Real Estate Video Stats

• Listings that include a video receive over 400% percent more inquiries than those without. (Small Biz Trends)
• 85% of buyers and sellers prefer to work with an agent who uses video. (Inman, NAR)
• Professionals who use video grow their revenue 49% faster than those that don’t. (Aberdeen Group)
• Video receive over 400% more engagement than any other medium of marketing in real estate. (Virtuets)
• 81% of real estate agents and marketers who use videos say video has helped them generate leads. (Wyzowl)
• 84% of real estate agents and marketers who use video has helped them increase traffic to their website. (Wyzowl)
• Video Facebook posts have a 135% greater organic reach than photo posts. (Social Bakers)
• Video marketing gets 66% more qualified leads per year. (Aberdeen Group)
• Social media video generates 1200% more shares than text and images combined. (Small Biz Trends)
• Viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video. This is compared to only 10% retention for text. (Forbes)
• 52% of Marketers say that video has the highest ROI of any type of content. (Sydnacast)
• Video is consumers’ #1 favorite type of content to see from brands on social media. (Animoto)
• Video ads are the #1 way that consumers found out about a new brand/product before purchasing on social media. (Animoto)
• 59% of purchase decision makers prefer to learn about new services and products through video. (Vidyard)
• Mobile video consumption rises by 100% every year. (Invisia)
• 76.5% of marketers and small business owners that have used video marketing, say that it had a direct impact on their business. (Small Biz Trends)
• In 2020, there will be almost 1,000,000 minutes of video per second streaming online. (Cisco)
• 93% of businesses say they’ve gotten a new customer thanks to a video on social media. (Animoto)
• 46% of viewers take some sort of action after viewing a video ad. (Online Publishers Association)
• 54% of consumers want to see more internet videos from professionals, businesses, and brands. (Hubspot)

So what does this mean for real estate agents? 

Marketers are not the only ones taking advantage of online video. These same real estate video stats apply to real estate agents who are using listing videos and content videos, too! These trends are continuing to grow year-over-year and are expected to rise. Video is a ridiculously easy way to increase sales and generate real estate leads, online.

But most real estate agents don’t have the time or technical know-how to put together their own real estate listing videos. In fact, studies have shown that lack of time and video editing experience are the biggest problems keeping real estate agents away from video.

Automatically Created Listing Videos

For real estate agents lacking time and video resources, Single Property Sites automatically creates real estate listing videos for users. Beautiful listing videos are automatically populated from already existing MLS data. These videos are designed to impress sellers and to sell listings more quickly. They are easily integrated into Single Property Websites, Youtube, Facebook, or anywhere else online.

Best of all, agents can set up Single Property Sites for free. Real estate agents can use it for listing appointments for free.

The post 20 Real Estate Video Stats: Why every agent needs videos by the end of 2019! appeared first on Real Estate Marketing and Property Marketing Blog by Single Property Sites.

Relationship Building Opportunity: Divorce Attorney/Divorce Mediator 

An unfortunate selling opportunity comes with divorce. Never will an agent find more motivated sellers then a couple that is splitting up. And while it’s hard to find leads who are divorcing on your own, attorneys and divorce mediators make it easy. By forming a relationship with a local divorce attorney or divorce mediator, agents can reap the benefits of referrals for years to come.

Unsure of how to walk into an attorney or mediator’s office and make a business ally? It is important to ask for a lunch date to learn more about serving this niche segment. After forming a relationship, a simple trick would be to offer a helpful real estate guide specific to divorcing couples. 

Pro Tip: divorce mediators are often unsung heroes with more free time than attorneys. They also spend more time with their clients than attorneys do. It’s best to start with mediators and then move onto the attorney’s office.

Join Local Facebook Groups 

This is probably the easiest way to drum up real estate seller leads. Over the past few months, I have watched the same real estate agent snatch up lead after lead on a local Facebook mom’s group. It’s a great place to hang out online since women make up 70%-80% of all purchasing decisions.

