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Video Uploaded To Facebook Gets The Most Engagement But Largely Underutilized By Real Estate Pros

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Have you noticed your Facebook stream continues to explode with videos? The savvy real estate professionals, coaches, trainers and thought leaders certainly have. And they are capitalizing on it – big time.  According to the social media tool “Buffer”,

 

As part of their study, Buffer took a look at the number of engagements (defined as clicks, likes, and shares) that different types of posts received, on average, across Facebook on Twitter. As you can see from the chart below, video is blowing photos, links, and plain text posts out of the water on Facebook.

 

Video Gets Most Engagement On Facebook

It is important to note the metrics above are for videos uploaded directly to Facebook and not shared via other video hosting sites like YouTube, Vimeo, Wistia or external links to 3rd party websites etc. You can leverage Facebook video to extend or introduce your brand, educate and engage the consumer, market your listings, get more leads and ultimately make more money.

So what types of vides should you be loading to Facebook?

It’s important to note, while Facebook is a social sharing website, it is still the content that is king. I started using video in my title insurance business back in 2008, well before anyone else in the title industry space (nationally). I used video to differentiate myself from my competitors and it worked. What I didn’t post was video about why I thought I was awesome or why my escrow officers were better than anyone else’s or even about the financial strength of the company(s) I worked for. I came from a place of giving and posted videos that would be of value to my ideal client – real estate professionals. Topics included how to drive traffic to your website with video, types of video content & where to find it, video SEO, video syndication, video integration with WordPress, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Blogging, Inbound Marketing, Hub Marketing, Activerain and so much more.

I amassed over 2,300 subscribers on my MyTitleGuy YouTube channel, 250,000 + video views and hundreds of leads from real estate agents and title companies around the country. You can do the same in your niche. But it’s all about the content you post. Why you are the best real estate agent is worthless to many consumers and frankly will be seen as salesy and, as consumers, we hate to be sold to. Why your brokerage is better than another is pointless as consumers don’t necessarily search for brokerages, in fact – 97% of consumers don’t see a distinction between real estate brands, it’s why your clients followed you when you left brokerage A for brokerage B. So while these things may be important to you, they are not necessarily important to your ideal client – buyers and sellers. The next time you see a real estate agent post something about their production take a closer look, I’ve noticed most if not all the engagement around it comes from other real estate agents, their vendors or their family.

Things you should be posting on Facebook include your cinematic listing videos, your community videos, lifestyle videos, how to’s like how to use your website to find the home of their dreams, how to discover the market value of their home in TODAYS market, the buying process, the selling process, your marketing plan, things to watch out for when buying a home, community or subdivision profiles, new builds, client testimonials, local business profiles, local school information, local and major employers, tax information, local market updates and so on. You don’t need to sell yourself with this type of content as the content you are sharing should clearly identify you as the authority in your space.

What you can take from the info above is that video represents a huge opportunity for visibility, brand awareness and ultimately engagement – particularly on Facebook. So if you’re not posting video on Facebook, either professionally produced, live or pre-recorded, you’re seriously missing out!

Contact Us

Thank you for your interest in HMC. We provide the highest quality business, commercial, event video productions, classes and services. We look forward to meeting you. Please fill out the form below or call 480.223.8113

Instagram Edit’s Now Available | Hub Media Company

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Instagram Real Estate Videos
Instagram Edits Now Available
With 500 Million active monthly users and 300 Million active daily users, Instagram is the fastest growing social media platform. Instagram is growing so fast, it has increased its users by over 23% in the last 6 months. 27.6% of the U.S. population uses Instagram so shouldn’t you?

Instagram can be an integral part of the forward thinking real estate professionals marketing plan IF you know how to leverage it.

Facebook, once the end all be all for millennials has been eclipsed by Instagram. In fact, many millennials (AKA first time home buyers) have stopped using Facebook to communicate now that mom, dad, grandma and grandpa have taken up the largest social networking platform. But as their kids have kids and other life events it’s only natural to assume mom, dad, grandma and grandpa will naturally migrate to Instagram as well.

