search the TWO video tours for Boston properties..... or would you search the MLS so you could see all 10,000 listings that meet YOUR requirements? This is why sites like this will never succeed. Fundamentally, buyers are looking for REAL ESTATE, not real estate videos.

Having said that, I upload my tours to 15 different websites, such as YouTube, Google Video, Yahoo Video, Vimeo, etc. Why? Because they get indexed and ranked by the major search engines. Simple as that. In addition, they oftentimes appear on PAGE 1 of a Google search for the #1 keyword or keyword phrase for that community within a couple of hours. Yes... HOURS. If your videos are tagged and listed properly, the search engine benefits are pretty amazing, not to mention with Universal Search, videos periodically get small icons next to them - the ONLY icon on the entire search page, which only draws the eye to the video - which is also playable right there on the search page, by pressing the (+) symbol. They don't even have to click to the site! And where to people search for real estate? SEARCH ENGINES.

My rule of thumb is I will upload videos to any site that gets indexed (and not all do). In addition many video sites, such as Spike.TV, Blip.TV and others do NOT allow real estate videos, so you are restricted somewhat. And more and more are joining that group.

Video is an awesome listing tool. In fact, it's the best and almost a guarantee of a listing. It's an awesome selling tool - it's literally the next best thing to 'being there', and that's important in these days of $4+ gas and record number of properties on the market.

Your web presentation is the 'curb appeal' of yesterday - and that means GOOD quality photos (and LOTS of them) and GOOD quality video or slideshows. If you don't have that, all buyers will do is hit the 'next' button.

[housetubetv]

The reality is....

1) Most people are NOT searching on YouTube or Vimeo or Yahoo Video or Metacafe for real estate! They just aren't!

2) To think that buyers are going to be searching "video only sites" for real estate is also misguided. They just aren't! I mean think about it, if you're searching for real estate in Boston, MA, would you go to a site like Zipvo.com and search the TWO video tours for Boston properties..... or would you search the MLS so you could see all 10,000 listings that meet YOUR requirements? This is why sites like this will never succeed. Fundamentally, buyers are looking for REAL ESTATE, not real estate videos.

Having said that, I upload my tours to 15 different websites, such as YouTube, Google Video, Yahoo Video, Vimeo, etc. Why? Because they get indexed and ranked by the major search engines. Simple as that. In addition, they oftentimes appear on PAGE 1 of a Google search for the #1 keyword or keyword phrase for that community within a couple of hours. Yes... HOURS. If your videos are tagged and listed properly, the search engine benefits are pretty amazing, not to mention with Universal Search, videos periodically get small icons next to them - the ONLY icon on the entire search page, which only draws the eye to the video - which is also playable right there on the search page, by pressing the (+) symbol. They don't even have to click to the site! And where to people search for real estate? SEARCH ENGINES.

My rule of thumb is I will upload videos to any site that gets indexed (and not all do). In addition many video sites, such as Spike.TV, Blip.TV and others do NOT allow real estate videos, so you are restricted somewhat. And more and more are joining that group.

Video is an awesome listing tool. In fact, it's the best and almost a guarantee of a listing. It's an awesome selling tool - it's literally the next best thing to 'being there', and that's important in these days of $4+ gas and record number of properties on the market.

Your web presentation is the 'curb appeal' of yesterday - and that means GOOD quality photos (and LOTS of them) and GOOD quality video or slideshows. If you don't have that, all buyers will do is hit the 'next' button.



totally agree!!

YouTube has lost its appeal

[elizabeth]

I guess YouTube is the best main target when it comes in internet and viral marketing.

[philippine_real_estate]

i think using new methods like this one is also a great help, not to mention how huge the youtube.com viewers are and the other video streaming sites. so i think youtube really helps.

[creativeagent]

I've been putting videos on Youtube and Google Video for a while now. I don't expect to get actual leads from these venues, but it is nice to use them to host our videos that we put on our other real estate websites. It also makes a nice listing presentation tool since almost nobody else in my area have even considered adding videos to their listings.

The software I use is Microsoft Photo Story 3. It's very easy to use, includes various backgrond music selections and titles, and best of all, it's free.

To see a demo on how it works, check out: URL in Signature

(http://www.creativeagentclub.com/2008/04/09/create-a-listing-video-in-5-minutes-using-this-free-software/)