When women in the Facebook group ask for advice about moving or home valuation, the same agent swoops in and picks them up with a DM, every time. It’s so brilliant and simple. Using the group search function allows agents to look for anyone talking about moving, even when they were offline. As long as an agent participates regularly in the group and builds relationships, joining local lifestyle groups is an easy way to get seller leads. It’s a great way to use Facebook to grow your business without spending a dime.

Engage Past Clients Often 

One of the biggest missed opportunities comes from past clients. More than half of real estate sellers use their old agent when they sell again. This number goes up when a strong relationship is maintained. There are plenty of great ways to engage past clients. This includes giving great closing gifts, making sure past clients have current market information, and making sure to add past clients to tailored drip campaigns.

The relationship shouldn’t stop after closing. Every year agents should personally connect with past clients via email or phone.

Pro Tip:  Using email drip campaigns is an easy way to nurture your past clients. Just make sure your messages are personalized. Your emails should contain questions like “How are you enjoying your first holiday in your new home?” Nothing will turn your old clients off quicker than spam or generic messages.

Relationship Building Opportunity: Financial Planners 

The highest percentage (23%) of sellers are empty nesters, age 55-64. And most sellers make between 100-124k a year. Firms like Edward Jones and Fidelity specialize in serving and partnering with this same demographic and are often aware when one of their clients wants to sell. These planners advise their clients on how to handle their assets, including when it’s time to downsize.

Forming a relationship with a financial planner is an excellent way to get referrals, especially as these professionals are involved in the financial decisions of their clients. Asking for an educational lunch or coffee is a great way to learn about the empty nester/downsizing demographic and how advisors counsel their clients during the selling process.

Offering value, like partnering with a financial planner for a home valuation class and sellers’ course is a great way to generate leads. This niche market is full of leads that are methodical and like to think ahead. So, offering market reports and tips for improving their homes to sell for a greater ROI is always welcome.

How to Get Real Estate Seller Leads for Free

Real estate seller leads don’t grow on trees, but some covert more easily than others. Data shows that most real estate seller clients come from referrals and relationships, not from being purchased online. There are plenty of places to find free leads. Clients can come from Facebook, divorce mediators/attorneys, financial planners, past clients, and more. 

The post 6 Places to Find Free Real Estate Seller Leads appeared first on Real Estate Marketing and Property Marketing Blog by Single Property Sites.

What Sellers Want in A Real Estate Agent

According to data collected by the NAR, the top five things sellers want in a real estate agent is help:

1. marketing their home to potential buyers (20%)
2. pricing home competitively (20%)
3. selling the home within a specific time frame (19%)
4. finding a buyer for home (14%)
5. finding ways to fix up home to sell it for more (14%)

Help marketing their home to potential buyers (20%) 

There are two services that sellers want most in a real estate agent. They are marketing a seller’s home and pricing their home for sale. According to the NAR, 20% of sellers most want a real estate agent who will market their home to buyers.

Listing agents who want to get more clients should focus on creating a stellar marketing plan. The best way to do this is by answering the questions home sellers will most often ask. These include:

• What online channels will me home be shared on (Zillow, MLS, Social Media, etc.)?
• How will the real estate agent make my home stand out from the thousands of listings online (Single Property Sites, media used, target ads, etc.)?
• Which forms of media will be used to promote my home (Professional photos, floor plans, virtual tours, etc.)?
• How will my home be promoted locally (open house, sign riders, etc.)?
• How will the real estate agent’s professional network be leveraged to promote my home?

Since marketing skills are the most important thing sellers want in a real estate agent, making a stellar marketing plan should be #1 priority.

Help Price Home Competitively (20%) 

Pricing homes competitively is just as important to sellers (20%) as having a solid marketing plan. Sellers want an agent who will list their home at the right price. But, giving sellers the best listing price possible isn’t good enough. Sellers want a real estate agent who will show them exactly how they decided on the listing price.

