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Want Your Listings To Really Shine? | Lighting for Residential Properties

July 2, 2018 By Stephen Garner

Light is one of the, if not the most important aspects of photography and videography. Great light makes people and things look beautiful. Trust me, those actors and models on TV, in movies and print publications look NOTHING like that IRL (In Real Life – for those of us over 40) – because they are properly lit.

One of the things that drives the photographers, filmmakers and editors at HUB Media Company crazy is mixed lighting. Not only is it harder to balance later in editing, it’s not visually appealing to your potential buyers.

What’s mixed lighting? Great question!😊

Mixed lighting is when some rooms are using daylight balanced bulbs (blue or cool) and others are using soft white or cool white (yellow-ish or or white – warm). “Oh yeah, I hate that too” you are currently saying 💪. As if this isn’t bad enough, the train wreck is multiple light fixtures that have a mix of both cool and warm lights 😱.

At HUB we recommend soft white 2,700 – 3,000K or cool white bulbs 3,500 – 4,100K in residential properties. “K” is for “Kelvin” as displayed on the bulbs and packaging. The higher the degrees of Kelvin, the whiter the color temperature.

To illustrate, the bulb at the top is soft white (warm – 2700k – 3,000k) the bulb in the middle is cool white (3,500 – 4,100 K) and the bulb at the bottom is daylight (cool – 5000k – 6,500k). See the difference? Now imagine a whole room or even house with mixed lighting or the wrong lighting entirely 🤓

So before you have your professional photos or video created, we encourage you to take a look around the property and take note of the lighting. In the initial listing presentation, suggest the seller replace the cool or blue lights with soft white (yellow or yellow – ish) or cool white (white)

Not only will the property look much better in your marketing photos and videos, but the seller will be blown away with your attention to detail and commitment to present their property in the best possible “light”. (See what I did there) “Light”, I used it in a funny way, ok well I digress… 💪💪🎥🎬

Now, this only applies to real estate agents using professional photo and video. If you are an agent still taking photos or your listings with your iPhone, (and I know you are not because you are receiving this email – meaning you are a #baller)…. disregard the above as there is nothing the correct lighting can do to fix the nuclear bomb you’re about to post online 👮‍♀️

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Zillow Enhanced Video Walkthrough | Benefits of using video in real estate

April 3, 2018 By Stephen Garner

As if you needed any more reasons to use video in your real estate marketing here goes one more – Zillow’s Enhanced Video Walkthrough – for Premier Agent Direct agents.

The top real estate professionals in the Phoenix metro area are all in when it comes to video. Whether it be cinematic property tours, lifestyle, green screen, talking head, explainer videos, webcam, lifestyle, agent/ team biopics or community videos, there are so many benefits to using video in your real estate business:

Video makes us smarter

Humans retain 58% more information when we are shown HOW to do something – visually. If you were making a new recipe for your family, would you prefer to read instructions from a recipe book or watch a video of someone making it?

Video builds trust and rapport

Studies have shown people are more likely to like and trust people they have seen in person – even in video marketing – than people they have only spoken to on the phone or through text or email.

Video is emotional

Video conveys so much more than text or pictures ever could. We are more likely to laugh, cry, be happy or sad by something we can see than something we read. If a picture says 1000 words, video says – them all.

Video is fast

We can convey a message is a shorter amount of time with video than text. It could take another real estate agent 20 minutes to convey their value proposition through text whereas that same message can be conveyed almost instantly through video. This is especially important given the immediate gratification, world we live in. As consumers attention spans get smaller you need to grab the consumers attention immediately. Video does that.

Video is believable

You are more likely to believe a video message than one comprised of text or pictures.

Video uses more of our senses

We naturally believe in what we can hear and see. It is easier for our brains to process. These visual cues in a video can convince us of the appeal of a product or service. A home for sale or even a real estate agents knowledge and experience.

Video Is Purple Cow

Most real estate agents have a website. Some real estate agents have multiple and some real estate companies have hundreds or even thousands of them. That is a lot of competition. Everyone has a website but not every real estate agent is using video in their real estate business. Nationally, less than 5% of real estate agents are using video. Video is different. In a sea of links on the 1st page of Google, Video sticks out like a sore thumb. Video is Purple Cow.

Video Gets Found Online

Video is 57% more likely to make it on the 1st page of Google than text alone. Many of our real estate agent partners have multiple videos on the 1st page of Google. If you were looking for real estate information about homes for sale, the Phoenix metro area, a subdivision/community, the buying or selling process, things to do – would you click one of the 9 links that all look the same or the video? Exactly.

