Since we are at the dawn of the online real estate video, I thought I’d do a few reviews… pointing out the best and worst attributes of each video. And hopefully, you can learn some useful tidbits that will help you when it comes time to create your own real estate videos.
I’m posting all the videos from youtube, so the quality may not be as good as the originals.
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#1. Very professional feel, and decent quality for a youtube video. Definitely not done by a pro videographer, but definitely passable. Great narration and lighting. The music is a little cheesy… it sounds like an 8-bit Nintendo game. I’m not sure most buyers will want to watch a 9 minute video unless they are already interested in the house. I realize that this video was probably made for a realtor’s website, but since it is listed on youtube, it should at least have an email address. The video itself has no contact information!! Yikes!
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#2. This one is also very professional, with a thought out narration. But again, one of the most notable problems is the video. It is pretty shaky, and I was actually getting motion sickness through part of it. Great promotional blurb at the end. Good length.
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#3. Here is an example of an all photo based video. It was probably created on one of those sites that creates video for you with a group of pictures and lets you put music to it. It’s not too bad, although the quality isn’t very good. I’m thinking that it just wasn’t meant to be formatted for youtube. For some reason I can’t read the agent’s information very well.
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#4. Here you can see an example of a professionally made video. The video is very smooth and well thought out. Make sure to turn your speakers down… the narrator is very loud and abrupt. All in all this is a great video that shows what is possible with an individual property video. Unfortunately, the video doesn’t include an email or website for more contact information… only a phone number.
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What have we learned from the above videos??
–If you can afford it, hire a videographer
–If you’re going to use music, use something that fits the property: Urban Loft?: jazz Old Victorian?: Classical
–On do it yourself videos, use a tripod and a camera with decent zoom and a wide angle if possible
–If you’re going to use photos in your video, don’t use cheesy fading effects, and make sure the quality is up to par.
–Make sure to include all of your contact information including phone, email and website.
–Including a picture of yourself and your logo makes the video much more personal.
Related posts:
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- An Interview with GooTube.net founder: Roldan Aquino
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April 11th, 2007 at 11:32 am
Interesting! Although in your third video, if you actually GO to YouTube there is a phone number AND a website listed - contrary to what you said.
One thing to keep in mind - most MLS systems will not allow ANY branding on virtual tours - I would assume that’s true as well for videos - so putting your logo and contact information may not be possible. It’s against the rules in our area and subject to a $1000 fine.
April 11th, 2007 at 4:15 pm
Hi Tina,
Thanks for commenting… and thank you for pointing out my mistake on #3. I do see the website listed on youtube now although it would be nice to see it on the video.
Can you point me toward the documentation on “not branding on a virtual tour”. I’d like to see if it can be applicable for video. The reason I mentioned it on the post was because 80-90% of the videos I’ve seen DO have branding and contact information included… so I’m wondering if this is just a different depending on which MLS it is??
Just looking for some clarity.
Thanks again!
April 11th, 2007 at 8:37 pm
I’m the very loud and abrupt narrator in the above video… LOL
In regards to the MLS - every MLS sets their own rules, but in New Hampshire and Maine you cannot have any information in the audio OR video that in any way associates the property with any agent or office. In addition, the agent or office name cannot even be a part of the URL (they all must be hosted on my site).
If you do not comply they warn you once, then fine you every day it remains on the system.
In Massachusetts, all of the above rules apply, but they also will not allow ANY addresses of the property or maps that pinpoint a location of the property! Again, all subject to fines if you don’t obey!
To me… it’s totally ridiculous as every LISTING is required to have the listing broker on it - yet this goes completely against the grain. I will never understand the real estate industry. They are just so crazed about maintaining SOME control over the listings (because clearly they are losing it - day by day….)
On certain properties for certain customers I will create an additional video that is branded for some of the video websites, but generally speaking I don’t as it’s too much of a hassle.
April 12th, 2007 at 4:03 pm
Hey Fred,
This is an interesting topic to me… I wasn’t really aware that some MLS boards outlawed this type of thing.
My primary question is still: why are there so many videos out there that include contact info? Are the rules just different with each MLS? Are some agents just sneaking by?
Thank you for commenting!
April 12th, 2007 at 11:43 pm
I don’t think most MLS boards are too hip to VIDEO yet… so basically people I think are getting away with it because unless you WATCH the entire thing (often until the end), you don’t know there is branding there. Sometimes the branding may be in a voice over.
