I love it when I feel like I am one of the first to discover a new technology, and this past weekend I found out about a very cool new video app for the iPhone!

Just released this weekend is a brand new iPhone app: HighlightCam.

I know, who needs one more video tool, right? That’s what I thought until I played around with the app. If you ever shoot any video, and then try to edit it, you know it can be time intensive and frankly kind of a pain. HighlightCam makes it super easy:

1. Once you have the app open, you pick your video clips to be included in the video
2. You can then write a quick title and choose if you want it to be a landscape of portrait video.

That’s it!

The app takes all your video clips, and with their technology, edits out the bad parts of the video! I tried it with some video I had of my kids and was pleasantly surprised.

Since this is still new, and in beta, you can’t control which party are edited out – but you can choose from a couple settings what you’d like the focus of the video on: balanced, people, action, voice. At this point you can’t add music, but I would love to see that in the future.

How could a real estate agent use this?

For real estate agents I think it would be a really fun idea to walk the neighborhood of a listing with your iPhone and take a bunch of quick video shots: the park on the corner, the closest elementary school, the local coffee shop – and then make a quick one-minute video with this app. You could also do this for your buyers – you could shoot a bunch of quick videos of different neighborhoods to give your buyers (expecially if they are relocation buyers), an idea of the look and feel of a neighborhood. Once it’s created, you can upload your video to Facebook or YouTube.

The app is free and then you receive 10 free credits. You can then purchase additional credits through their website.

This weekend, Robert Scoble interviewed the CEO of the company who gives a complete demo of the app.

Click here to view the video>>

I’d love your feedback – what do you think? Have you seen this app? Will you try it out? Leave me a comment below!

Written by: Katie Lance, Senior Marketing Manager, Inman News, @katielance

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Get a crash course in everything you need to know about real estate technology in one six-hour day. Agent Reboot will teach you the latest in mobile technology, Facebook for business, video marketing, lifestyle branding, WordPress blogging, iPad strategies and much more!

March 9th: 8 AM – 3 PM
Washington State Convention Center

Register now >> (use code ‘WKLYHL’ to receive discount)

Check out this video that will tell you what you can expect from Agent Reboot! (click here to view)


Hear some of the best industry experts all in one day at Agent Reboot Seattle:

• Daniel Rothamel, Founder of RealEstateZebra.com, @realestatezebra
• Chris Smith, Co-Creator, Tech Savvy Agents, @techsavvyagent
• Charlie Engel, Vice President of Sales – Real Estate, Oodle, Inc, @oodle_RE
• Darin Persinger, Founder, ProductivityJunkies.com @socialcruiting
• Sherry Chris, CEO, Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate, @sherrychris
• Brad Andersohn, Outreach Manager, Zillow.com, @Zillow
• John Robinson, Manager, Partner Relations Zillow.com, @Zillow
• Dale Chumbley, Realtor, Prudential NW Properties, @DaleChumbley
• OB Jacobi, President, Windermere Real Estate
• Ron Sparks, Managing Vice President, Coldwell Banker Bain, @RonSparks2010

View complete program here >>

Agent Reboot is a smart investment of your time and your money. For only $49 you will walk away from Agent Reboot with strategies you can implement in your business immediately. Also, you’ll get a chance to network with some of the top agents and brokers who live and work in Washington state!

Save $50, register today and pay only $49!

Register now >> (use code ‘WKLYHL’ to receive discount)

See what people had to say about Agent Reboot last year:

“Agent Reboot was an invaluable way to encapsulate what the relevant technology trends are for the individual real estate agent today. As an owner of a brokerage, it was a no-brainer to encourage all of our agents to attend this event.”

“What a great day. In the first half hour I got my money’s worth. I’ll be at least a month processing all the information but I have already put 5 things into action. Thank you. Thank you.”

“It was up to date and informative beyond my expectations. I liked the group forum on stage and adding local experts so it doesn’t seem out of touch for the area.”

Not in the Seattle area? Check out the complete list of cities we will be at this year (24 total!)

Also, check out the latest happenings with all the Agent Reboot events on Facebook and Twitter!

Written by: Katie Lance, Senior Marketing Manager, Inman News, @katielance

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I am always on the hunt for marketing that is fun, unique and viral. I came across this awesome video from NP Dodge Real Estate this week that incorporates all of those themes.

They posted it on the Inman News Facebook page and I knew immediately I had to feature this on FOREM!