Real estate professionals are using video to market themselves, their brands and their properties

Our real estate agent partners are leveraging their videos in places where consumers would naturally find them: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Vimeo, LinkedIn, Email, in their CRM’s like Commissions Inc, Kunversion or BoomTown or even syndicating them with platforms like BombBomb. Today’s consumer is starting their home search online in the comfort of their own homes or at work. Many of them will start their search on Zillow. Regardless of your thoughts on the advertising platform, Zillow has made itself indispensable in the minds of the consumer which means it makes sense for your videos to be on Zillow. Enter Zillow’s Enhanced Video Walkthrough.

Enhanced is the key word here. Real estate agents have had the option of uploading their own video walkthroughs of their properties using Zillow’s Smartphone App. But there was a problem. Real estate agents are real estate agents – not content marketers or video producers. Many of the walkthroughs uploaded did more harm than good. The walkthroughs were too fast, too shaky, too long – the lighting, composition and audio in many cases was horrible. It was certainly not the best way to showcase a property. But good news, agents advertising on the Premier Agent Direct program with Zillow can now upload their BRANDED professional videos, (listing agent is in the video, the kind we at Hub Media Company produce for them), to Zillow which now receive prominent placement on the website (highlighted below in red). Click the image below to be taken to this listing on Zillow.

It’s important to note – the Enhanced Video Walkthrough videos can be BRANDED meaning the listing agent can be in the video. You’re accustomed to seeing other real estate agents listed on the side of your listings on Zillow, but when there is a video present, why would a consumer ever call another agent that is marketing along the side of the listing when they have the listing agent, the agent that knows the most about the property, better than anyone else, right in front of them?

At HUB we have always believed having the listing agent in the video is vital to their branding and their business. Most real estate agents are chasing consumers around to tell them they are in real estate, spending thousands of dollars to differentiate themselves from their competition in the eyes of the consumer. We see the Enhanced Video Walkthrough as being huge for real estate agents that are leveraging professional video because they are in the video at the exact moment in time the consumer cares most about what they have to say. The consumer can SEE the agent, they can FEEL their passion for the property and they want a real estate agent that will market their most valuable asset in this manner (Seller Leads!!!). We also see this new Zillow feature as a great addition to any listing presentation “Mr/Mrs Seller: We wont just use cinematic video to present your property to the market, we will also place it on Zillow where over 80% of consumers are going to search for homes – can you see how powerful that can be in selling a home like yours” – sign here please. If only Phoenix area real estate agents could get ARMLS to highlight your videos in the same way instead of being essentially hidden on a secondary tab (hint hint),

Submission guidelines for listing videos and enhanced video walkthroughs (from Zillow)

* Videos should be shot in landscape mode, less than 10 minutes in length and less than 500MB in size.

* Videos should be focused primarily on a walkthrough of the actual property. Best practices include showcasing the unique features of the home and how the rooms of a home connect.

* Videos must be recorded on the property. We currently do not support computer-simulated or 3-D rendered videos. However, you can still provide a link to your 3-D tour on your listing via your MLS or broker feed.

* Branding is allowed but should be limited to a maximum of 5 seconds at the start and 10 seconds at the end of the video so the focus is on the listing. An occasional mention of the agent or brokerage name is allowed in the audio.

* Marketing information, such as name and phone number or brokerage logo, cannot be overlaid as text or a watermark for the length of the entire video.

* We do not accept slideshow videos as they do not provide the experience of an in-person tour.

* Please avoid videos that are primarily of people or text. Videos that are focused heavily on the agent or brokerage should also be avoided. Branding videos can be promoted with our Premier Agent Direct ad platform.

* You must be the listing agent in order to feature a video walkthrough on a listing.

* Videos should not include copyrighted content (e.g., music).

Next time you order a cinematic video from Hub Media Company let us know if you will be using the video on Zillow as well, we will make a specific Zillow compliant version for you at no charge. Ready to get started?

Video Order Form

**FOR AN IMMEDIATE BOOKING DATE PLEASE TEXT STEPHEN AT 480-223-8113 WITH REQUESTED DATE** Upon receiving your completed order form a representative from HMC will contact you to schedule your video at which time payment via credit card or PayPal will be due.

