Video Marketing for Real Estate: A Step-by-Step Guide

Videos are often seen as a way to build brand awareness and establish a presence in the industry. However, many real estate professionals are missing out on the full potential of video marketing for real estate.

This unique article will debunk the myth that real estate videos are only for branding.

We’ll show you how to use videos to generate motivated seller and buyer leads using data and creative use cases you may not have considered before. So, if you’re ready to take your real estate business to the next level, keep reading to learn how to unlock the full potential of video marketing.

With the right strategies and techniques, you can use video marketing to create targeted campaigns that drive conversions and help you stand out in a competitive market. So, let’s dive into how you can use video marketing to generate quality leads for your real estate business.

By the time you’re done reading, you’ll know how to take advantage of one of the best forms of marketing we have at our disposal.

[The Data] Benefits of Video Marketing For Real Estate

If you aren’t convinced you need to implement video marketing into your business, here’s some data to back up how quickly this sector is growing.

Carrot members drove 2,741 leads via YouTube.

Carrot members generated 2,741 leads through YouTube, which is evidence that YouTube can effectively serve as a channel for lead generation.

Leads from YouTube convert 2x higher than other channels.

There are a ton of different ways to generate leads online. Regarding lead quality, though, it’s hard to beat the conversion rate from leads that come through video platforms like YouTube.

Based on our internal data across more than 7,000 members, we’re seeing leads convert from video viewer to prospect at a rate of 8.43% — more than double the rate of other lead sources.

37% of investors and agents ARE using video in their marketing.

And whether or not you consider yourself a marketer right now, a recent study from the National Association of REALTORS Research Group has shown that more than 37% of investors and agents ARE using video in their marketing. With an additional 35% responding that they intend to implement it. The remaining 28% stated that they do not want to use video in the future.

73% of homeowners are likelier to list with an agent who uses video.

When it comes to selecting a realtor, homeowners and buyers take it seriously. Even if they don’t know what’s on the line by choosing the wrong one, they know this decision can be one of the biggest decisions they make in their lives.

That’s why more than 73% reported that they are likelier to list with an agent who uses video in their marketing. (Source: Realtor Magazine)

403% more inquiries are driven by video listings.

In the same study, NAR found that 403% more inquiries are being driven by video listings, especially 360-degree tours, than with photos only. Videos are not only a fantastic way to get extra attention on your properties but also a great way to keep them engaged with your business.

51% of homebuyers use YouTube in their searches.

One of the biggest reasons you should use video in your marketing is because YouTube is the primary destination for homebuyers. After Google, YouTube is the biggest, most widely used search engine available. (Source: Animoto)

70% of homebuyers want a virtual tour of the home.

With the pandemic, virtual tour requests skyrocketed. In a Digital In The Round study, 70% of buyers wanted to virtually tour the home they were considering BEFORE physically visiting the property.

On top of that, they reported that buyers in the 18-34 group spent 10x more time looking at listings and were 130% more likely to become a lead if they saw a virtual tour of the property before they had to contact you.

How To Get Started With Video Marketing

Since getting started and creating that first video can be the hardest part of implementing this strategy into your marketing, here are some quick tips to help you.

Tip #1: Keep it simple.

You don’t have to be a professional videographer or editor to make incredibly effective videos.

Keeping it simple, especially initially, will help you more than spending thousands of dollars hiring a professional or paying an editor.

All you need is an iPhone or Android with a decent camera, a good lapel or Bluetooth microphone, and a handheld gimbal if you have problems keeping your hands steady.

Initially, focus on ensuring your audio is good and the video quality is at least 1080p HD. From there, the rest of your effectiveness comes down to the content in the video.

Tip #2: Everybody starts in the same place.

One of the best things you can do, especially in the beginning, is to accept that your videos will probably be bad. You may even cringe when you look back on them a year from now.

Everybody starts at the same place, and unless you were born a video marketing savant, it’s OK to be bad at this for a bit. Keep showing up and improving, and your videos will improve, too!

The people watching your videos care more about you as a human and the property you’re showing them than they do the editing tricks you used to get their attention.

Tip #3: Stay focused on your goals.

Are you trying to become an influencer in your market or space? Or are you trying to generate buyer leads so you can sell more properties?

People often try doing both, which creates washed-down, ineffective marketing. Instead of falling victim to the ‘do it all’ marketing strategy, focus on one specific goal. 

Tip #4: Be patient. It takes time.

The traction you get with your video marketing efforts won’t happen overnight, either. 

But don’t let it discourage you if your first few videos don’t take off how you thought they would. As with any marketing strategy, it takes time to build that momentum up.

But once you’ve built it? It’s easier for your newer videos to gain traction because you stayed consistent and kept creating your first videos without giving up.