Instagram used to be exclusively photos but over time it has adopted video. Originally allowing users to post short videos up to 15 seconds, Instagram had begun rolling out 1 minute thresholds to all users. Most real estate agents understand the significance of YouTube and Facebook, the savvy real estate professionals are leveraging Instagram to build their brands, extend their reach and drive traffic to their websites.

Effective immediately we have begin offering Instagram versions of your real estate videos. For an additional $25 we will edit your original real estate video and condense it to a 1 minute version for you to upload to Instagram. Below are some examples of our traditional real estate videos coupled with the Instagram edit.

Traditional Edit

8020 E Del Plomo Drive Scottsdale AZ from HUB Media Company on Vimeo.

Instagram Edit

8020 E Del Plomo Drive Scottsdale AZ INSTAVID from HUB Media Company on Vimeo.

Traditional Edit

16224 E Kingstree Blvd Fountain Hills AZ from HUB Media Company on Vimeo.

Instagram Edit

16224 E Kingstree Blvd Fountain Hills AZ Instagram from HUB Media Company on Vimeo.

If you would like an Instagram edit of your video please let us know when placing your next video order.

Contact Us

Thank you for your interest in HMC. We provide the highest quality business, commercial, event video productions, classes and services. We look forward to meeting you. Please fill out the form below or call 480.223.8113

“Why Do Real Estate Agents Take Such Horrible Photos?” | Oh SNAP!

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Bad Real Estate PhotosFile this one under RANT…

Sooo, I’m sitting here editing a property video when I hear the familiar “ding”. It’s a Facebook message from one of my Facebook friends. No I don’t mean that as an insult – she really is a friend, not someone I don’t really know but we’re friends – on Facebook. Her question – one I’ve heard many times before – “why do real estate agents take such horrible photos?”.

Her comment:

Hi! How are ya! I’m sending you a message cause we have some mutual friends and it isn’t common knowledge, but my family is moving to Chandler or Gilbert. So I’ve been on Zillow and Redfin a lot lately and I wanted to tell you some of the pics I’ve seen in these listings are horrendous and made me think of your company. It’s clear as day why some of these gorgeous homes down there have been on the market for 100+ days when the lighting is awful and the family’s belongings are all over the place instead of staged to sell. ? It makes me want to say, “Hey, your home isn’t what my family needs, but call this guy. He’ll fix your pics/videos.” Lol

I chucked. and then I cried. For their clients.

I mean, if they only knew what they are doing to their clients – hopes, dreams – let alone financial wellbeing by publishing horrible photos.

Look, I get it. Everyone wants to save a buck, but photos, scratch that – professional photos IS NOT the place to do it. It’s 2016. The consumer, regardless of their age is now digital. We are ALL digital citizens. We do everything online. Shop. Date. Socialize. Criticize. Research. Watch movies. Listen to music. We even order our groceries online. And of course we look at houses online too.

The last “official” stat I heard from the National Association of REALTORS® said 47% of consumers start their home search online. But I think that’s way too low. I think it’s more like 98%. I mean, I don’t know anyone that would look at a magazine or newspaper for a home – do you? We all go online. Like it or not – Online is where your first showing will take place. NOT when they get to the house. In fact, those iPhone pictures you took, the ones with you in the bathroom mirror, the ones that are overexposed or underexposed, blurry or diagonal, the ones with tooth brushes and other personal hygiene products in the bathroom or clothes thrown around the house or even a kid still sleeping in the bed (no I’m serious I’ve seen this) are not helping you. You know who else they aren’t helping? Your client. The seller that hired you to sell their home. The seller that is paying you big $$$ to get traffic and ultimately a buyer to their property. There is a direct correlation between increased days on market and a lower sales price.