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- I Have Read and Agree to HMC's Terms Of Service as set forth by Hub Media Company
First of all, we want you to know that YOU own your media when working with Hub Media Company. We will never charge you additional licensing fees to use your video or photography products where you see fit - your website, facebook, instagram, blogs, magazines etc. However we do reserve the right to use the media in our own marketing. Now on to the legal stuff.... 1) Introduction. A contract is formed between a customer (referred to as the “customer”) and HUB Media Company (referred to as "HMC") when an order is received from the customer. An order may be in written, verbal or electronic form. The product or service shall mean any product or service that is provided by HMC to the customer. 2) As Is. Hub Media Company's {HMC} listing video's and photography products, while customized, are designed for 36 - 48 hour turnaround and therefore are considered "as is" products, available under our flat rate structure. All other products through HMC, subdivision and community videos, green screen, testimonials, seller story, commercial projects are custom projects, and require a separate proposal of services. 3) Supply. HMC agrees to supply the product(s) or service(s) to the customer as detailed in the order and according to the terms and conditions of this contract. 4) Payment. HMC shall issue an invoice to the customer in respect of products or services supplied, or to be supplied, the payment terms for which will be stipulated on the invoice. HMC reserves the right to charge interest on overdue amounts at an annual rate of 5% above the Lloyds TSB Bank base rate ruling on the date payment is due. 5) Liability. HMC accepts no liability for any loss or damage that may arise from the supply of the product(s) or service(s). In the unlikely event of HMC being unable to supply the product(s) or service(s) as specified in the order, liability shall be limited to the total invoice value – or monies already paid by the customer 6) Copyright. Unless otherwise specified in writing you own your media however HMC retains the right to use this material in its original and edited form as they see fit, unless otherwise agreed in the order. The customer must ensure that permission is sought for the inclusion of any copyright material they supply to HMC to enable them to deliver the product(s) or service(s). The customer must also ensure that permission is sought for the inclusion of any performers or performances, trademarks and locations. The customer agrees to indemnify HMC in the event of any breach of copyright claims being brought against HMC in respect of material supplied by the customer. 7) Care and Damage to Client Property. While every care is taken in the handling of the customer’s property, HMC accepts no responsibility whatsoever for any loss or damage, however caused, or any other loss by unforeseen circumstances while they are in the custody of HMC. Liability for such loss or damage will be limited to the replacement cost of the materials or media and in no circumstances will any liability attach to any claim for the value of the content. 8) Right of Assignment HMC retains the right to assign the supply and/or production of the product(s) or service(s) to the customer to another suitable company should they be unable to complete these terms and conditions. 9) Confidentiality. Unless otherwise agreed HMC will treat any information gained during the supply of the product(s) or service(s) as being private and confidential. Likewise, the customer shall keep confidential any methodologies and technology used by HMC to supply of the product(s) or service(s).

Building Your Real Estate Brand With Video Interviews

January 2, 2017 By Stephen Garner

Use interviews to align your real estate business with prominent builders, architects, interior designers and more — Use video interviews to align your real estate brand with prominent builders, architects, interior designers and more

The best real estate agents and teams are no longer transactional. In the old days the top real estate agents were only one off from their next deal – they ate what they killed if you will. Today the biggest and best real estate teams are publishers, publicists and producers, creating carefully crafted brands that work for them 24/7 – even while they sleep.

These teams, or brands if you will, carefully craft real estate content designed to educate and inform the consumer while bringing them closer – aligning themselves with the markets they serve. They have effectively created their own markets and now dominate them.

Content is what the consumer looks for we they head online. In the real estate space this content is homes for sale of course but it’s much bigger than that. Not every buyer knows right away where they want to call home. Depending on where they are in the sales cycle the buyer may start their search with schools, employers, things to do, communities and more. It’s by creating regular, valuable, educational and unique content that can help the consumer find them.

When it comes to real estate, consumers want to work with the expert. The real estate agent perceived to be the expert in a given area is perceived to have more and valuable information about the area. Information ranging from pocket listings to the best dentists, plastic surgeons, restaurants, builders, designers, social clubs, schools, communities and more. This information saves them time and money.

This content is a mix of old and new marketing. Old being direct mail, newsletters, postcards, flyers and new being national and international magazines, blog posts and articles, videos, social media ads, SEO, landing pages and more.

One of the common misconceptions about content marketing is the topic has to be about real estate. It doesn’t. One of the ways you can align yourself with an area or market and get more eyeballs on your brand is through the use of interviews. You can interview experts on the topics your market cares about and would seek out. Ideally these interviews should be in video form as video not only offers more information, it’s also faster and offers a deeper view into your brand. So, who should you interview? Here are some examples below.

Interior Designers

In the 1970’s houses had no personality and were just rooms we lived in until we moved to the next property. Today, homes have culture and personality. Today, it’s not uncommon to see homes with multiple rooms dedicated to various parts of the world or time periods. Interior design is a $9 Billion dollar industry with over 12,000 design firms and 68,000 interior designers. Choose a prominent interior designer that serves your market and interview him/her about current and emerging trends in your market. Where do they see interior design going in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley and why. Where should a homeowner begin their search for an interior designer and what qualifying questions should the buyer ask? This kind of video can be easily shared via email, social media, embedded in your website, added to a CRM and will likely be shared by the interior designer as a form of “social proof” – inserting you, the agent into the designers sphere of influence.