In a world of inaccurate Zestimates, real estate agents need to be incredibly honest and open about how comps are acquired and how listing prices are decided on. Sellers love printouts and explanations of detailed comps. 

Real estate agents should view themselves as educators. Home sellers need agents to teach them about the best price for their home and how that price is determined.

Help Selling a Home Within a Specific Time Frame (19%) 

Real estate agents have a great opportunity to help calm a seller’s anxiety and get new clients, by emphasizing a commitment to selling homes within a specific time frame. With job changes, expanding families, and other relocation needs, many sellers become nervous and frustrated when thinking about their time frame needs.

A seller’s fear and frustration are a huge opportunity for real estate agents. Presenting a track record of previous sales, past client testimonials, and emphasizing how the marketing plan and listing price are important to selling quickly are important.

Help Find a Buyer for Home (14%)

Fourteen percent of sellers most want an agent that will help them find a buyer. This need ties directly into a real estate agent’s marketing plan. And, highlighting the real estate agent’s professional network is a must.

The listing agent should also highlight their ability to find the right buyer for a seller’s home. Talking about qualifying buyer leads is important. Not only will the real estate agent find a buyer, but one who is financially secure, is going to make it to closing,  and who is not asking for an outrageous price cut.

Help Find Ways to Fix Up Home to Sell it For More (14%) 

It’s not a surprise that many home sellers want to increase the asking price of their home. And while this can cause headaches for agents, what many sellers actually want is help and guidance fixing up their homes to sell for more.

When presenting a fair listing price and comps, part of the conversation often turns to increase the listing price. No surprises here! But agents should be ready with a list of data-backed home improvement options to increase the sales price. Having the name of a few good contractors on hand is also a great idea.

What Sellers Want in a Real Estate Agent

While many real estate agents focus on their negotiating skills, their brokerage’s reputation, or other strengths, the truth is, we have data on what sellers want in a real estate agent. A strong marketing plan, a competitive listing price, help selling their home quickly, finding a buyer, and advice on home improvements is what sellers actually want most. Above all, agents who focus on these needs and marketing toward those needs will see the highest pay-offs.

The post What Sellers Want in A Real Estate Agent appeared first on Real Estate Marketing and Property Marketing Blog by Single Property Sites.

With 50% of buyers finding their homes online and a sea of online listings, floor plans stand out to buyers. Additionally, they close faster and impress sellers, too! The #1 thing sellers look for in an agent is a great marketing plan, and floor plans are an important piece of that plan.

What Counts as a Floor Plan? 

With so many marketing real estate tools online, the lines between products and services are constantly getting blurred. Is it a virtual tour, a 2-D drawing, a 3-D rendering or something else, entirely?

Most simply: a real estate floor plan is a 2-D blueprint of a home. It is usually a black-and-white .j-peg image featuring a home’s dimensions and visual spacing.

Floor Plans Beat Out Popular Real Estate Listing Tools 

These simple, black and white .jpeg images are beating out fancy tech across the board. It is surprising to many real estate agents, but the effectiveness and helpfulness of floor plans beat out:

• Virtual Tours
• Drone Photography
• Drone Video
• And even Realtor Contact Info

Many agents are spending hundreds a month on virtual tour software and drone services, but floorplans are actually way more helpful for finding a buyer.

Why Floorplans Matter to Sellers 

Sellers are usually buyers, too. They have been spending countless hours scouring the internet to find their next home. During that time, many sellers have come to form their own opinions on what makes a good listing. The NAR data that applies to buyers applies to sellers also, since they are most often buying another home, too.

But floor plans are rarely ever featured during the marketing portion of listing presentations. This is a missed opportunity for agents to win listings. As we have covered in the past, data shows that the most effective online real estate marketing features stunning photographs, strong property descriptions, and helpful floor plans.

