It is no secret that video is having a moment in real estate. Services like BombBomb are changing the way that agents connect with online leads with video. Video-based virtual tours are changing the way that buyers interact with online listings. And listing videos have been snagging buyers and sellers attention in a way that other media cant. On the flip side, real estate agents are pressed for time or simply don’t have the budget to hire a video producer. So the question is, “Are real estate listing videos really worth it?”

Worse than Goldfish

It all boils down to science. Scientists in Canada have found that most humans now have a shorter attention span than a goldfish. Thanks to smartphones and tablets, we can typically only pay attention for 8 seconds or less!

This has been a nightmare for marketers trying to get consumers attention. But they are slowly finding that video is king. The stats don’t lie. Forbes reported that “By 2019, global consumer Internet video traffic will account for 80% of all consumer Internet traffic.” And, “After watching a video, 64% of users are more likely to buy a product online.” That is insane.

This is because video holds our short attention spans in a way that tradition print and photographs cannot. Hubspot reported, “55% of people play close attention when consuming video – more than all other types of content”

Seller Clients

The #1 thing that sellers want from an agent is the ability to market their home. This is why having a killer marketing plan before walking into a listing appointment is critical. It is the top priority for sellers. Statistics show that the best way to market online is through video engagement. Knowing this information and presenting it to soon-to-be clients is key to more conversions. Renderforest recently reported:

• Marketers who use video content get 66% more qualified leads per year.

• 70% of marketing professionals report video converts better than any other mediums.

• Video posts on Facebook have 135% greater organic reach than photo posts.

• The users spend 88% more time on a website with video.

By sharing this knowledge with sellers and then acting on it, agents can position themselves as marketing experts and get more clients.

Brand Awareness and SEO

Video is also a useful way to bump website SEO and increase brand visibility. One of the ways that Google ranks websites is by how helpful or useful it decides a website is. Part of this decision hinges on dwell time. Dwell time is the amount of time a person spends interacting with content. The longer people spend watching video and interacting with the site, the higher Google will rank it. A video is actually 53x more likely to get ranked on page 1 of Google, organically.

As far as brand awareness goes, video reigns because of its sharability. In fact, “Video posts on Facebook have 135% greater organic reach than photo posts.” And, “Social video produces 1200% more shares than text and images combined.” For growing future business, videos are going to be a vital source for the next 5-10 years.

The Hassle: Time and Money

All the stats look great and it easy to see that video is one of the best ways to market real estate. But…it takes a lot of time and/or money to make videos.

I remember sitting in one of my final college courses on video marketing and actually crying. I had never cried in school before, but Final Cut Pro drove me to do it. It took hours upon hours to even make a thirty-second spot that still was nowhere near complete when class started. I hadn’t slept in 48 hours, just trying to figure out audio layers. Plus, the software wasn’t cheap either.

For Realtors who are like me and don’t want to hassle with the learning curve and time commitment of video producing, there is always to option to hire someone else to produce videos. The problem there is the cost. Real estate listing videos can cost anywhere between $1000-$2500 to outsource. That is a chunk of commission.

So is there a way to use real estate listing videos and forgo spending an arm and a leg…or giving up hours of sleep?

Alternative Solutions

Fortunately, there are some easy ways to harness the marketing magic of video without breaking the bank or forgoing sleep:

Automatic Listing Videos

We would be remiss if we didn’t let you know that every time a Single Property Site is created, a free listing video is automagically uploaded to YouTube. The videos pull photos and details about the listing to create a slick listing video. Agents don’t need to do a thing. Here is a recent real estate listing video from a Colorado listing.

DIY Quick Editing: Splice & Quik

If an agent has listing photos or video footage on their phone, they can use Splice (ios) or Quik (android). Both of these apps were created by the GoPro brand. And unlike very complicated programs like Final Cut Pro, they were designed with small business owners and creators in mind. These apps allow agents to edit videos quickly and painlessly on their phones. If an agent is interested in compiling their own real estate listing videos, these are the best apps to use.

Video Stabilizers

For real estate agents wanting to use their smartphone to shoot listing videos, testimonials, or social media clips, stabilizers can make videos look 1000x better. A video stabilizer automatically makes videos look smooth and crisp by taking out any shaky camera effects the phone might pick up. Emulsio (ios) and Deshake (Android) are two great options.

Real Estate Listing Videos

Video is king. There is no way around it. This year 80% of all web traffic will come from video. It is the most effective way to engage leads and impress clients. But real estate agents don’t need to break the bank to harness the power of video. Options like automatically generated videos with all-in-one marketing solutions, easy phone apps for editing, and tools that make a professional looking video are all great workarounds to listing videos that cost thousands.