Architects

They say buildings are the voice of the community. The design of homes in Arizona (and the U.S. as a whole) has undergone significant changes over the last decade. Home layout – features, smart systems, and products; kitchens, baths and outdoor spaces. These key trends have been identified by the American Institute of Architects or AIA. The key trends that they identified are the growing popularity of universal design; increased attention to a healthy living environment; infill development, focus on improved design; and the growing popularity of kitchens as the focus of household activities. The AIA notes, formal living rooms and dining rooms are disappearing, replaced by great rooms, dens, and open-space layouts. There has also been significant growth in outdoor living. In decades past decks, patios, and outdoor grills were the focus, new design trends have expanded to outdoor kitchens and even fully furnished outdoor rooms. Interview a prominent Architect in your market. Ask them about emerging trends in Architecture. What are the trends they are seeing in Silverleaf, DC Ranch, Estancia, Fountain Hills and Paradise Valley and why. What should a buyer look for in an architect?

Landscape Designs

In Arizona we spend significant time outside our homes. We don’t just entertain outside, as noted above we are seeing the emergence of fully furnished outdoor rooms and kitchens. Tropical courtyards, elaborate water features, terraces, plants, flowers and trees help highlight architectural features such as fireplaces, gardens, sculptures and views. All of this is highlighted by elaborate outdoor lighting and curb appeal. In some parts of the valley its not uncommon for buyers to spend $100,000 or more on landscape design. Find a well known landscape designer or firm and interview them about emerging trends in landscape design. What is in and what is most definitely out? What are some of their favorite projects and why? Talk about before and after supported with images or videos.

Builders

One of the most common building trends is an exodus from dark and Tuscan homes to a light and bright Contemporary style. Hand scraped engineered wood is being replaced by wood-look tile. The grey’s and whites are everywhere. Appliances, once prominently displayed are now being carefully hidden behind disappearing walls and cabinets. Today’s builders are looking past Granite in high-end kitchens and expanding their horizons to engineered stone and other countertop options. Stainless steel, isn’t going anywhere but like granite, it’s everywhere – even in apartments. Builders are now favoring new designs from Miele — glass appliances in all black, white, red or chocolate. Cabinets are now comprised of lighter woods or more natural-colored walnuts. A high end kitchen isn’t complete without a Hoshizaki ice maker or a Miele Coffee System. Interview a prominent builder in the market your serve. While Shea and TW Lewis are great, the trend is in hiring smaller more intimate builders like Cullum, Salcito and Skapa Design Build. Find a builder in your market and interview them. What are some of their favorite projects and why. Are Arizona’s elite choosing infill projects closer to downtown or view lots overlooking Camelback or Mummy Mountain?

Takeaway

There are just a few of the interviews you can do. Aligning yourself with emerging trends in your area will not only differentiate you from your competition but will also help elevate your brand. These interviews can not only be sent to potential clients as “social proof” but also used in CRM’s, posted to social media, embedded in websites and indexed in search engines like Google – potentially living forever. Now, how should you film these interviews? Well, you could use your iPhone but I certainly wouldn’t recommend that. Good lighting, audio, angles, storyline, B-Roll etc will be imperative for these type of interviews. That’s where we come in. Hire Hub Media Company to help you create an educational interview series worthy of being shared not just by you, but the Architect, Landscape designer or builder you are trying to align yourself with. Want to learn more? Fill out the form below.

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Where To Get Music For Your Real Estate Videos

December 30, 2016 By Stephen Garner

real estate video music — Music for real estate videos

Over the years I’ve seen some amazing real estate videos. The shots are carefully crafted, the lighting is perfect, the editing is amazing, the aerial footage is insane. The video should of been great. There was only one thing wrong, and it’s a big one – the music.

Music can make or break your real estate video. The right music sets the tone and advances the story line. Music can add drama, heighten anticipation and add to the overall production. Music can make good videos great and otherwise great videos horrible.

Not all music is created the same. The music you choose for your real estate videos, whether it be property videos, community or subdivision videos, team or agent biopics or company biopics, lifestyle, talking head or even green screen should add to the story and not take away from it.

Unfortunately, many choose music that does not fit the target audience leaving the viewer hanging or not engaged.

Understanding your target audience

Although I started Hub Media Company in 2013, I’ve been shooting real estate videos since 2008. Before we edit a real estate video we have a clear understanding of who the target audience is. A baby boomer will require a different style of music and editing than a millennial. A baby boomer will generally be a slower style music track with less beats per minute and little if any EDM used. Whereas a Millennial could be the exact opposite. A baby boomer video’s editing style could require little if any transitions whereas a Millenial video could require multiple transitions – flashes, fades, blends and time lapses.