I interviewed Jodee Drake-Soto, Vice President of Marketing for NP Dodge Real Estate this week to get the “skinny” on this video. Jodee led with project with the support of the NP Dodge marketing team and Amoura Productions. NP Dodge currently has 15 offices and 500 agents and is the oldest real estate company in the United States – 2010 marked NP Dodge’s 155th year in business.

Jodee says,

“As the oldest real estate company in the United States, we can sometimes be regarded as old and conservative.  This couldn’t be further from the truth.

Our culture is hard to describe on paper but you feel it when you walk into any of our offices—from the warm greeting you receive to the feeling like you’re part of the family when you meet with our professionals.

The pride of the company and support for one another is contagious.  We are a family growing every day.

Click here to view the video

Q: When was this video announced? What has the reaction been?

A: This video was introduced at our annual awards celebration event held on Friday, February 11, 2011. With the support of our division’s president, Mike Riedmann, we combined our awards celebration and holiday party into one event celebrating 2010.

The response has been outstanding!  We believed our agents and employees would enjoy it but didn’t realize how strongly they would embrace it.  The anticipation and excitement leading up to the video debut was wonderful.  Cheers, laughter and smiles filled the room and set the tone throughout the entire evening.  As the video has been shared with others, the excitement continues to grow each day with many from our local community embracing it as well.

The positive feedback ranging from emails to even being approached as you walk by has shown how much people are enjoying it and loving NP Dodge.

Q:  Who came up with the idea?

A: I enjoy pop culture and finding innovative ways to brand your organization.  I thought a lip dub would not only be fun to direct, but also an opportunity to showcase our talent—our agents and employees—and help others gain some insight into our amazing culture.

Q: How in the heck did you get so many Realtors on board with it?!

A: In November, I called N.P. (Nate) Dodge V and asked if he and his father, N.P. (Sandy) Dodge IV would participate in our special video to kick off our annual awards celebration.  He was on board and said they would do whatever was needed to make it a success.  (Please note:  Nate and Sandy are the two gentlemen that high five each other in the beginning of the video.)

On December 21st, I met with our management team and introduced the video project for our awards event.  Each manager received information about their section of the song along with some scene ideas.

Since this was a completely new endeavor for us, I asked the managers to embrace this project, use their creativity, and have fun with their agents.  It was an opportunity for each office to shine and show off their unique personalities and help show the energy in their offices.

Dress code, props, dance moves, scene ideas etc. could all be decided by their team members.  I told them it’s a new era for NP Dodge celebrations – let us see and feel the energy in your offices.

Q: How long did it take to create?

A: The filming took four full days in early January.  In June 2010 I announced to the NP Dodge marketing team we would be doing a lip dub to “I’ve Gotta Feeling”.

We worked on concepts periodically throughout the next few months.  I met with possible video production companies in October and selected Amoura Productions in November.  Late December I introduced the idea to our management team and two weeks later we were filming.

Q: Where was it filmed?

A: We shot footage at ten sales offices, two corporate offices and the convention center where the event was held.  The locations included Omaha, Papillion, La Vista, Fremont, and Blair, Nebraska and Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Q: How did you select the song?

A: I selected the Black Eyed Peas song “I’ve Gotta Feeling” to introduce our new format for our first combined celebration.  As the lyrics go…“I’ve gotta feeling that tonight’s gonna to be a good night, that tonight’s gonna be a good night, that tonight’s gonna be a good, good night” really captured the spirit of the evening.  The last segment of the video shows our management team walking in the doors of the convention center and proceeding to the ballroom with our president, Mike Riedmann, opening the door of the ballroom.

Thanks Jodee for your time and for your creativity to put this together. I can only imagine the time and organization it took to pull this off. Hats off to NP Dodge for thinking outside the box and doing something new and fun!

You can find NP Dodge on Facebook and Twitter.

What do you think? I’d love your feedback on this – leave me a comment below!

Written by: Katie Lance, Senior Marketing Manager, Inman News @katielance

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Whether you are new to real estate, or a true veteran – the expertise you have is one of the key things that sets you apart.

Here are a few simple keys to help build your credibility and expertise online:

1. Consider creating a “how to” video.
One of the most popular phrases searched for on YouTube or Google is “how to.” That means that if you want your video to be found by the most people, make sure you use the words “how to” in the title of the video. In terms of the content for the video, think about some of the questions you most commonly get from your clients. Think of the tabs on your website – I bet you have information on site such as:

• Getting your home ready for market
• Pricing your home right
• What to look for in a Realtor®
• Who pays for what (closing costs, etc)
• Why you should stage your home
• When is the best time to go on the market

Any one of those topics could be quick 30-45 second videos. You could easily shoot a short video and edit it with a Flip Cam or the Kodak PlayTouch. Upload it to YouTube and then post it on your Facebook page, web site, blog, etc.