Creating Floor Plans Easily Online 

The good news is, there are tons of easy, cost-effective ways to create floor plans for real estate marketing online. Below, we have gathered the best options at various price points.

SmartDraw  

SmartDraw is the easiest and most cost-effective option. For only 9.99/mo real estate agents can create beautiful 2-D floor plans and even add virtual staging. Smart Draw’s integration with G-Suite and Microsoft Office make it perfectly tailored to fit real estate life.

RoomSketcher 

RoomSketcher creates beautiful 2-D renderings of properties for $49/yr. This floor plan maker is a hidden gem because they offer creation services for agents. Their team will create 2-D floor plans, 3-D floor plans, and virtual tours all-in-one, for agents. It is a huge timesaver.

SketchUp 

SketchUp is by far one of the easiest floor plan tools to learn. It also allows for simple 2D floor plans and for 3D floor plans, too. It’s price point of $399/yr may be off-putting to some agents, but for agents looking for a floor plan tool that is insanely easy to use, this is one to use.

Showcasing Floor Plans Online 

After creating floor plans for real estate marketing, agents can easily show them off with the rest of their marketing materials. Single Property Sites are one of the best ways to showcase floor plans during a listing presentation.

Floor Plans for Real Estate Marketing 

Floor plans are often overlooked as real estate marketing tools. But the data shows that floor plans are actually one of the most effective and helpful features of an online listing. There are plenty of tools available to easily creating floor plans as well as tools for winning listings with them, too.

The post Floor Plans for Real Estate Marketing: Why are so many real estate agents missing out? appeared first on Real Estate Marketing and Property Marketing Blog by Single Property Sites.

The internet is full of articles about how real estate photographers can get the most money possible for their services. But little has been reported about how much real estate agents should be paying for listing photography. We know how critical photographs are to helping agents win and selling listings. So, we did the digging, looked at the local markets, and found out the truth about real estate photography pricing.

Why is Real Estate Photography Important?

Sell Homes Faster and for More

Rismedia recently reported: 

Listings with high-quality photos sell 32 percent faster.

Listings with more photos sell faster.  A home with one photo spends an average of 70 days on the market, but a home with 20 photos spends 32 days on the market.

For listings in the $200,000 to $1 million range, those that include high-quality photography in their listings sell for $3,000-$11,000 more.

Impress Sellers and Get More Listings

But most importantly, photos are important to home sellers. According to the NAR, The number one service home sellers look for in a real estate agent, is someone with a great marketing strategy. Photos are a huge piece of that marketing strategy.

Incorporating beautiful and appropriate photographs in marketing materials can really help a listing agent to make their marketing services and expertise tangible to sellers. Showcasing the best photos alongside floorplans, virtual tours, and videos with services like Single Property Sites is one of the best ways agents can show their marketing strengths.

What is Average Real Estate Photography Pricing?

The average price for real estate photography is between $100 and $350.  This price can vary slightly by region and by property size. This price should include 1-3 hours of photography time, at least 25 edited images, a quick turnaround time, and images that don’t require reformatting for the MLS or across social media. Copyright for each photo should fall to the agent for commercial use.

Real Estate Photography Pricing by Region

West: Denver

Hot Shot Pros focuses solely on high-end real estate photography. They offer an array of packages, but the most popular, MLS-specific package is $195 and includes 35+ edited photos, home tour, Youtube video, and interactive floorplan. Springing for a luxury listing package only costs $250.

South: Miami

iUSE Photography is Miami’s premier real estate photography company. They offer a blue sky guarantee on all their photos with tons of a la carte pricing options. Their best is their $249 twilight package which includes 24 photos and 1 twilight photo. The best part is their quick turnaround time with next day delivery.

East Coast: Washington DC

Northern Virginia Real Estate Photography is one of DC’s most trusted real estate photography studios. Their standard package is $300 for 30 edited images and includes a virtual tour. They have multiple awards from Houzz and offer drone services, too.