5620 Wilkinson Road Paradise Valley, Arizona | 4k from HUB Media Company on Vimeo.

Where To Get Music For Your Videos

There are thousands of websites dedicated to providing music tracks. Some free and some with a hefty cost associated with them. Below are some of the websites we’ve used to find music for our real estate partners.

YouTube

Yes, YouTube. Youtube has a large variety of music tracks and they are free. Sure, it’s not the best but did I mention its free? You can use Youtube’s music tracks in your real estate videos with monetization (advertising), sometimes without attribution to the creator. The tracks range from classical to fun and silly to corporate.

Audio Jungle

Audio Jungle, part of the Envato Market is a paid music provider. They have thousands of music tracks and sound effects, some for as little as $1. Most are $19+. You can use Audio Jungle’s search engine to search by popular, featured, top authors, most downloaded and more. With genres ranging from ambient to classical, children, cinematic, corporate, EDM, hip-hop, holiday, jazz, vocals and more. Best of all, because you are purchasing a license for the music you can use it on popular video hosting sites like YouTube without fear of monetization (someone advertising on your video). Note, AudioJungle and the other sites below offer a single use license meaning you must pay each time you use the track in a video.

The Music Bed

The Music Bed is all about creatives. Primarily used by filmmakers, the Music Bed has some amazing tracks – at a cost. Often used for broadcast, films, documentaries, commercials and paid advertising, tracks on the music bed can range from $50 to $300+ based upon the music’s use. You can search by genre, mood, artist, length, instrument, beats per minute, lyrics, vocals and more.

Marmoset

Marmoset is a creative agency specializing in perfectly pairing music with motion picture, video and film. You can search Marmoset’s library based upon almost anything – energy, mood, arc, length, instruments, or even request a custom track be made for your production. Yes, it is pricy however I find the best music (most complex) on Marmoset. Tracks on Marmoset can range from $199 to several thousand dollars depending on the tracks use.

Premium Beat

Premium Beat, also a paid site, offers thousands of royalty free tracks and sound effects. You can search by genre, mood, artist, length, beats per minute, length and most popular – be it today, last week, last month, last year or even all time. Music licenses include standard license or premium. The standard license is for web content (like real estate videos) that is not commercially distributed and costs $49 whereas premium is for TV and radio, corporate, games and point of sale at a cost of $200+.

Pond5

Pond5 unlike the others offers more than music. Other products include photos, sound effects, 3D models, After Effects templates, vectors and more. Pond5 is a membership website offering memberships for $99 per month up to an annual membership costing $399 per year. Pond5 claims to offer 2X’s more content than any other membership online.

Regardless of where you choose to get your music, free or paid it is imperative to find the right track for your real estate videos. Of course, if you are a real estate professional in Arizona you can hire Hub Media Company where we’ll create you an awesome real estate video with a music track that is sure to compliment you, your property and your brand. To learn more please fill out the form below or call us.

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How To Use Video To Educate, Inform and Build Your Real Estate Brand | Real Estate Milestone Videos

December 30, 2016 By Stephen Garner

Video used to be a nice perk for savvy real estate professionals. I say “used to be” because it is no longer a “perk”. Video is now a necessity. One the consumer, your present, past and future clients have come to expect.

Login to Facebook. Twitter. Instagram. Pinterest. What do you see? Social networks that were once filled with blog posts and images are now filled with videos. And even better – you are clicking on them – and watching them. Digital ad sales (online) are up 17% to $178 Billion from 2015 compared to just 4% or $186 Billion for TV ad sales. Video is exploding. Look at the last time you did a Google search for something. Did you click on the article, the Google Image or the Video? Chances are you chose the video. Video simply says so much more than any other medium. That’s because video is fast. Video is educational and video is emotional. Video is also great for real estate branding and professionalism.

I started Hub Media Company in 2014. We started with cinematic property tours, videos of a real estate agents listing. It was a no brainer. Savvy real estate professionals quickly realized videos of their listings were a great way to not only present their listings to the market, but also align themselves with the property, the community and the area at the exact moment the consumer cared most about what they had to say. These real estate videos were not only shared through social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram, embedded in websites, CRM’s and blogs, but they were also shared by the sellers to their friends and family – a direct endorsement of the real estate agent to the sellers SOI.

But real estate property tours are just one way to build your real estate brand. There are so many more. In this post I’d like to discuss real estate milestone videos (that’s what we call them) that educate, inform and build your real estate brand.

Real Estate Milestone videos are videos that are sent to your home buyer or seller as they approach certain milestones of a real estate transaction. These videos educate the home buyer or seller on the next steps on the transaction. They also relieve stress as the buyer/seller has a better idea of what is coming, what responsibilities they have and by when. Here are some of the examples or real estate milestone videos.

