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Video Marketing Strategy

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Helpful Tips, Real-Estate

I was taking a look at one of our clients web-sites today and saw something interesting, Zygmunt and Kasha Riddle of RE/MAX Riddle Real Estate on the North Shore have created a menu catagory at the top of the page that lists all the videos we have produced for them.  Zygmunt & Kasha have used our services for properties in a variety of price ranges and styles with great success. 

By adding links the videos front and center on a web site the video does more than market a property it helps market yourself.  What other ways have you found video useful in marketing yourself and your services?

Screenshot of Riddle Real Estate

Realty Support

Helpful Tips, News, Technology

We have officially completed our first 6 months of business here in Vancouver.  I would like to thank all of our clients who have supported us and enabled our business to grow. 

Being new to Vancouver, we have tried to promote ourselves by partnering with or cross-promoting other real estate based service providers.  Dara Sklar, founder of Realty Support was one of the first people to contact us and request one of our sample DVD’s.  We were fortunate enough to initially meet her at a Ubertor training session she hosted at the end of April.  Since then, our paths have crossed on numerous occasions as we share mutual clients, including Team Andruff and Graham Kirby.

If you are a real estate agent, Ubertor client and need help keeping your website up-to-date or up-and-running, I would highly recommend Dara.  She’s both knowledgeable and professional.  Ultimately, her service has been designed to free agents from the responsibility of maintaining their own website, allowing them to do what they do best, sell real estate!

Voiceovers

Helpful Tips, News, Technology

I’ve always been told that multimedia is about engaging all the senses with information.  But when the topic of voiceovers is raised, I’m still undecided which I personally prefer.  Currently we have 2 clients that have experimented with voiceovers.  Zygmunt Riddle (www.riddle-realestate.com) and his wife Kasha Riddle (www.kriddle.com) have been using voiceovers since we started to produce videos for them.  We have hired professional talent to provide the vocals in all their videos.  Graham Kirby (www.grahamkirby.com), on the other hand, has provided his own voiceovers which also include an opening shot of Graham speaking to the camera. 

We are always open to any new ideas and we encourage our clients to experiment with their videos in an attempt to identify what it is that captures the audience.  Here is an example of a professionally produced voiceover:

Kasha Riddle, 76 – 1034 Premier Street

Using Video to Capture a Neighbourhood

Helpful Tips, News

We have recently produced videos for 2 new clients, Alan Vlemmiks and Graham Kirby.  Despite the obvious differences in their 2 listings, both properties share a similar challenge.  Both condos are incredibly unique for different reasons and have incredible potential.  They are also located in 2 of Vancouver’s most interesting neighbourhoods. Both Alan and Graham wanted to prominently feature the respective neighbourhoods, Commercial Drive and English Bay, in their videos.  Our videos are a great way to “tie in” the property to neighbourhood in which it resides.  Written descriptions and even pictures don’t place a home in the context of its immediate surroundings. 

Here are their videos:

Alan Vlemmiks, 1003 – 1833 Frances Street

Graham Kirby, 4 – 1861 Beach Avenue

Enhancing Your DVD

Helpful Tips

This is more or less a continuation of Marketing with DVD’s, a previous blog from a few days ago.  Essentially, everyone has the option of including additional content on their DVD’s.  For example, we are currently adding an ABOUT US section to future DVD’s for one of our clients.  We create a small movie and/or menu screens that reveal more information about yourself or your company.  What else can be added to a DVD?  The type of content that can be included is endless.  Here are some examples:

-a compilation of video tours
-biography
-DVD slide show
-about us
-additional video content such as an Agent Introduction

Listing Tips and Suggestions

Helpful Tips

To any of our clients that read this blog, I have a few tips. 

  • Whenever you are preparing listing descriptions that are going ot be viewable online write VIDEO TOUR, VIEW MY VIDEO directly in the description.  The more people you can help direct to your video the more people will see your brand.  This will help people to remember your name and the property they viewed.  This also helps drive traffic to your website.
     
  • Video is on the leading edge when it comes to Internet technology.  Multimedia tour or virtual tour may mean a javascript image gallery or a panoramic tour, a far inferior method of showcasing a property.  I have heard so many complaints about 3D tours and distortion.  Some people won’t click on a VIRTUAL TOUR link because they dislike the 360 degree tours.   Streaming video is, by far, the best way to showcase your listings.  I like to describe it as a music video for your home.  Make certain, that you are telling potential buyers that you are using the best technology, the most captivating technology in use today, the OPENHOUSE VIDEO TOUR!!!
  • There is such a curiosity factor about streaming video on the Interenet, that it is extremely beneficial to anyone using our services to include the link in all your promotional material including print ads!  We called our company Video Openhouse because essentially, we are providing an open house 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  The likelyhood of someone reading your print ad and actually visiting your website has increased substantially by including a link to your video.  Now is the time to capitalize on the curiosity factor that is associated with video on the Internet!

Marketing With DVD’s

Helpful Tips

I cannot tell you how many times I have been asked, “What am I supposed to do with this?”  The DVD is a mystery to most of our clients.  Some have immediately found an application.  Doug Williams for instance, asked us to have the DVD prepared prior to his open house.  He played the DVD during the open house for the guests.  We actually had 3 of our clients mention that they saw our video for Doug being played at the agents open. 

How do I suggest that they be used:

1)  Obviously at the Open House ->  Great music, entertainment value, setting the mood.  It can set a realtor apart from all the others.  A great idea would be to give copies away to interested parties.  Potential buyers can play the video in the convenience of their own home.

2)  Keepsakes – Give them to the seller.  A DVD of the home that they used to live in.  The homeowner will keep the DVD forever.  It will sit with their other DVD’s proudly displaying your contact information and branding.  Forget the branded pens, refrigerator magnets and message pads,  if you want something that they will keep around with your name on it try our Video Openhouse DVD’s!

3)  Listing Presentations – As part of your presentation to a potential customer, play the DVD for them.  Make a powerful statement and tell them that you use video as part of your plan to market their home. 

 

We encourage all our clients to freely copy and distribute their DVD’s as they see fit.  If you would like instructions on how to copy your DVD, we would be glad to help.

Here is Doug William’s video for his Coach House in Shaugnessey.