West Coast: Portland

Tim Sadle Photography has had agents singing his praises for years. Seriously, check him out on Yelp! His photos are stunning and his packages are very well priced. For $135 real estate agents get a full package with 15-35 interior and exterior photos with professional editing. All photos come pre-formatted for the RMLS.

Southwest: Dallas

Capture 2 Sell is an all-in-one listing stop for real estate agents. Capture 2 Sell offers traditional photography, videos, drone photography/video, and Matterport virtual tours. Their drone and standard photography package runs at $260, and additional products like Matterport and videos can be added on.

How to choose a real estate photographer

Choosing a real estate photographer is one of the most important services an agent will choose.

When picking for a real estate photographer, it is important to look for:

Binding Contracts

Many photographers have contracts designed to protect themselves and their clients. Real estate agents should never hire a photographer who does not offer signed contracts. They can skip town with an agent’s payment before delivering any photos.

Golden Hour Photographs

Taking real estate photos during dawn or dusk can set a listing apart from everything else on the market. Agents should look for a photographer who specializes in using natural light and takes “golden hour” photos at dawn or dusk. These photos wow both sellers and buyers alike.

Real Estate Only

Many aspiring photographers will try to brand themselves a jack of all trades by offering engagement photos, family portraits, pet photos, and real estate photography. Even though an agent may be attracted by a lower price point, Realtors should steer clear. Taking listing photos and taking family photos require two different skill sets. It would be like asking a dentist to operate on a hand, simply because they are a doctor.

Delivery Method & Post Production

Real estate agents should also be aware of how their photos will be delivered. Some real estate photographers offer flash drives, some offer disks, while others send the files securely online. For the easiest use, direct download is best. The best real estate photographers also use post-production filters, editing, and touch-ups using programs like Adobe Lightroom.

Real Estate Photography Pricing

Finding a good real estate photographer should cost no more than $100-$350 per listing. Choosing a good photographer is important because photography impresses sellers, sells homes more quickly, and makes an agent’s job easier. Being mindful of contracts, post-production, when a photographer takes their photos, and their area of expertise all play a part in choosing the right real estate photographer.

The post Real Estate Photography Pricing: How Much Should Agents be Paying? appeared first on Real Estate Marketing and Property Marketing Blog by Single Property Sites.

Inman is one of the leaders in real estate commentary, but they are not always right and they are not always transparent. For example, Inman has a history of biased reviews. Looking at their unsponsored articles, it is easy to see they have a knack for reviewing and recommending their paying sponsors. These are the same sponsors who line their pockets with thousands every year.

Recently, Inman put out an article on single property websites. The article questioned if these websites actually help sell homes. Their research was inconclusive, but the news giant brushed off using single property websites to sell homes. And while they’re wrong because of Single Property Sites ability to house every piece of listing material in one place, Iman missed the entire point of single property sites by asking the wrong question.

They Were Asking the Wrong Questions

Instead of wondering if single property websites helped sell homes, Inman should have focused on the real issue. Their question should have been, “Do single property websites win listings?” The answer is yes. Getting the listing is the hard part, once an agent has the client, its money in the bank.

What Sellers Look for in a Real Estate Agent

The NAR’s 2018 Buyer and Sellers Report reported the most important traits home sellers look for is a real estate agent. Marketing ranked at the top. 20% of all home sellers say home marketing is their number one concern when evaluating a Realtor.

Single Property Sites are useful because they blow sellers away during the listing appointment. They are an all-in-one marketing powerhouse. Single Property Sites don’t just come with custom URLs and photos anymore. Now, they are all-in-one marketing hubs to upload floor plans, virtual tours, videos, panoramas, and more listing information than the MLS can contain.

Most importantly, they are designed to win every listing. Single property websites make sellers feel valued and that their real estate agent is a marketing expert.

