As a realtor, you know that nothing quite compares to the feeling a prospective buyer gets from a house when they visit in person. And, oftentimes, that visit makes the difference between a sale and a pass. But, how do you get buyers to come to see your property when everyone online is competing with high-quality photos and attractive descriptions? Making creative real estate videos is how you can stand out from the crowd of realtors vying for your clients' attention.

Video content is more engaging and obtains a better return on investment than static ads. If you combine the dynamic, complex nature of video with creative shots, good angles and lighting, and an overall well-researched and well-targeted marketing strategy, your real estate video presentations will lead to much better sales than those of your competition's. Here's a guide to video marketing for real estate that will help you level up your strategy in 2021.

Use video to enhance your brand

First off, in order to attract interested clients, you need to make sure your own realtor brand is well-publicized. This includes a solid social media presence and a professional website to back it up. Real estate video production can help you here, too (it's not just for your listings page!).

Some ideas for your branding on social media include posting "just sold" real estate promo videos where you showcase in a quick slideshow a few properties you've just closed on, or multiple shots of one property. The great thing about this type of marketing video is that you can edit in some key facts, such as surface area, key amenities, and - of course! - the price.

Additionally, you can put together a quick video resume showing your real estate experience and portfolio. This is to introduce yourself to home sellers and create rapport. Studies show that most home sellers do less than three hours of research and will hire the first estate agent they meet. So why not jump out at them from their inbox with an enthusiastic and credible intro video that will set you apart from the static names in the online directory of realtors?

Tips to ace the classic real estate walkthrough video

During the Covid-19 pandemic, most regions don't allow in-person visits and open houses, so posting walkthrough videos for your online listed properties has become more important than ever to make them stand out. However, you don't need to hire professional videographers or splurge on expensive cameras to succeed with your real estate video presentations. Here are some easy tips to ace the walkthrough video on your mobile phone:

• Prepare the property

Make a house look bigger and brighter by getting rid of clutter and filming at the sunniest time of day. Do a walkthrough yourself before you start filming, to make sure no stranded item has been left behind that can make your video look less professional (like an odd water bottle, for example).

• Make a script

While you're not acting in your real estate listing video, it's still useful to write down a script to help you focus. Decide in which order you'll go through the rooms, working through a logical sequence that you have seen people follow when visiting places in person.

Consider, as well, what unique features the property has that you can highlight. It's better to think of these in advance so you can zoom in when you're filming through the rooms.

• Pay attention to lighting

You might need to shoot different rooms at different times of day, depending on the amount of sunlight coming in. You may also want to use an external LED light to enhance your shots and bring out more details when you film. With your video editing app, put all the shots in a logical order after you finish filming.

• Pick some music

With the help of your video editing app, add a musical background to your walkthrough. It will make it less boring to watch and you avoid having to voice over a description. Music for real estate videos tends to fall into the soft lounge, jazz or classical category.

• Get creative

When you walk through a home, you will look closer at certain details or turn to view the same room from different angles. Recreate this with creative real estate videos featuring different angles and lighting. You can get some inspiration from other walkthroughs available online. 

Film for mobile

Mobile video consumption has been rising 100% every year. Your real estate walkthrough videos, therefore, need to be optimized to load quickly on cell phones and to be clear enough for mobile users.

Probably the easiest way to ensure this is to shoot your real estate promo videos straight from your phone and edit them to look as professional as possible. During the editing process, you'll be able to adjust the screen size, image quality, and loading time, so that you know you're offering prospective clients the best videos to browse through on their phones.

Collaborate with influencers 

Just like in any marketing domain, there are real estate video influencers who can help sell your properties and raise your profile!

Have a look at some of the influencers that come up in top lists like this one and contact them with a proposal. If you get one of them to cross-reference your listing or even do a video of your property on their channel, your visibility will skyrocket.

Even if you can't collaborate with these guys directly, you can still use their content for inspiration, which should help you come up with more creative ideas for your real estate video production. 

Create your own word of mouth

Another great type of real estate marketing you can do on your own social media channels is to interview your satisfied clients in order to create video referrals. Ideally, ask your clients if they're willing to be interviewed in the property you've sold them, once they settle in. Ask them what they liked about how you worked with them and how they feel about their purchasing choice now.

You can then edit this video into a great referral, but also use some snippets from it blended in with your original listing video to advertise your entire selling process. 

Run Q&As and give advice

Just like in any domain, you'll want to establish yourself as an authority in real estate in your area. To do this, shoot videos where you advise buyers on how to pick the best property, how to search the market, etc. Basically, these are educational videos that show your prospective clients that you have excellent knowledge, while also empowering them to go through the selling and buying process. As you're helping them, you're becoming a trusted advisor that they are more likely to want to get in touch with.

Filming live Q&A sessions is another great way to boost engagement for your brand. Set up some Instagram or Facebook Live videos for your followers and ask them to provide some questions upfront so you hit the ground running. This is an excellent way to build a strong, engaged prospect list.

If you've been running a real estate business for years and are finding it harder to set yourself apart from the competition, turning to real estate video production is a great way to raise engagement and publicize your brand, as well as sell some properties. And, if you're just starting out, your fresh perspective on real estate could land you some great clients thanks to Q&As and live sessions on your social media channels.

Remember: the key to success is not just publishing creative real estate videos on your listings page, but also using video in all your marketing, from social media to cold intros. Good luck!