But here’s the thing. Consumers are visual. We buy what we can SEE. We want what we can create an emotional attachment to. I don’t care how great the Wolf, Viking or Sub Zero appliances are – how shiny the Onyx or Marble kitchen is – how amazing the view is – if the consumer can not SEE them – there is no emotion. And sales 101 – we buy EMOTIONALLY and justify RATIONALLY – LATER.

It’s not like photos are all that expensive either. There are plenty of companies here in the valley that will HDR your listing for less than $150. $150! Where else can you invest $150 and possibly get $3,000, $6,000, $10,000 or more in commission back in return? But to make matters worse – it’s not about you. It’s about your client. They want to sell their home. The home their kids were born in. The house their favorite dog died in. The first house they got married in. To do this they need marketing. Scratch that. They need GOOD MARKETING and those iPhone pictures are the exact opposite.

I’m not writing this because we want to do your photos – we don’t even do photos. We do video – and that’s a whole other story but I won’t go there right now. Ok I will (slow down on the Facebook live from your latest listing, you’re making people dizzy)

By publishing horrible photos, you’re not just hurting your client- you’re also hurting yourself – your BRAND. Everything you do online either brings the consumer closer to you and your brand or pushes them further away. Your marketing, like your lender, your title company, your home inspection guy, is an extension of you and the level of service you provide. So, what is it saying about you?

I used to feel bad when I showed up to shoot a video of a listing and another agents sign (that lost the listing to our client) was still in the yard. But any remorse I felt was quickly removed when I saw the photos on the black and white flyers, on standard printer paper (if there were any in the flyer tube). Your first showing is happening online. And your past listings are easily searchable on Zillow, Redfin and others. Those horrible photos could come back to haunt you later and you won’t even know it. A seller considering your services will see your pictures and make an immediate determination – “do I want my house marketed like this?”. I’m betting the answer is – nope. What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen in an agents listing photos?

Contact Us

Thank you for your interest in HMC. We provide the highest quality business, commercial, event video productions, classes and services. We look forward to meeting you. Please fill out the form below or call 480.223.8113

Aerial Real Estate Video | Not Right For All Properties

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Aerial Real Estate Video PhoenixAs a leader in real estate video in Phoenix, Arizona we work with a lot of great real estate agents, real estate teams, real estate brokerages, builders, title companies and lenders. There isn’t a day that goes by where someone doesn’t ask about aerial real estate video.

Aerial real estate video is all the rage. A quick search of Facebook or YouTube will return thousands of aerial videos. This is clearly a technology many real estate professionals have gravitated towards. And for good reason. There are some properties that can truly only be shown from the air. Notice I said SOME.

Real estate is a cut throat business. Often the difference between one agent getting a prized listing and another is their marketing. To many real estate agents, aerial video is the answer. I find many real estate professionals want aerial video without a true understanding of even why they want it. It sounds cool, hell, it is cool, but it’s not meant for all properties, in fact – aerial video can hurt your chances of selling some properties.

Lets discuss when to and not to use aerial video in your real estate marketing.

When To Use Aerial Real Estate Video

  • When the property has significant acreage
  • When the property is of significant size (I suggest 5,000 sq ft + in my market)
  • When the property backs to a golf course
  • When the property backs to mountains or other views
  • When the property backs to a body of water
  • To show the neighborhood and surrounding area, including the home’s proximity to amenities
  • The neighborhood and surrounding area, including the home’s proximity to amenities
  • When the property can’t properly be shown from the ground
  • When you are trying to show the property relative to a landmark (freeway, major employers, schools, community center etc)

When NOT To Use Aerial Real Estate Video

  • When the property is average
  • If the property is single story and sides or backs to two-story properties
  • When the property backs to power lines, power station, waste management site
  • When the property backs to a major road or freeway

How To Use Aerial Real Estate Video

Aerial video should be used sparingly. As an establishing shot. An establishing shot in the video world clearly establishes where an event is taking place. Watch any movie, TV show, Sitcom and you’ll notice before the scene begins you have a clear idea of where its taking place. At “Cheers” is was an establishing shot of the outside of the bar. In “Friends” it was an establishing shot of “Central Perk” or at Seinfeld it was an establishing shot of “Tom’s Diner”, I could go on and on. This is what aerial video is best used for – to show the consumer where the house is.