Quick Video Tips:

• When you shoot your video practice what you are going to say a couple times before you shoot it and keep it short and to to the point – under a minute is best!
• Make sure you start your video with something like:

“Hi this is ____ from ______ (company)”

This is very important because video (especially if done right) becomes viral, so when your video gets forwarded around, you want people to know who you are and how they can reach you!

2. Answer questions online. There are tons of places where people are asking questions about real estate. Here are a few of  my favorite:

• LinkedIn Answers
• Trulia Voices
• Zillow Advice
• Quora
• Your own Facebook page!

Each of these is an opportunity for you to demonstrate your expertise – whether it is with 1st time home buyers, luxury listings, vacation/second homes, people downsizing, REOs/short sales, etc. You can also speak to your expertise within a certain county, city or community.

Create an account at one of these sites and then search for relevant questions. Try to make it a point to answer one to two questions per day based on your expertise. The key, just like anything else is time. I recommend starting with just one site and getting your feet wet. If it’s something you are comfortable with then spend more time on there or expand your expertise to the other sites I mentioned.

3. Publish content that is “evergreen.”
One of the best things you can do is to create a piece of content that is “evergreen” – meaning it has a very long shelf life. Consider writing a paper on something you are the expert at – something people ask you all the time. Perhaps you create a white paper, or a short PDF – something that is uniquely you.

You can leverage this in many ways. You can keep it on your website or blog or use it as a “carrot” for people to sign up for your email newsletter. You could easily take one of the topics mentioned above and expand upon them in a 1-2 page document that becomes your evergreen content.

One last thing…

Nothing turns off more people than touting “I am the expert!”Instead, use these tools to prove your expertise without actually having to say you are the expert. Actions speak louder than words, right?!

I’d love your feedback on this subject. Have you done any of the above? Leave me a comment below!

Written by: Katie Lance, Senior Marketing Manager, Inman News @katielance

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Guest post by Veneeta Eason, Director, Worldwide Marketing Manager – Real Estate for Kodak.

If pictures are worth a thousand words, can you imagine how much a video is worth?  People are watching over 2 billion videos a day on YouTube.  Video creates a more personal connection, and if nothing else, that’s what Real Estate professionals do every day.   Video has the ability to increase your business, build better relationships, and amplify your credibility.  With today’s technology, it is easier than ever to capture great video.

Here are five easy ways to integrate video into your marketing efforts:

1.    Cover a Local Event. This is a powerful way to position yourself as an authority within your community.  The one who holds the microphone will naturally be perceived as the expert.  Examples of events are a parade, picnic celebration or school fundraiser.  Interview neighbors, dignitaries, teachers and students (with parent permission, of course).  There is an emotional connection to these types of events and what better place for you to be than in the midst of that positive connection.

2.    Interview Local Vendors. This is a low-hanging fruit opportunity to become the dominant video source for your area.  People in the community are looking for information on businesses within their community.  Restaurants, repair services, child-care facilities and dry cleaners are just a few examples.  Focus the interview on why the proprietor loves serving the community.  Be creative.  Offer an “Interview Corner” and feature one per week.   As viewers find these videos, they will find you too!   Here is a sample shot by our real estate group using a simple pocket video camera.

3.    Make a Video Testimonial. What sells you better than having real clients raving about how invaluable you were in the process of buying or selling a home?  At the closing, set your camera up on a tabletop tripod and simply ask the client to talk about their experience working with you.  Make it informal and have 3 or 4 questions prepared where they can offer up 20 second answers. These testimonials can be posted on your YouTube channel, your Facebook page, LinkedIn, and even mentioned in Twitter.

4.    Capture Home Tour Vignettes for Buyers. How often have you shown multiple homes to a buyer and they can’t distinguish one home from another or even remember what they saw?  Now you have to schlep them back to the same homes again.  As you walk through the homes, shoot quick videos of each home…what the buyer liked or didn’t like.  When you send the video to the buyer, they will inevitably share with friends and family…voila, viral marketing for you.