Why Sellers like Single Property Sites

Sellers love when real estate agents use listing websites. It shows how intentional and professional the agent is about marketing their home. The diverse forms of media and information displayed on single property sites go above and beyond traditional MLS listings. It sets their home apart from the rest. And these sites build trust between the seller and agent before the seller has decided which agent to sign with.

Win Every Listing

Sales are all about overcoming clients fears and hesitations. One of the biggest ways sellers evaluate an agent is on their marketing abilities. Single property sites help agents stand out. And most importantly, they overcome the seller’s fears about an agent’s marketing skills.

Inman may not think that single property websites are the best way to sell homes. But they are looking at the wrong question. The point of single property websites is to amaze sellers and never lose a listing. Their job is to win listings, and they do.

The post Inman Needs Educating: Single Property Websites appeared first on Real Estate Marketing and Property Marketing Blog by Single Property Sites.

When a real estate agent lands a listing presentation, it should be a guarantee that they will get the listing. The last hoop to jump through is the listing presentation, and it should be super easy. Luckily, the NAR has done all the research on what sellers want most from their real estate agents. The best listing presentation is backed by this data. By focusing on what home sellers want statistically, real estate agents are winning every listing.

#1. Market Home to Potential Buyers

The NAR’s 2018 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers reported that there were two services that home seller’s wanted most of all. 20% of all home sellers wanted a real estate agent who could market their home to potential buyers. This was the most important thing they looked for in an agent.

This (and helping competitively price the home) should be the main focus of the listing appointment. There are many ways that agents can focus on the marketing portion of their presentation. These include:

• Showing research-backed data on how to create the most effective MLS listings (with examples).
• A video testimonial from a satisfied previous seller
• Sharing an example of  Single Property Sites listing websites, that were designed specifically to win listings. They impress buyers with custom URLs, stunning photo, video, virtual tour, and panorama capabilities. And details on listings that the MLS simply doesn’t support.
• Staging, Photography, and Video before and after examples
• Sharing multimedia examples of virtual tours and video
• Explaining online/social media promotional strategy
• Explaining how open houses, sign riders, and other marketing materials will be used

#2. Help Price Home Competitively

Helping price a home competitively is just as important to sellers as a solid marketing plan. 20% of all home sellers said that the most important thing they wanted from a Realtor was help pricing their home competitively. This topic can be a source of headaches for agents due to Zestimates and unrealistic expectations. However real estate agents should not minimize this conversation.

Sellers want their agent to be transparent when pricing a home. Agents should be prepared to give home sellers detailed comp material. Sellers should know where the comps came from, what homes of their model have historically sold for in their neighborhood, and be given detailed analytics on the current market.

Above all, Realtors should focus on educating and empowering sellers. This is an opportunity for agents to position themselves as industry leads and to show sellers what a realistic price point is. The best listing presentation teaches a seller about the best price for their home.

#3. Help Sell in a Specific Timeframe

Selling in a specific timeframe is the third most service to sellers. 19% of home sellers say this is the number one thing they look for in a real estate agent. It is a perfect segway from the pricepoint conversation because as we all know, pricing a home is very important to selling quickly.

Marketing a home and choosing an appropriate price should inform the selling timeframe. Agents should:

• Share timeframe data from past sales
• Share timeframe data on the current market
• Highlight their marketing plan, again
• Discuss how properly pricing home can impact the timeframe
• Highlight their network group

#4. Help Find a Buyer

14% of sellers feel that help finding a buyer is the most important service agents offer. Many home sellers are unaware of the professional network that most agents have developed. Agents should demonstrate how a professional network of Realtors can help find a buyer. Open houses and the marketing plan should also be touched on again.

Historically, home sellers want to know a real estate agents track record looks like. By sharing how and when past homebuyers found previous listings, trust is built.

#5. Help Seller Fix Home to Sell it for More

14% of home sellers think the most important thing a real estate agent can do for them is helping them fix up their home to get a better price. Sharing staging ideas while doing a walk-through is an easy way to show off your services.