The Problem With Aerial Real Estate Video

But there is a problem. While real estate agents LOVE aerial video, the consumer gets bored of it rather quickly. By quickly I mean 5 seconds or more. In fact, after the 5 seconds it becomes annoying. “OK, I get it Mr/Mrs agent, now show me the inside!”. So you can see the problem when there are these 30 second aerial videos of the SAME – BORING – THING. This is one way aerial video can hurt you. Now, if you must use aerial video, break it up. 3-5 seconds in the beginning. 3-5 seconds at the end. But too much of anything is a bad thing and aerial video in real estate is no different.

The Big Mistake With Aerial Real Estate Video

I see some aerial video of the outside of a property and that’s it. Holy boring. Would you buy a car without seeing the inside? Would you buy shoes without trying them on? (ok maybe) but aerial video is used to market a property which means you have to show them what they really care about, the inside. The granite counters, the wood floors, the stainless appliances, the great room, the man cave, the master bedroom the pool, spa etc. This is truly what the consumer cares about. In fact, they may wonder if there is something wrong with the inside of the property if you are only showing them the outside, I know I would.

There are no shortage of people, companies hobbyists that will shoot aerial video for you, this is an emerging technology and field that will no doubt continue to grow. But just because the technology exists doesn’t always mean it is the best for every situation. In fact, aerial video can hurt you. Click to learn more about how NOT to use aerial video in real estate.

Contact Us

Thank you for your interest in HMC. We provide the highest quality business, commercial, event video productions, classes and services. We look forward to meeting you. Please fill out the form below or call 480.223.8113

 

 

Sticks And Stones May Break My Bones But Words Can CERTAINLY Hurt You

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Interesting title right? Thank you! I’m sure you remember your mom, dad, teacher whomever saying this little gem when you were younger. And it used to be true.

I say used to be because words can without a doubt hurt you. Errr at least your business. I hate to be the first to tell you this but not everyone agrees with you.

As a good digital citizen I am active on the internet. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WordPress, you name it – I’m probably on it. So I see all kinds of things on the inter webs. All kind of things. Good and bad.

Recently I came across a post in a Facebook forum dedicated to real estate. The real estate agents post got my attention. The subject: a listing she lost. Because of her political views.

Crazy right! Not so much. I’ve said it many times and you’ve heard it many times in your career, it’s one of the first things you learn about sales: People Do Business With People They Like And Trust. And I believe it.

The real estate agent lost the listing because she posted a video on Facebook about a presidential candidate. She later received a message from a seller she would be interviewing with to not come over as she didn’t want to waste her time as they are voting for this candidate.

Oh that hurts. And it was 100% preventable.

I’m controversial. I know that. When I was a sales exec in the title world I was saying things in my blogs and on video to get real estate agents to think – differently. In a world where so many sales execs were lining up to kiss the next ass for a deal I was asking questions like “what is your value” and “Are you a commodity”. Sometimes you have to push the onvelope. To be different.

But one place I never went was politics. NEVER. Am I a Republican? Democrat? Independent? Conservative? Fiscal Conservative? Moderate? Civil Libertarian? You don’t know because I have never talked about it. And I never would. You see, if I was a Democrat I may believe something different than you. And If I am Republican I may believe something different than you. But I may not get a chance to tell you what that is because you, like your sellers, buyers and future buyers and sellers may be offended.

So you need to ask yourself. Is your ability to feed your family, put your kids through school, put a roof over your head as important as your political views? The agent referenced above lost the opportunity to earn at least $3,000 on the low end and depending on the market, $30,000, $60,000 maybe even more.