I do know in my area (Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire) they are definitly on to me - I have had to redo about 3 dozen videos in the past month or so due to branding. You can’t mention the address, you can’t have the agent’s name anywhere in the URL, you can’t have a map, you can’t have any contact information in the video, audio or URL for the link. On Realtor.com, you can do whatever you want, just as you can do anything you want on a personal website.
I have to think that some of the people who are ‘turning in’ branded tours are other agents. Their time would probably be better spent selling real estate than policing their competitors, but that’s another story…..
I recently did an interview with Inman News, and he was asking me how one gets a video tour onto the MLS - he wasn’t even aware that was possible. I was a bit surprised at that, but maybe all these branded tours are NOT on the local MLS system - just on Realtor.com or an agent website.
April 13th, 2007 at 5:00 pm
Thanks for your insight Fred! I wish there were more video services like yours around the country. I’m interested to see if there will be more video tour companies popping up soon… if not I may need to start a new business.
April 14th, 2007 at 5:20 am
Justin, etc.. I would encourage you to try WellcomeMat.com - http://www.wellcomemat.com
We’ve built a video player that is accepted by MLS systems.
WellcomeMat is a Real Estate Video based service built to help promote and market local business, real estate (All spaces), etc using video. You can upload a video and then embed your videos on blogs just like this one. Video pros can upload and showcase their video work. And by joining they’re automatically promoted within our local Videographer Directory - found here: http://www.WellcomeMat.com/VideoPros
Fred’s page: http://www.wellcomemat.com/preview/v/714
Full disclosure, I’m co-founder
Go Video!
April 14th, 2007 at 11:13 am
Well, based on the inquiries, phone calls and emails I receive almost daily from all over the country, I would be very surprised if you didn’t find a lot of them cropping up in the future.
Personally, I think had video been a possibility in the mid-90s when the internet became popular, it would have been a VIDEO based communication tool, not what it is today.
People LIKE video - Many people read books, but far more go see the movie - there’s a reason for that!
Now that video is doable online at a reasonable price, I think in the next 2-3 years you will see video as the primary way the internet will be used to distribute contact. Mark my words…. It’s what people WANT and prefer - rather than read rambling blocks of text on a low resolution screen……
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April 19th, 2007 at 6:31 pm
Hi Justin,
Realty Video online is definitely starting to take off.
Take a look at what we’re up to over at WatchMyListings.com. I’m always interested in feedback, as I’d like the site to be as useful as possible to my clients, as well as new home buyers.
We produce the videos, complete with professional v/o narration, we shoot the photographs, and we host them on our site. We also provide the code to embed the video directly on our client’s websites.
Let me know what you think.
All the Best,
Sean Alvarez
Watch My Listings
April 19th, 2007 at 9:36 pm
Hi Sean,
Just had to tell you how impressed I am with your watchmylistings.com. From the quality of the video to the voiceover to the clean design of the site. Really nice job! I’d been hearing quite a bit about your company and finally got the chance to check it out. Glad I did!
Best,
Diana Danieli
May 3rd, 2007 at 3:53 pm
Let me start by saying I look up to Fred Light, I have a video start-up company and Fred has answered questions and given advice through some e-mails I have sent him. His tours are great. With that said, video is where it is at. A new article points out stats that there are twice as many people streaming video than there are cable subscribers which is amazing. Real estate will benefit greatly by this movement.
May 4th, 2007 at 6:10 pm
Hi Justin,
I just came across your blog, and thought I’d comment. You seem to know exactly what you are talking about, and are a very informative source for your readers. I thought I should take a minute and point out my company to you. We are Vid2r, the internets 1st fully featured streaming video player. Aside from producing the real estate video’s ourselves, we deliver the content in a fully featured Video player that can be attached to any website. Although embedded video’s are good (which is what you seem to be concentrating on here in your blog), they do not have the ease of delivery and information that we can provide with our player. Also, when uploading on to many companies MLS websites, many of these mls companies will not allow video that takes a viewer out of the original domain(the mls website itself). We are currently the only provider offering video on Colorado’s MLS, Metrolist, also noted as one of the nation’s top 10 MLS companies for their technology. We feel that beyond the video expierence itself, the player should give all the information regarding the property all in one, easy to use space. Our company has just recieved $2 in venture capital to push us into the nation wide spectrum, and were recently voted #1 new technology company for 2007 at the National Association of Realtors Realtor Rally here in Colorado. Thank you for your time, and feel free to contact me directly with any questions you may have.