For Sellers

Your Marketing Plan – This video can be used to show the seller how you will market their home for sale. What makes you or your team better and different than your competitors? Professional photography and videography, social media ads, syndication, search engine optimization, open houses, print and paid placement, your guarantees (SOLD or I buy it) etc can be addressed here.

Pre-Listing – a pre-listing video can be used to educate your seller about how to get their home ready for sale. Paint, cleaning, decluttering, functional repairs and upgrades, landscaping, personal items and staging can all be addressed here.

Team Introduction – depending on the size of your team the seller may come into contact with multiple people in multiple roles during the selling process. There is you of course, but there may also be a transaction coordinator, a stager, an assistant, showing coordinator, ISA etc. This video can be used to show the scope of your team and the vital role each plays in ensuring a successful sale.

Pricing – Existing competition in the area, new builds, short sales and foreclosures can all have an adverse affect on price. This video can be used to explain the best pricing strategies and timelines for sale based upon a top of market price vs market value of the area.

Purchase Contract – Purchase contracts vary from state to state. This video can explain the Arizona Residential Purchase contract. Even better, by explaining the contract you are perceived as the expert on it.

Under Contract – A congratulations video, this video can be used to educate your seller about next steps leading up to contract acceptance. Negotiation, Inspections, Appraisal, SPDS, Buyer Response and timelines can all be addressed here.

Escrow – This video can be used to educate your seller about title insurance, escrow officer role, title fees, process, timelines, signing and recordation or COE can be addressed here.

Referrals – This video can thank the seller for the opportunity to work with them, remind them about the level of service they received from you or your team and of course ask for referrals.

For Buyers

Needs Analysis – Does the buyer want to live in a specific area? Why? Do they need to be close to work or live in a specific school district? Do they need 4 bedrooms or will 3 with a den or office work too? Pool or no? This video can be used to cut down your sales cycle.

Loan Pre Qualification – This video can explain the importance of getting pre-qualified. Max loan amounts, downpayment, gift funds, financial documentation, affects of applying for credit during the buying process etc can be explained here. This is a great time to mention your lender and why you work with him/her.

MLS Portal – this video can be used to show your buyer how to use the portal through MLS. How to let you know about houses they like and don’t.

Team Introduction – See above

Zillow – Many buyers head online to third party aggregators like Zillow, Trulia, Realtor dot com, Redfin etc which may or may not be the best place to start. This video can be used to explain why the portal is more accurate for identifying properties currently for sale.

Purchase Contract – Purchase contracts vary from state to state. This video can explain the Arizona Residential Purchase contract. Ways the contract protects the buyer, contingencies, earnest money etc. Even better, by explaining the contract you are perceived as the expert on it.

SPDS – What is the SPDS, how to read it and what to look for can be explained in this video.

Inspections – The 10 day inspection period, what inspections are customary and why. Termite, electrical, foundation, water damage, lead based paint, lot size, pool & spa, roof, sewer or septic, well, mold, permits and zoning can all be addressed here.

Escrow – This video can be used to educate your buyer about title insurance, escrow officer role, customary title fees, process, timelines, signing, wire instructions and recordation or COE can be addressed here.

Referrals – This video can thank the buyer for the opportunity to work with them, remind them about the level of service they received from you, your team, lender, home inspector and of course ask for referrals.

These milestone type videos are excellent for educating and informing your home buyer or seller but they have an added benefit. They can be embedded into your website for your clients to view at anytime, loaded to YouTube for the public to watch and even shared by your client with their friends and family that may be starting their home selling or buying process. At Hub Media Company we are experts on all types of real estate video including milestone videos. We can help you script each video and shoot it for you as well, presenting you, your team and your brand in the best possible way. Other videos to consider include; Expired’s and Cancelled, Agent or Team Biopics or Company Biopics, Loan Officer Milestones, Community and Subdivision, City Overview, Lifestyle, Cinematic HD Property Tours, Things To Do and much more. Are you ready to make video part of your offering in 2017? Fill out the form below or call us.

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See Zillow’s New Video Feature In Action

December 6, 2016 By Stephen Garner

Game Changer. I know, I know – I hate that term too. It’s typically accompanied by some corny internet program from some paid spokesman to market a product you don’t need and have no use for. But this is different and I do believe it is a game changer.

I’m talking about Zillow’s new video feature.