I get it, it’s America and you can believe what you want. It’s a free country. But this cuts both ways. This also means your clients and potential clients are also free to work with whomever they see fit. Maybe someone that shares their political views.

You can draw a line in the sand and say “I only want to work with people that like X or Y” and it may make you controversial and you may end up attracting those like you to do business with. But in my experience, the top real estate agents have a well rounded business, one that does not rely on any one source for business.

It’s 2016. I’m not single but If I was, I would without a doubt check the Facebook page, Instagram etc of someone I was considering meeting with. Not only because I’d want to see how self centered they are, but I’d want to see if I can glean anything about their views, political or otherwise – are they like me? Are we compatible? Are they racist? Rude? Self centered or absorbed?

Your clients and potential clients undoubtably do the same. A quick glance of your Facebook page, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr or whatever will either bring them closer or much them away.

I stay away from everything and anything controversial – politics, abortion, religion, gay marriage, Syrian Refugees, climate change, gun control, ISIS, ISIL, The Taliban, Black Lives Matter, White Lives Matter, Immigration, Health Care, Foreign Policy, Taxes, The Wage Gap, Animal Testing, The Death Penalty, Medical Marijuana, Marijuana Legalization, Animal Testing, The Pledge Of Allegiance, Drone Strikes, Minimum Wage, Standardized Tests, Bathroom Identification, Gender Identification and anything else that would give someone pause in doing business with me or my company.

If you absolutely must post your political views on Facebook or any other social network it may be a good idea to join a private group dedicated to it. There your views would obviously be not only welcome but you may end up picking up some business. You could also adjust your privacy settings to prevent future clients from seeing anything you post. But this kind of goes against the point of SOCIAL media right?

Words can hurt. But not if you don’t post them.

Oh and if you must know, I’m a Republican-Democrat-Independent-Conservative-Fiscal Conservative-Moderate-Civil Libertarian who is also gay and straight 🙂

Contact Us

Thank you for your interest in HMC. We provide the highest quality business, commercial, event video productions, classes and services. We look forward to meeting you. Please fill out the form below or call 480.223.8113

Instagram For Real Estate | 8 Tips To Leveraging Instagram In Your Marketing

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Instagram for real estate agents
Instagram For Real Estate
At the time of this post, Instagram is the fastest growing social media platform, increasing its users by over 23% in the last 6 months. Instagram can be an integral part of the forward thinking real estate professionals marketing plan IF you know how to use it.

Facebook, once the end all be all for millennials has been eclipsed by Instagram. In fact, many millennials (AKA first time home buyers) have stopped using Facebook to communicate now that mom, dad, grandma and grandpa have taken up the largest social networking platform. But as their kids have kids and other life events it’s only natural to assume mom, dad, grandma and grandpa will naturally migrate to Instagram as well.

So how can you, a savvy real estate pro leverage Instagram in your business? Here are 8 ways.

Instagram Hub Media CompanyProfile

Set up your profile. This is no place to be vague. Post your elevator speech, unique selling proposition and most importantly (I think) value proposition for how you can help your ideal client buy, sell, save time and money. Make sure you add your website to your profile where consumers can easily click to learn more about you. One of the things I noticed about my ideal client is they liked that I was a “family man”. So I made a conscious decision to post pictures, videos, events, milestones of my family. One thing about social media is it’s not all social and it’s not all business. Too much of one or the other and you could turn your ideal client off – so post away.