Tip #5: Don’t forget the humans.

Many investors and agents using video make one major mistake: they ONLY showcase the property and not themselves. 

So, with that in mind, ensure you’re showing up in the video and giving them a chance to get to know, like, and trust you without taking the focus off the property. 

Humans buy from humans, so give them a chance to buy from YOU.

While you’re keeping humans as the focus, make sure to include the humans around the property you’re selling — they’re buying into the lifestyle, the location, and the property’s features. Show them what they’re getting! 

Tip #6: Keep your videos to the point.

On average, around 37% of your viewers will stick around to the end of the video. 

So if you want to increase that rate, keeping them short and to the point will ensure the videos are engaging and that you keep people watching.

Not every property needs a 30-minute documentary. A shorter 3-5 minute video can be more effective if it targets the property’s key features.

Tip #7: Promote your videos.

Don’t sit around thinking, “if I build it, they will come.” Proactively sharing the videos you’ve created will significantly reduce your time to gain real traction in your area.

Make sure you’re devoting energy to helping get the word out. You can even partner with a digital marketing agency to complement your in-house efforts and reach your target audience more efficiently.

All it takes is the right person to see the video to be effective, so do what you can to share it where you think that person might be.

Top Video Marketing Topics For Seller Leads

When looking for people willing to sell their homes fast for cash, video is one of the best marketing strategies you can use.

To help you get started, here are some of the topics you’ll want to cover:

Seller Testimonials

When you’ve just finalized a deal with a prospect, emotions will never be higher than they are at that moment. That means it’s time to turn on the camera and capture those emotions on video. If it’s finalized during an online call, make sure you ask your prospect for their consent before turning on the recording on your enterprise call center software.

We’ve recorded a podcast focusing solely on capturing the perfect seller testimonial. You can watch/listen to it by clicking here.

And to show you how quick & straightforward these videos can be, here’s a 15-second seller testimonial we found from a Chicago-based agent and his seller.

When you get it right, these videos are some of the most effective content you’ll ever create for engaging with potential prospects, starting the relationship on the right foot, building trust, and getting them to move forward with you.

About Me Video

Sometimes, investors and agents struggle to create an “About Me” video. Whether that’s because they’re uncomfortable talking about themselves or because they can talk about themselves for way too long, we’ve noticed a trend.

Creating these around precisely what your client wants/needs to see and hear from you doesn’t have to be a struggle. We’ve compiled a 10-minute video that breaks down our process and how we create “about me” videos, introductions, and more.

You can watch it below!

Other topics to make sure you cover:

Seller testimonials and a video about who you are, are must-haves, but you’ll also want to ensure you’re giving the search engines what they want. 

To help with that, here are some of the most common keywords your sellers are going to be using on Google and YouTube:

• How to sell your house fast for cash [city, state]
• We buy houses in [city, state]
• Home buyers in [city, state]
• How to stop foreclosure in [city, state]
• First-time home seller in  [city, state]
• Real estate Investor vs. agent in [city, state] (pros & cons)
• Top 5 mistakes when selling your [city, state] house
• Top 5 neighborhoods in [city, state]

When creating videos around these keywords, keep your content focused on what you know they will be searching for.

Some keywords are self-explanatory, while others will let you dive deeper. 

For instance, the “top 5 mistakes when selling your home in [city, state]” can be tailored to the specifics of your area and include things like neighborhoods to avoid, best school zones, worst areas for traffic, etc. 

These will help your prospects visualize their life in the area and know they’re avoiding the mistakes you point out.

And don’t forget to cover the questions that you keep getting asked over and over again. 

Not only will you be giving your prospects what they’re looking for, but these questions will often help you show up higher in the search results on Google and YouTube.

And you’ll save time by sending prospects the video you’ve already recorded when those questions inevitably come up.

How to Script & Outline Your Videos

When creating your videos, you can use impromptu sessions where you hop on and talk about something you know your buyers and sellers could help with.

But, for the most part, you’ll want to ensure you stick to some scripting. In our case, it’s always best to keep it as simple as possible. 

Here’s a quick 3-step script you can use:

• Step 1: Introduce the property yourself. People connect with people, so don’t be afraid to show your face on camera. 

• Step 2: Give a quick tour of the property, including 3-5 key features. For this section, focus on the property — you don’t have to be on camera.

• Step 3: Record yourself making final points and giving a call to action. Make sure your face is on camera for this step, too.

Don’t let it be any more challenging than this. 

Practice before you go live and, if you have to, write down what you want to cover in bullet point format and keep it in front of you. It helps to stay focused and make your videos more concise.