Prominent Real Estate Agent Branding

It doesn’t have a name yet (that I know of) but it will be very popular with forward thinking real estate agents. Zillow’s new video feature allows real estate agents to upload professional quality videos with their listings on the number 1 consumer destination for real estate searches. The fact the videos are “pro level” is not what makes this new feature a game changer. The game changer is this – the listing agent can be in the video. See Video Zillow Now Supports Pro Level Branded Video

Think about that for a moment. As real estate agents, you constantly hunt down consumers to tell them you are in real estate. You have clever tricks and sayings like “oh by the way…..” or wearing your name badge everywhere you go or wrapping your car or billboards and and and – all to get the consumers attention, all to differentiate yourself and your brand. With Zillow’s new feature YOU are right in front of the consumer AT THE EXACT MONET IN TIME THEY CARE MOST ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY. #GameChanger

Yesterday I got a look at the new feature and how it’s presented from Chris May of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Atlanta Georgia. Chris paid the $149 each for 3 listings and the result is beautiful. The videos, with Chris in them, are prominent – it’s the first thing you see and the videos are front and center on desktop and mobile. Click on either image below to see the listing on Zillow

Desktop

Mobile

Additional Cost Per Video

While some agents are complaining about the additional charge of $149 per video let me remind you it’s $149. And it’s to market yourself and your listings on the #1 real estate website. You can’t even get a good direct mail flyer or postcard done for $149 – and those people likely are not in the market to buy or sell while the Zillow visitors likely are, if not now, in the near future.

This Is Not Only A Buyer Thing

Some real estate agents will see this new feature as something to attract only buyers. But I think it will be the listing agents that will really kill it with this new feature. We already know, home seller are BUYERS before the are sellers because they are online searching for where they are going next, usually BEFORE they reach out to a real estate agent. Many will end up on Zillow. If these sellers come across a listing with this new video feature and if the agent is in the video like Chris May above and if that agent comes across as passionate and professional and knowledgeable (like Chris does) – I can see potential sellers reaching out to Chris to sell their home. Why wouldn’t they?

Calls To Action

This new feature offers countless possibilities for endless calls to action. As an agent prominently displayed to the consumer you could say “for more information about this property call me Chris May at….” or “For more information about this home or maybe you would like to know what your home is worth in todays market call me Chris May at…..” or “Thank you for your time, to schedule a private showing of this home please call me Chris May at… or to learn more about me and how we sell our clients home for more money in less time please visit my website at…. “

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Real Estate Video Marketing | Different IS Priceless

November 25, 2016 By Stephen Garner

Video is hot, particularly in the real estate space. And for good reason. There is no better medium to market real estate and real estate agents than video.

Not only do consumers clearly prefer video, videos says so much more about a property, an area, your team, marketing plan, the lifestyle and the real estate agent than any other medium possibly could. This is because video is emotional.

Emotion is a necessary aspect of any sales process. Unlike the traditional mediums real estate agents used to market themselves and their properties like pictures and direct mail (postcards and flyers) which only use one sense – sight, video uses sight, hearing and can even convey feeling when done right. Given the choice, 80% of consumers will choose a video compared to pictures. Read: Zillow Now Supports Pro Level Video

Different Is Everything

Last year we created over 600 property videos. That’s a lot of properties and a lot of real estate agents. It used to be good enough to just “do” video. That was when only the top agents were using video. This is no longer the case as their competition has started to move towards video as well which means different is everything.

Last week I got a call from one of our luxury real estate agents. He said “don’t take this the wrong way but you work with us and all of our competition which means our videos need to be different than theirs”. He is exactly right, different is everything.

The Story

As a real estate agent you want to stand out from your competition. You want to be different. This starts with the story. But who’s story?

When a real estate agent calls us they often have an idea of what they want their completed video to look like. Often the examples they send us are videos we’ve done for other agents here in Phoenix or areas of the country like Southern California – Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Rancho Sante Fe, San Diego or even Australia where real estate video is more risque etc. Often they want to copy what another agent did, often because it was different.

But by copying it, it’s not different anymore. It’s the same. Often real estate agents are crafting stories based upon the story they want to tell without thinking about the story their target audience, their ideal client wants to be told. The best real estate videos will focus on the needs and the wants of the consumer – not necessarily the real estate agent. As a real estate agent you want to differentiate yourself from your competitors not imitate them. Read: Where To Find Real Estate Content

Different Gets Noticed

Most consumers are now spending most of their time on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat etc. You only have a few seconds to grab their attention. Today’s consumer is quickly scrolling past pictures and text updates but they just might watch the video, and watch it to the end. So your videos need to be different.

You Need To Be Different

I remember when I learned how important different was in marketing. As a sales exec for numerous title companies here in the valley I started out trying to be like my competitors. I said the same things “we have great escrow officers, we are a fortune 500 company, we have locations across the valley, we do postcards” and hanging out where they did to get business – SEVRAR, SAR, WEMAR, trade shows, office meetings, walking through brokerages – and got mediocre results. It wasn’t until I had MyTitleGuy.com built and started filling it with content – blogs, videos, tutorials, white papers, classes – that my business began to grow. This is the path that brought me to video in 2008. While my success provided a road map for future execs I was still the innovator. I was different. The top agents were sick of hearing the same message, receiving the same sales pitch – they wanted different too. Different is entertaining.

