Shoot quality real estate videos using your smartphone

Innovations in technology have shifted real estate marketing away from traditional practices towards an online approach with more visual stimulation such as video.

Video can be a powerful and effective tool when it comes to marketing in real estate. In fact, according to the National Association of Realtors®, 86 percent of home shoppers’ research videos to find out more about a specific community and 65 percent of YouTube videos posted by real estate professionals are able to pull leads.

While video production may seem intimidating, there shouldn’t be any concern with buying fancy equipment. Most of today’s smartphones are perfectly capable of producing the quality of video necessary to achieve the right marketing results.

Here are several easy video ideas you can create using your smartphone:

• Virtual walk-throughs. After getting the listing, ask the homeowner for permission to do a two to three-minute walk-through introducing the home. At the end, introduce yourself and include your contact information. The result is a video that can be shared on social media, YouTube, Vimeo, and email marketing materials.

• Testimonials. Don’t overlook the power of testimonials from a buyer or seller. Be sure to get the clients consent before recording.

• Instant responses. Realtors® can use video recorded on their smartphones to provide instant responses to phone calls and emails that they cannot give an immediate response to. This will help create an instant connection and differentiate you from the competition.

• Give thanks. Realtors® can forward customized video messages to express thanks to open house visitors, other Realtors® that have shown their listings, and sellers that allowed their homes to be previewed.

• Neighborhood tour. A neighborhood video, created by a local Realtor® who truly understands the neighborhood, may generate more emotional attachment.

Practice by taking videos around your office, and when you feel like you have the hang of it, try it out at one of your listings.

Once finished, make sure the video is ready to share on social media networks. Most smartphones have YouTube apps built-in, so the video can made available on the Internet shortly after completition. YouTube also generates a code that users can use to embed it on a website, or share it via social media to catch the attention of potential buyers.