Real Estate Video PhoenixShare Experiences

Showing an awesome house? Insta it. Just closed on a new build for your buyer? Insta it. Want to show what goes on in your day to day of being a real estate pro? Insta it. Showing homes in your favorite community? INSTA IT! Posting any and all of these gives your target audience an inside glimpse into your world. They can see what goes on and at the same time see you as an authority in your space. Much like Facebook and Twitter, in fact, more so, Instagram relies on good, relevant hashtags to get your content found. Showing in DC Ranch? #DCRanch Showing in your favorite community? #Ocotillo. Selling a new build? #FultonHomes. You get the drift. Make sure to add a hashtag for you, your team, company or any and all to help your ideal client find your content. Encourage the consumer to visit your website to learn more about you and what you do and most importantly – how you can HELP them.

Be Strategic

Instagram, was purchased by Facebook for over $1 BILLION in April of 2012. That’s a lot of loot and Facebook LOVES Instagram. I’ve noticed images I post to Facebook disappear rather quickly from the newsfeed but those same images posted on Instagram and syndicated to Facebook last a lot longer. So don’t just post your images on Instagram and neglect Facebook, it’s easy to click the button when you share your images to share them on Facebook as well. Double bonus.

Syndicate

share your images on Facebook, twitter
share your images on Facebook, twitter
When you upload your images to Instagram you have the option to syndicate your images to other social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Flickr and Swarm. Which ones should you syndicate to? ALL OF THEM. Real estate has gone digital and by syndicating your images you are not only leaving evidence of success, you are leaving digital breadcrumbs to help your ideal client find you.

hub media company instagram mapsPhoto Maps Photo Maps allow consumers to browse your photos by geographic location. Clicking “add location” lets people know where you took your photo which will be displayed on your photo map. You’ll also have the ability to choose a specific place name (“Silverleaf, Scottsdale Ranch, Scottsdale, or even your brokerage name, restaurant or event”) to associate with your photo.

Follow

Follow strategically. Follow your competitors to see what they are up to. Follow brands and influencers in your space to get the latest news. Follow home builders, lenders, investors and engage with them. When I was a sales exec in the title world I followed the top real estate agents I wanted to do business with and I engaged with them on regular basis. When they posted a picture or comment about something they felt was important in their lives I was there to give it a like or comment. By doing this I was immediately inserted into their world. “Stephen likes your comment, your picture, your video”, who’s Stephen? Oh yeah that’s the guy with XYZ title. This can lead directly to increased brand awareness which is the first step to doing more business. Follow your past clients and engage with them regularly. By liking an image or a comment you are telling them, rather showing them you care. Remember – people to business with those they LIKE and TRUST.

Post Videos

Instagram was all about pictures but following facebook’s lead they are all in with video too. The default profile for Instagram allowed us to upload 15 second short videos. But recently Instagram began rolling out videos up to 1 minute. So post videos that will help the consumer learn more about you and the markets you serve.

Be Authentic

IMG_4783It’s been said, when you meet someone you aren’t really meeting them but their representative – who they want you to think they are. One thing about me, I’m authentic, And you should be too. Be real. Be vulnerable. Ask for help, suggestions, engage with your audience. This will help them see you as a person instead of the dreaded SALES-person.

Instagram is a powerful platform to help consumers learn more about you and your brand. Start leveraging it today and it will pay dividends tomorrow. Follow us at instagram.com/hubmediacompany to come along on our shoots, lifestyle and community videos and so much more. So how are you using Instagram?

Contact Us

Thank you for your interest in HMC. We provide the highest quality business, commercial, event video productions, classes and services. We look forward to meeting you. Please fill out the form below or call 480.223.8113

Video Testimonials | The Ultimate Social Proof

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video testimonials phoenix
The Ultimate Social Proof
Social Media, SEO, Blog Articles and others are a great way to get traffic to your real estate website. But the way to educate, inform and present yourself as the expert in your field when they get there is with a real estate video testimonial.

Real estate agents, sales people in general, love to talk about how great they are. But there is a problem. Not only do consumers not respond well to it, they actually are less likely to do business with someone that does it. We just are not big fans of self promotion, especially in a field where many consumers believe all agents are the same.