5.    Become the Go-To Expert for Real Estate. You can provide information on market trends, short sale and foreclosure tips or interview an expert (i.e. lenders, title professionals, home inspectors).   For example, you can interview a home inspector highlighting what things to look for before buying a home.  Create an editorial calendar of the content you would like to provide, identify who you will team up with (if necessary) and ask them to participate.

Creating video has never been easier.  To get started:

• Get a great pocket video camera like the new KODAK PLAYTOUCH Video Camera. The KODAK PLAYTOUCH offers an external microphone jack, which will give you excellent sound quality. This is a “must have” feature for agent marketing videos.
• Shoot the video in 720p or 1080p High Definition. Use a tripod as it steadies the video and will allow you to have a natural stance behind the camera and frees up your hands to be in front of the camera.
• Easily edit your video using your camera’s on-screen editing features or import your video into video editing software. Some easy-to-use packages are Windows Movie Maker and iMovie.
• Post it on YouTube, and get a share icon to embed on your website and within your signature on your email.
• Tag all your videos properly. Use keywords that will help them get found on searches, and include the city names of the areas that you are marketing in.  A great free tool is YouTube’s Keywords Tool. Use it to research the most commonly used terms for your area.

Above all, remember to have fun. Sometimes we forget that behind every great agent and broker is an individual with family and friends.  You may not be able to generate business with the video you capture of those family and friends, but isn’t that what life is all about?

Don’t forget to have fun and keep your video camera handy for all of life’s incredible Kodak Moments.

To receive 20% off the KODAK PLAYTOUCH Video Camera, visit www.kodak.com/go/redeal.

(Note to our readers: I was able to “play” with a KODAK PLAYTOUCH camera at Agent Reboot and Real Estate Connect NYC and it was a blast! It was super easy to use and I was able to get some great impromptu videos. Thanks Kodak! – Katie Lance, Senior Marketing Manager, Inman News @katielance)

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Senior Vice President, Paul Zweben brings a freshness and energy to New York City real estate. He is always active on his popular blog www.hungrydomaine.com where he discusses real estate and food (including some excellent recipes), he also utilizes Twitter and his real estate Facebook fanpage to keep his friends and clients up to the second on all real estate related news.

Why do I want to go to Inman’s Agent Reboot?

Every person that works as an independent contractor needs a kick in the Tuckus (Yiddish for butt) every now and then.

What better time to reboot, re-energize and get my tuckus kicked then the beginning of January, every year!

On the 11th of this month I will get so much more than the following 5 things:

1. I will get to meet old and new colleagues from all over the country and talk to them about their markets, what they did last year and what they are doing this year to make an even stronger impact on their clients needs and to create a better financial situation for themselves. Sharing, learning is such a passion of mine and I need to feed it constantly.
2. I finally get to listen to @nik_nik about what she is using as the most relevant tools in Technology. ( I have followed her on Twitter for a long time, but never had the privilege of meeting her)
3. I want our Facebook fan page to be even better then it already is. @nik_nik is going to school me on this too:) I need more fans and I want it to work for our team!
4. I attacked videos last year- but am I doing it correctly? Am I getting the best SEO? Are people responding to my videos? Looking forward to listening to Darin Persinger!!! #Teachme!!!
5. Every day in my outlook calendar it says, we need an I-Pad for listing presentations, and every day I move it to the next day and never buy one! Why do I need it? How can I wow the potential seller?

I am so excited just writing about this!!!

See you all on the 11th at Agent Reboot #agentrb (and then the 12th-14th for Real Estate Connect NYC #ICNY!)

(Thank you Paul for the guest post!! See you in New York City!! – Katie)

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Bill Risser is an Assistant Vice President and Branch Manager for Chicago Title in Phoenix Arizona. When he is not conducting workshops or closing escrows, he can be found at the movies with his wife or golfing with his son. Follow Bill on Twitter @billrisser or friend him on Facebook.

Recently, I completed what some of my friends called a foolhardy challenge. Back on June 11th, I posted a video blog entry and proudly proclaimed it was the first in a series of one hundred video posts in one hundred business days. Yep, I would shoot a video on a title/escrow or technology topic and post every business day. The first ten were easy enough, but by video twenty, I really wished I had challenged myself to thirty posts. Without missing a day, video one hundred was finally posted on November 4th.

The purpose of the challenge was to force myself to practice a couple different things. One was content creation. It is definitely the biggest challenge facing agents that decide to start blogging. Second, I wanted to learn more about shooting and editing video. Video is considered by many to be important for content and allowing readers to get a better feel for the blogger as a person.