As you get experience and become comfortable with the process, you can develop your style and hire creative editors to make your videos flashier. Until then, though, keep it simple!

7 Creative Hacks & Tools For Video For Real Estate

You will naturally want to make even more videos as you gain momentum. That’s when it’s time to start looking at tools and efficiency hacks you can use to get more done in less time.

Here are some of the best hacks and tools you can use to save more time:

#1 – Convert Your Videos Into Blog Posts

Sitting down and creating long blog posts isn’t something anyone looks forward to. 

With VideoPost, you can upload your videos and instantly receive a transcription that you can review and turn into a blog post. Once approved, you can hit publish on your blog.

Here’s a link that shows you how to use VideoPost to create real estate content in less than 10 minutes.

Then, when you’re ready to start increasing your customer engagement, converting more visitors into leads and leads into deals, and optimizing for YouTube and Google SEO, watch this quick 15-minute tutorial.

#2 – Automate Engagement, Replies, And Testimonials

Personalizing your interactions with your audience can be time-consuming if you try to do it manually every time you get a question or testimonial.

With VideoAsk, you can add the human element to your funnel and convert more leads. This tool makes it super easy for you to be conversational (and authentic) in your marketing and collect testimonials once the deal is done.

Once you start using it, you will abandon the manual way forever. It’s that powerful.

#3 – Perform Advanced YouTube Keyword Research

Even though YouTube and Google SEO are based on similar algorithms, what ranks on YouTube and the keywords people use to search on the platform can differ from those used on Google.

With a tool like TubeBuddy or VIDIQ, you can see the keywords people use on YouTube and then cater your content and video titles to those keywords.

Advanced keyword research helps you find high-performing video topics faster, too.

#4 – Increase Email Clickthrough & Conversion Rates

Tools like BombBomb help take your email campaigns to the next level by making your follow-up campaigns more personal and personable.

Whether converting leads into deals, following up for birthdays and anniversaries, letting them know what to expect next, or just answering questions, BombBomb enables you to put video responses directly into your emails to make them more personal & powerful.

This results in increased responses and stronger relationships and helps keep your prospects and contacts engaged throughout the process. On top of that, recording a video and plugging it into your email is FAR faster than typing it out manually — and gives you room to add context and clarity to the conversation.

#5 – Train Your Team Faster & Easier

Loom lets you quickly record your screen or desktop and automatically upload it to their platform. Then you can share a link to the video so your team or prospects can watch without having to log in.

This saves a ton of time, helps eliminate lengthy Zoom meetings that could have been summed up in a quick five or 10-minute video, and enables you to keep the conversation moving forward.

You can access the tool for free, and it plugs into your web browser, so you don’t have to download anything. You can also use it on your phone to record Looms even if you’re on the go.

#6 – Offer 360 Degree Virtual Tours

3D virtual tours are becoming necessary to stand out while highlighting the key features your prospects want to see.

Whether you want to help them experience walking through the home before they become a lead, or you’re looking for a way to make your listings stand out, tools like Matterport make it easy.

With it, you can use your phone to record the tours, add notes and comments, create accurate measurements, and even pull 4K photos from the video. You can also upload directly to your social media profiles, Google Street View, VRBO, and Realtor.com, and embed the tours on your website.

You can do it without hiring a video editor or buying expensive cameras.

#7 – Create Before & After Flip Videos

Most investors make the mistake of only focusing on the result. This is understandable because they’ve poured so much time, love, money, and energy into the project that it only makes sense to showcase how great it turned out.

But if you want to stand out and engage your prospects deeper, show them what the project started as. Spend some time filming it before you start and what it turns into once you put all that hard work into it. When you use an animation maker, you can creatively illustrate this transformation, making your project even more captivating

Most of the time, prospects don’t notice the small details that take the most effort. If you point those details out, though, they become selling points without having to do any selling, and you’ll hear prospects talking about them when it’s time to sit down and close the deal.

Video Marketing for Real Estate Simplified

Once you understand how powerful (and profitable) using videos in your real estate business can be, creating them becomes much more enjoyable.

In the beginning, remember to keep things simple and stay focused on what your people want to see from you. Keep your videos short and concise, and ensure you share them wherever possible.

If you keep the tips and hacks from this guide in mind as you create, you’ll experience why video marketing for real estate is so effective.

We’re here to help. You don’t have to get overwhelmed, find new topics, and fumble through video content. Not only have we done a lot of the work for you in this post, but we’ll guide you along the way, step-by-step, so you can be on your way to doing what you do best — closing deals.

If you have any questions…

And as always, if you feel Carrot may be a fit for your real estate websites and want better results online, we’d love to have you in the Carrot community, and be sure to learn more about video marketing. 

Check out our plans and hit us up with questions anytime!