So, how can you educate and inform the consumer about how you can help them, what problems you solve, the markets you serve as well as how your past clients feel about working with you? Have your past clients do it for you with a video testimonial.

We are swayed, rather easily, by what others say about a product or service, even if we don’t know the people that used that product or service. It’s called social proof. To illustrate social proof, look at your own behavior. When you shop on Amazon, before you purchase a product you read the reviews. Reviews from people you don’t even know. You start out looking for positive reviews and eventually start looking for the negative. Enough positive reviews and you buy. Enough bad and you don’t. This is social proof.

Every business, every real estate agent should have testimonials but the old school written testimonials are out. That’s because the consumer not only prefers video, they are expecting it. Video uses more of our emotions than any other medium. The viewer can HEAR what a past client has to say about you, they can SEE if they are being sincere through body language which says 80% of what we actually say. In some cases, they can even FEEL the testimonial. This is very powerful. Here are some of the questions we ask that get great video testimonials for our clients.

Why did you decide to buy/sell your home?

Context is everything in video testimonials. Having the consumer tell us why they decided to buy or sell allows them to be relatable to other consumers that may be in the same situation. Maybe they needed a bigger house after marriage or an addition of a child. Maybe they needed a smaller home now that they are empty nesters. This is where the story begins.

Had you worked with another real estate agent previously? How was that experience?

It’s surprising how many buyers and sellers do not use the same agent again. This could be because many do not stay in touch or because they were not happy with the experience. Finding this out allows the consumer to compare and contrast previous agents with our client, creating a more compelling story.

How did you find the real estate agent?

Was the consumer referred to the agent from a family member or friend? If yes, this shows a degree of trust. Did they find the real estate agent online? If yes, this shows a degree of marketing prowess. Was it an open house? An expired? A cold call? All of these lay out the foundation for the story that is to come.

Why did you choose the real estate agent?

Did they choose the agent because they made them feel comfortable? Did they have all the answers to their questions? Did they have an amazing marketing plan no other agent spoke of? Did they like their particular niche and experience of selling luxury homes, 2nd homes, representing first time home buyers? Hearing about these nuggets could positively influence your website visitors and potential clients.

What did you like most about the real estate agent?

What was it about the agent the buyer or seller really liked? Did they communicate regularly and often? Did they have a team of professionals to help them along the way? Did they show up with comps for the appraiser to justify a sales price? Did they recommend a lender to help them get financing?

Would you recommend the real estate agent to your friends and family?

This is how we end every interview. The money question. Would they recommend the agent to their friends and family. Typically we don’t even have to ask this question. Most buyers/sellers we interview go straight into “we would highly recommend Amy, Jennifer, Tim, Jason, to anyone looking to buy or sell a home!”

Presentation is everything with video because there is so much information being shared. Not just the words or the body language but the background, the lighting, the audio, the composition, the movement and so much more. The buyer or seller can say everything perfectly and give you a rave review but if you can barely hear them because of bad audio, or barely see them because they are in front of a bay window, or see their faces well, or they are shaky because you went handheld (never recommended) or they are swaying from nervousness – it can be all for not.

While you can certainly shoot a video testimonial on your own with your iPhone or iPad, it is not always recommended. This is why some of the best real estate agents in the valley hire us to go to the buyers or sellers house to get the video testimonial. This assures them, not only a rave review but a video that engages other buyers and sellers and brings them closer to you and your brand. These video testimonials can be embedded into your website, shared through social media, used in paid ads, embedded in emails, emailed to potential clients and so much more. To learn more about our video testimonials please fill out the form below or see our video testimonial examples.

Contact Us

Thank you for your interest in HMC. We provide the highest quality business, commercial, event video productions, classes and services. We look forward to meeting you. Please fill out the form below or call 480.223.8113

Are Real Estate Agents A Commodity? How To Stop Consumers From Choosing Based Upon Price.