My entire series was shot on a Flip Mino. I shot from a tripod on my desk, and edited first with Flip Share (the software that comes with the Flip) and later with Windows Movie Maker. I intentionally used free editing software, and a low budget camera to see what could be created at minimum expense.

I like the results. I did two multi-part tutorial series (one on HootSuite and one on Facebook). I created a video I intend to continue producing called 20 RE Professionals, 1 Question. I became comfortable with these video tools and I can now help agents learn and use them. Best of all, I now have a library of over 100 videos at my disposal. If a client sends me an e-mail asking for an explanation about the lenders policy of title insurance, I can reply with a link to the video post in my blog that answers the question.

Video number one hundred is below. It’s a blooper reel from my challenge. If you decide to work with video, don’t just toss those mistakes. I began categorizing and saving them, with the intention of eventually using them. I’d love to hear what you think…

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Written by: Katie Lance, Senior Marketing Manager, Inman News

More and more of the people who follow you online have a short attention span.

We are constantly being distracted by email, phone, Facebook, Twitter, text messages and more. How do you capture people’s attention? VIDEO!

Video evokes an emotion, it tells a story, it makes you stand out, and it gets your point across faster!

If you are like most real estate agents, video is likely the last type of content that you are actively using online to promote your business.

After all, it seems much harder to produce than it really is and most people get stuck with what to say or what to do. However, video can be the easiest type of

content to create if you follow a few basic rules.

5 easy video rules:

1. Get an easy to upload camera. I love the new Kodak camera – the Z18 – this camera lets you automatically upload your videos to Facebook or YouTube. Or, my favorite, use your iPhone!

2. Shoot exactly what you want so you don’t need to edit anything.

3. Get close enough for good sound. The issue with quality usually comes from sound – so try to get close enough so everything you want to hear will be audible.

4. Keep it short and sweet. The best videos are 30-45 seconds.

5. Don’t over think it. Don’t get stuck over-analyzing what you should video. Guess what, if you don’t like it, don’t use it!! Just dive in and start!

What type of video should you shoot? Here are 4 simple ideas:

1. Client testimonials. How about the next time you close a sale, you ask your clients if you can take a quick 1-minute video of the happy family? Have 2 or 3 pre-planned questions and ask them in advance what you are going to ask them.

2. Answer a question. Think of the questions you get asked over and over again – search your ’sent’ email for ideas! Shoot a quick video answering that question and then post it to your Facebook page or blog. You could easily create a library of the “top 10 questions people ask me.”

3. Quick home improvement tips. Have a simple tip for adding value to a home? Or an easy staging idea? Shoot a quick video of it!

4. Community video. How about a quick video of your favorite park, school, restaurant or neighborhood? There are unlimited possibilities with this idea. Keep it simple. Pick one location and make a 30 second video. How about interview the owner of the local pizza place? Make local connections, post the videos online and now you are really making the most of social networking!

Are you currently using video in your business? Would love your ideas and comments – leave me your feedback below!

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Tune in Wed. January 13th! Ask questions live via Twitter and Facebook to some of the very best leaders in the industry.

Brand NEW for Connect NYC 2010: Live Streaming and Interactive Video – “Spinnio” – courtesy of Dustin Luther. We will be LIVE on Wed. Jan. 13th from 11 am (EST) – 2:45 pm (EST) and then 5-6 pm (EST). During that time you can watch Inman News Columnist and Broker/Owner, Kris Berg interview some of the best of the best in the industry. You will be able to ask questions via Twitter and Facebook!

If you are going to be at Real Estate Connect NYC make sure to stop by the Inman booth (#904).

Click HERE to see the Inman Spinnio page and make sure to check back Wednesday to see all the action!

Scheduled so far are:

• Brad Inman, publisher Inman News (Wed. 1/13 at 1 pm EST/10 am PST)
• Craig Newmark, founder of craigslist.com (Wed. 1/13 at 2:30 pm EST/11:30 am PST).

This will be a great opportunity to “turn the tables” on these guys and ask hard-hitting questions.

Not yet registered? Very limited seating still available – click here to register.

View the complete conference program.

Written by: Katie Lance, Marketing Manager, Inman News

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Do you  hear the BUZZ in the air? This video is a great example of how FIRED UP people are about Real Estate Connect NYC January 13-15th, 2010.

Thanks @dcrealtorgirl for submitting this video! You rock!

See you at Connect!

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