Video Isn’t Just About Your Listings
For the last several months, Vancouver Realtor Ian Watt has been blogging his daily thoughts about real estate by video.
It’s a really bare bones production – he just props up a small camera on his dashboard and records himself as he drives to and from his listing appointments.
If you haven’t seen them, it’s one of the most interesting uses of video in real estate I’ve seen. You can see these video diaries on his web site at ianwatt.ca. Go watch a few and then come back.
Now, part of the attraction certainly is that Ian has a dynamic personality that’s just made for video (and, as a fellow Canuck, I get a kick out of the accent); but, more deeply, I think it’s because while watching his videos you get the feeling you’re getting a sneak peek into his world, which builds a kind of intimate connection with you and me, the viewers. You really feel like you’re in that car with Ian and he’s talking directly to you.
Most importantly, the reason Ian’s videos work is they hit on three important things in online video. They are short, entertaining and they are spontaneous; there’s no script, so it’s authentic and Ian gets to demonstrate his expertise in real time.
One of the big takeaways I got from the Digital Video Summit and REBarCamp last week in New York was that the real estate industry has perhaps been led astray in their thinking around online video. Too much of the focus to date has been on using video to market listings on the web, but the reality is that may not even the best/most economical use for video in real estate.
Video is much more than that and through video blogs, video chat, neighborhood tours, market reports, it is a powerful way to build connections with an audience online; whether that be colleagues, clients or consumers.
Just ask Ian Watt.
By the way, if you are interested in trying your hand at videoblogging; Ian is hosting a competition through Strutta.com for the most original real estate video blog. Details in the video, of course.
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19 Comment(s)
6 Trackback(s)
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Dave deBruyn | Jan 16, 2009 | Reply
Great article! Ian Watt’s video blogging has definitely created quite the stir in the Vancouver market. Just goes to show that creativity & energy go a long way when it comes to setting yourself apart online.
Ian Watt | Jan 16, 2009 | Reply
Video killed the radio star and it’s doing a number on the text bloggers too. When I first started video blogging I was terrible and I hated it but I knew this was the future so I kept at it. I encourage everyone to get a FlipCam and be your local expert. Remember doing the first one is the hardest, so to help you out I have set up a contest at http://ianwatt.strutta.com/ for 2 years free of http://www.ubertor.com/ – that should be enough motivation. Good luck with your videos and don’t worry about the production value – it’s a message not a commercial.
PS
Thank you for the awesome article Joel, but accent? Really?
Greg Afarian | Jan 16, 2009 | Reply
Hey Joel,
Nice article! I had the pleasure to meet Ian at Inman. His videos are entertaining which keep people captivated. Your 100% right. Video’s shouldn’t be just for listings, they should be looked as a portfolio of content that is yours.
Whether your doing a video blogs, video profiles, community videos, video testimonials, video messages, video interviews, or a video walk through, these are all things that help a Realtor build their “personal brand”. At the end of the day, it’s the trust you build with this content that helps you connect with your clients and nothing says it better than video!
Mike Price | Jan 16, 2009 | Reply
Joel,
First I want to thank you again for having me at Connect to moderate a couple of the Digital Video Summit sessions. I enjoyed it and was pleasantly surprised at the turnout. Hopefully Phil with Wellcome Mat will get his flip videos of the sessions up for those that couldn’t make it.
I couldn’t agree more with your point that video content and its use to support brands goes way beyond just listings. I really believe that the use of video and the distribution opportunities that come with it are the perfect platform to create community and business profile content. Guys like Ian are validating their consultative services by establishing their own media production, publishing and distribution platforms – it doesnt have to be Spielberg – It’s the message that matters. How about the guy in the distribution panel that said he built his own in-house system to create content? Brilliant. The barriers to entry are gone. The question isn’t if you are going to need to develop a strong content creation work flow, it’s when. 2009 will be the year that you see a wide variety of strategies implemented at different levels and across brands really large and really small. It’s gonna be fun.
Best
MP
Teri Conrad | Jan 16, 2009 | Reply
Hi Joel – You’ve highlighted one of my favorite local Realtors here in Vancouver. I love Ian’s approachability and his shoot from the hip opinions. At least you always know he’s being straight with you!
I agree video is the future!
Thanks for the great blog!
Cheers!
Teri
Tim White | Jan 16, 2009 | Reply
“How about the guy in the distribution panel that said he built his own in-house system to create content? Brilliant. The barriers to entry are gone.”
Mike, I’m that guy and I appreciate the affirmation. Often times I feel like I’m talking to myself when espousing the virtues of video in real estate to my colleagues. Nevertheless, I persist.
This year, I will be launching a new real estate channel called isellboston.tv (or isellboston.com/tv). The site will include all things real estate delivered in HD video. Beyond listings and agent profiles, which I am obliged to publish, I will be covering neighborhood assocaition meetings, interviewing local business owners, politicians, community organizers, etc. I will also be publish videos on local home improvements, zoning laws, permiting proecesses, etc.