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How To Compete OnlineTell me if this sounds familiar. You are working with a buyer, or maybe it’s a seller – and its been awhile. You’ve shown the buyer multiple homes (with no buyer broker of course), on weekends, after hours etc and gave the seller tips for getting their property ready for sale. Then it happens. The buyer or seller chooses another real estate agent.

Maybe the buyer walked into an open house and purchased a home with the sitting agent, or maybe the seller chose a family friend – either way, you are out of luck and you’re pissed. Buyers are liars! You think. Well, maybe it’s not their fault. Maybe you need to look in the mirror and ask yourself this one very important question: Are You A Commodity?

You know commodities, not the kind traded on Wall Street necessarily but the kind you buy at the grocery store. Like Bacon and Orange Juice. The kind where you shop based upon PRICE and not necessarily QUALITY. You know what I mean. One Sunday at the grocery store you choose Tropicana because it’s cheaper than Sunkist. Next week it’s Minute Maid because it’s on SALE. We all do it. Why in the world would you pay $1, $2 more for a product that appears to be exactly the same as the others? Well, you wouldn’t. And neither do buyers and sellers.

You see, when things look the same, when we can’t tell the difference between one product and another, one service and another, one real estate agent and another we often resort to shopping based upon price. Which is cheaper? This same principle, one you use every day when you shop in the grocery store or online, is often the same one buyers and sellers use when choosing a real estate agent.

But not all products and not all services are the same are they? Why does one consumer choose Lexus over Toyota? Infiniti over Nissan? Acura over Honda? They are essentially the same exact car. The difference is perception. The difference is often what we feel Lexus or Infiniti or Acura says about us. Is it really a better car? Sure it has leather instead of cloth, parking sensors, Satellite Radio, blind spot awareness sensors, maybe a back-up camera but is it really a better car?

Apply this same methodology to real estate.

In my experience, most real estate agents say and do the same exact same things. “Search the MLS like a REALTOR”, “Call for a FREE CMA” “Get a FREE home warranty when you buy with me”. But what makes you different than other agents? What makes you better? Do you even know? When I was a sales exec in title I met all kinds of real estate agents. Big ones and little ones, the top of the hill and the up and comers. The interesting thing is, many real estate agents have no clue what their value truly is. Meaning, they have no clue how they are different and better than their competition. If I was a buyer or seller, why should I choose you? I’d ask them. Most would talk about their brokerages “Well, we are one of the top…..” or even better – they would list intangibles. I have integrity. I’m passionate. I love helping people. None of these are tangible or even measurable. And do they really add value for the consumer? That is a commodity.

Let’s look at a real world example. Let’s say you found out you were getting divorced, and you have children. A long road is without doubt ahead. What would you do? Would you look for the least expensive divorce attorney you could find or would you seek out the very best? One that specializes in working with men or women? I bet you would not try and find a divorce attorney that just started in the industry. You’d want the very best you could afford. The stakes are just as high when comparing the scenario of a divorce and buying or selling a house aren’t they? Both can result in huge losses without the right professional guiding them through the process. This is where EXPERTISE and EXPERIENCE come in.

Most buyers and sellers have NO CLUE what services, guidance and experience a professional real estate agent can provide for one simple reason. You are not talking about it. You’re saying the same things as your competitors and forcing the consumer to choose based upon PRICE. And both parties are paying a heavy price because of it.

You can help the consumer FIND you, CHOOSE you and ultimately HIRE you by talking about the content they look for online. Stop saying and doing the same things as everyone else. Pick a niche and leverage it. Educate consumers on the communities and markets you serve. The building styles, new builds, market trends. How? Write articles like this one, make targeted community and property videos and optimize them so your ideal client can find them and begin to see you as the go to, like the divorce attorney scenario above. As luck would have it – you just found the video marketing equivalent of the divorce attorney above. We can help you leverage video to educate and inform your target audience to help them choose you over your competitors. Fill out the form below. Let’s talk.

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