The Consumer Wants Different

If your marketing is like everyone else’s you will still have a percentage of consumers watch it, but they will start to lose interest as the space is filled with the same style of video marketing. Like I did, you need to find who you are and more importantly – who you are not. Be controversial. Controversial is different. You want the viewer tuning in to your videos to see what you will say, what you will do next. Draw inspiration from TV commercials, what are they saying, how are they saying it, how is it being presented? Repurpose those videos into the real estate space and add your own spin on it. Your goal in the first 5 seconds of your video is to get them to watch the next 5 seconds and so on.

Level Playing Field

In the old days the only way to reach mass audiences was though expensive mediums like TV, radio and billboards. Social media and websites has leveled the playing field because this is where the consumer is. As a real estate agent you have the same playing field as national ad campaigns, production companies, national real estate companies and real estate brokerages. But your message needs to be entertaining. It needs to be exciting. No one wants to do business with a person or company that is vanilla or boring. Read: Videos Uploaded To Facebook Receive More Engagement

We Can Help You Be Different

As a leader in the real estate video space in Phoenix we can help you be different. We work with some of the most talented videographers, editors, animators and copyrighters in the space. If you can think it, we can help you realize it. Whether you are looking for a story told about your team, brokerage, market, community or listing – dream big, come up with something different. Maybe it’s a property video told from the dogs point of view or a child’s, whatever it is you can count on our team of professionals to bring your vision to life – differently.

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Zillow Now Supports Pro Level Video On Your Listings

November 20, 2016 By Stephen Garner

Zillow Supports Pro Level Video — Zillow Now Supports Pro Video

It’s been really rough being a videographer in the real estate space. If there is any industry that is slow to change it’s real estate. As powerful as video is you’d think MLS’s had found a way to properly and prominently showcase video with real estate listings – and you’d be wrong.

Real Estate Slow To Change

If there is any industry best suited for video it’s real estate. Video simply says so much more than any other medium. It’s also emotional as it uses more senses than text or pictures. Emotion = sales in real estate. I’ve been shooting video here in the valley since 2008. And to be perfectly honest, our videos are beautiful. They really do bring the property to life while prominently highlighting the real estate agent. The agents place their videos on YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, Twitter Instagram, Pinterest, Linkedin, websites, email, CRM’s and of course MLS. But Unfortunately video is still the red headed stepchild to photographs in MLS, receiving only a small tab to show the consumer there is a video – that’s IF they can see it.

Enter Zillow

But there was hope. Zillow, one of the leading consumer destinations for real estate began to support video. Sweet! With a catch. It supported video (walk through videos as Zillow calls them) created by real estate agents, through Zillow’s App and required the use of a smart phone to capture the video. Yes, a smart phone.

There are a few challenges with this scenario. First, it relies on the real estate agent to capture the content to property showcase their listing. The real estate agent that might be excellent at negotiating, writing contracts, showing properties, networking, social media etc, but not so great at camera angles, exposure, white balance, lighting, stability, storytelling etc.

As a result, the walk through videos loaded to market the listing often did more harm than good. Sadly, I needed Dramamine to watch some of the walkthrough videos I’ve seen on Zillow. Bad video is worse then no video at all.

I’d given up.

Zillow Now Allows Pro Level Video On Platform from HUB Media Company on Vimeo.

But earlier this month I received exciting news via Inman. Zillow is now supporting pro level videos! This means, our clients can now place the videos we create for them to market their listings and themselves where consumers would naturally look for them – Zillow. This. Is. Huge. (for the agents that understand the benefits)

What You Need To Know

This feature costs $149 per listing.

You can load videos up to 10 minutes long

The videos can be branded (you in them, your logo, your contact info etc)

Zillow Video Requirements

Video Codec: H.264
· Container Format: MP4
· Frame Size: HD: 1920×1080
· Video Data Rate: 10 Mbps or greater
· Frames per second: 24 or 30
· Audio Codec: AAC (advanced audio codec)
· Audio Data Rate: 320 Kbps, 44.1 Stereo
· Aspect Ratio: 16:9 (no letterboxing)

While I have seen real estate agents complaining online about the additional fee and promising they will not use it, I can tell you most of our luxury clients will be all over this new feature. They will have their videos in a place where consumers search for real estate, the buyers (which may be sellers as well) will be directly engaged by their marketing and their brand. I can see email inboxes already, “Found you on Zillow when looking for a home, I have a home to sell as well, If I list with you will you do a video of my home like this one?” HASHTAG BOOM.

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