May 4th, 2007 at 6:22 pm
TYPO CORRECTION we’ve recieved $2.5 million in venture capital,not $2 …
May 8th, 2007 at 5:02 pm
I’m sorry but I’m new to real estate. My question is what is the problem with MLS/Realtor.com and video tours or information provided on the videos. I didn’t get that part but would like to understand it better.
Thank you!
May 9th, 2007 at 2:09 pm
The MLS companies do not allow any type of branding in video’s that they display(your name cannot be in the video, you cannot make mention to the neighborhood the house is in, your logo cannot be in the video, or wherever you have it displayed, sometimes the realtor can’t even be in the video). Essentially all the info has to relate to the house, and the house only. Realtor.com does not have these rules.
May 17th, 2007 at 12:03 am
A friend and I each own a small production company in central Ohio. To avoid the paranoid and bizarre limits that MLS is placing on video listings, we are starting our own dedicated server and video hosting sites. YouTube has the right price, but the quality just isn’t there. Should anyone visit my site, it was destoyed by a third party company and is being rebuilt. Sorry for that. Are there any tips or experiences that anyone is willing to share?
June 15th, 2007 at 9:58 pm
Hi -
Can you really put ads/solicitations on YouTube?
Looking at the YouTube terms of use, it states pretty clearly that the uploaded videos are to be for personal noncommercial purposes only. However, some folks obviously do advertise their real estate there. Am I missing something here?
Elsewhere the policy states the viewer can’t sell the material broadcast on YouTube, but that is a different issue.
Thank goodness the car dealers don’t do that…yet.
September 7th, 2007 at 8:21 pm
I have been doing video tours for a number of years, but I don’t post them on our MLS here in the San Fernando Valley of California. They are not allowed yet. I’m not surprised however. One of the first notices I received from my MLS years ago was that I may be subject to a fine for sending unsolicited information to other agents. Now it’s called E-mail. Most MLS boards will eventually move into the 20th century, but it may take 5 or 10 years. In the mean time, stay creative!!!
November 13th, 2007 at 6:52 pm
I have recently started working with a website, zipvo.com, that is the first in the market to be able to search for real estate videos by zip code.
Phil, I have heard the same thing about commercial videos on youtube. I’ve actually made a call to them to get a better explanation, however, I have yet to hear back from them.
Justin, you have some great examples of videos above. Thanks for the post.
December 18th, 2007 at 11:16 pm
I was wondering if Jason Tipton would share his source on video stream lining? I would be really interested in reading the article. In fact, I would be interested in reading any article or information about real estate videos.
March 3rd, 2008 at 3:49 pm
I am a realtor as well as a professional videographer - and do my own video tours for my properties and for my clients’ properties as well. They can be as simple or involved as my clients ask for - but they MUST be excellent quality, or no one will watch them. On my website I don’t include much contact info, as my website has all the contact info - and I also try to keep them as short as possible. Occasionally I will include titles if needed, but I don’t use narration, only because I find it distracting. It’s meant to be merely a tease - too much information and it might not bring anyone in for a closer look.
We all have different ideas about how to do these…but I firmly believe that the one thing we all CAN agree on is that our local MLS organizations need to get with the program, and offer video if they don’t already.
September 25th, 2008 at 10:34 pm
If you want to see some mind-blowing stuff from Australia, http://www.vimeo.com/brettclements. We have five HD crews on the Gold Coast of Australia shooting high end property and our Company pioneered this in Australia. Cheers.
October 31st, 2008 at 1:40 pm
Coldwell Banker Bain has hired my company Petit Robot Media as a vendor available to all of their real estate agents for either agent profile videos or property videos. I think we have a winning combination of all the things you stated going on in our most recent videos and I also think CBBain is seriously competing with local companies because of this. Supplying a reputable vendor to your agents as well as getting your agent great deals on their videos due to an ongoing relationship with the vendor takes the guess work out of it for the agent. I also creates a consistent look and feel to the company (and it’s agents) videos to help brand themselves to the public eye. Also, I think encouraging your agents to do video helps them stand out from other agents in this incredibly tough market right now. If an agent is marketing your home and going so far as to pay for online video as well, I think it says to the client (If this market savvy agent can’t sell this home, switching to another agent would be pointless and a waste of time. Rather than the agent being at fault a home owner might be more willing to stick with the agent through the downs of the market. We would love to hear your thoughts Justin.
Thanks!
Check it out:
October 31st, 2008 at 1:40 pm
Here is the youtube link to the video, incase it doesn’t show up in my previous post:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nUp8coi1V4