Just for a moment, forget out the value of captuing and publishg this valuable, hyperlocal infomtation online. Think instead of the incredible networking opportunities the act of bearing witness will produce. I’ll be hobnobbing and stroking the egos of the community elite, I will offer local homeowners insigth in the the process and cost associated with home improvements as well as walking them through the permitting process. After a year or two of doing this day in and day out, I will have hundreds of professionally produced locally relevant videos in my online library. That will be thing of value. But again, rember the betworking…the real life interaction that will occur while captuing the event, interview, etc.
Now imagine that I offer training to all of my 35+ agents and staff on the basics of shooting video. Nothing more that shooting the video. They will then bring back the raw footage and our in-house video editing department will take the raw footage and create a quality product–somehting the agents and their clients can take pride in.
There’s obviosly much more that goens into this which I will share in a new industry-facing blog that I will launch before the end of 1st quarter 2009. My intention is to share my experience with other realtos in a very transparent way.
Overland Park Realtor | Jan 16, 2009 | Reply
Great article Joel, and video blog by Ian. I do wonder how much interest a prize of a templated website will draw?? While the sites look nice, the demographic of people that one would most likely be looking towards for the best entrees (IMO), are most likely the type of people beyond the point of needing a template website built.
Steve Jagger | Jan 17, 2009 | Reply
@Overland Park Realtor – Keep in mind Ubertor sites are not just templated sites. The system can be completely customized. The CSS is unlocked so that any CSS designer can get in there any customize it. IanWatt.ca is an example of just that. He runs on our system, but it is a completely unique, custom site.
I hope that help and look forward to seeing your video entry.
Thanks,
Steve
Christian Sterner | Jan 17, 2009 | Reply
Ian Watt’s The Man! Joel, thanks again for making such an effort to provide a state of the union in the real estate video space. Great times as usual.
Joseph Bridges | Jan 17, 2009 | Reply
Joel,
Thanks for this. I agree that the biggest push in real estate has been for video about the listings but Ian has showed how it can be diversified into showing people what it takes to be a success in real estate.
My brother(twin) like to use video to talk about different areas of the city and show people what they can expect instead just one listing.
This is great to see another use for video and the tips of unscripted as so many people spend, in my opinion, too much time preparing for video instead of just doing it.
Jim Reppond | Jan 18, 2009 | Reply
Completely agree, Joel.
Much of my blog post last month was talking about the same kind of issues. I think we are going to see a lot more interesting stuff now that video is more mainstream.
http://www.theseattlespecialist.com/seattle-real-estate/online-video-is-beginning-to-become-the-new-normal-for-real-estate
Irene Chandler and Jim Shultz | Jan 18, 2009 | Reply
Thank you for the very beneficial and insightful article. We are using numerous videos on our site and mostly they are not about the properties, but rather about the community and the real estate market. Our clients so far seem to value them.
Thanks again!
Overland Park Realtor | Jan 19, 2009 | Reply
Hi Steve,
Definitely not trying to knock Uberton, I apologize if it came across that way.
Hey Ian, Great Video Blog. Be careful using the video site your using for your blog embeds (they will remain nameless so I don’t trigger their Google Alert). I see you have been using them for a long time but they removed all of my videos and deleted my account one day out of the blue because my videos were for “commercial use”. I have since been using Christian Sterner’s site http://www.Wellcomemat.com for my embedded vids. Just a heads up.
Christian Sterner | Jan 19, 2009 | Reply
@Michael/Overland Park,
Don’t blame me for WellcomeMat! It’s not all my fault: Phil “DiVideo” DiGiulio and Haider Zainy made me do it (the other co-founders).
And btw…you are not the only one orphaned by the un-named video site. I am hearing the numbers span into the hundreds.
José de Golferichs | Jan 20, 2009 | Reply
Great materials, very Real Estate focused, I do belive that video blogging, will be more important in the future, however, text will still rule due to indexing of contents. Here in Mexico, at http://www.multilistado.com we are inviting the real estate community to do as much video blogging as possible.
Andover MA Realtor | Jan 22, 2009 | Reply
Interesting article. I have always thought of video as a marketing tool for listings but now I am thinking of other uses for video.
I think highlighting a town on entry pages would definitely be a good use.
Tony Sena | Jan 27, 2009 | Reply
Having videos on your website can keep consumers on your site longer and allows you to make a connection to increase your chances of them contacting you via email or phone!
Seh | Jun 23, 2009 | Reply
After overcoming the initial fact of posting video, I noticed I needed a way to market the video. I struggled with creating any significant traffic until I located http://www.adwido.com these guys enhanced my search traffic and gave me a free account. Video is something I definitely will set you apart from the competition.
David Weir BA, CD | Nov 22, 2009 | Reply
Awesome information. I have had video listing and blogging ideas in mind for quite some time but was not sure if our market at CFB Trenton would need it. Now I know it is a must have.
David Weir
david@davidweir.com