Thread: YouTube

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

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

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

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!

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[SIZE=-1]

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
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[quote=realestate360;31263]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[SIZE=-1]

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[SIZE=-1]

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.

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[SIZE=-1]