But, before offering up a ton of unsolicited ideas on home improvements, agents should be sure to ask the seller if they are looking to make any changes or if they want to sell as-is. This will guide the conversation. Presenting data-backed research on the biggest ROI improvements is the best idea.

The Best Listing Presentation Backed by Research

The best listing presentation is the one that is backed by research. The NAR has done the research and we know exactly what home sellers want most in a real estate agent. Real estate agents can win every listing by helping home sellers market their home, price their home competitively, find a buyer, and fix their home to sell for more. Agents that are transparent, offer data and their own sales history, and present a strong marketing plan will win every listing.

The post The Best Listing Presentation Backed By Research appeared first on Real Estate Marketing and Property Marketing Blog by Single Property Sites.

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.

The post Are Real Estate Listing Videos Really Worth it? appeared first on Real Estate Marketing and Property Marketing Blog by Single Property Sites.

The 3 Most Valuable Ingredients

The NAR’s Real Estate in A Digital Age Report interviewed home buyers to find out which web features are most valuable to buyers. The three top digital features included:

• Photos (87%)
• Detailed Information About Properties (85%)
• Floor Plans (52%)

Photo Secrets

By now, every listing agent knows that having a professional photographer is key. For a good laugh, check out these agents who didn’t and ended up with listing photo fails.

But many agents don’t realize how they can get the most out of their photographer. To get Instagram or frame-worthy photos, agents should be sure to ask for:

• a sunset or sunrise photo session
• post-production filters or presets
• wide-angle lenses

Asking for these small tweaks are the secret sauce for over-the-top listing photos.

Description Secrets

Listing descriptions are the cornerstone of any great listing. It is where prospective buyers turn to learn about their potential, new home. But not all descriptions are created equally. To see the worst of the worst, check out the Broke Agent’s description bombs.

There are some tried and true methods to create strong descriptions, though. These include:

Highlighting neighborhood/community features:

This type of information helps buyers picture what their new life might look like and is often not available anywhere else on the internet.

Knowing which type of words to avoid and which to use:

Zillow gathered the data and put together a list of words sure to help or hurt listings. Top words to avoid include “nice,” “potential”, “investment”, “cosmetic,”and “fixer.” These words scream “crappy house” to potential buyers.

If applicable, words that buyers respond positively to include “captivating,” “impeccable,” “stainless,” “granite,” and, “landscaped.”

Word count:

When it comes to writing listing descriptions, more is more. Home buyers are looking to gather as much information as they can about a home online before they contact an agent to see it. Most listing descriptions average 60 words, which is less than an average paragraph. No one would make a major purchasing decision based on less than a paragraph of information.

Taking the time to describe a listing, its features, and community in detail are key to hooking buyers. To bulk up the word count, agents should focus on creating a picture of what it would be like to live at that home. And, they should maximize the home’s best features.

Floor Plans

Floor plans for older properties can be difficult to come by, but they are vital to home buyers. Agents don’t have time to learn CAD software. But, free lightweight software like Home Sweet 3D is perfect for mocking up floorplans. It is quick and free and allows any agent with room dimensions to instantly mock up a floorplan for any listing.

Because online homebuyers value floor plans so much, it worth utilizing this free software.

Interactive features

After building a strong listing foundation with the 3 most valuable ingredients (photos, detailed descriptions, and floor plans), agents should add a dash of creativity.

Looking back at the NAR’s Real Estate in the Digital Age Report, 76% of all home buyers found the home they ultimately purchased online. Additionally, 73% of all buyers used mobile devices or tablets to search for homes. The internet is the #1 place home buyers are shopping for homes.

While the internet has changed the way people shop for homes, it has also created opportunities for buyers to creatively experience homes before stepping foot inside. Interactive features including video and virtual tours are the best features to invest in.

Video

Inman reported that 85% of home sellers want to work with an agent who uses video. That statistic is staggering. But roughly only 10-15% percent of agents are using video as a marketing strategy! That is insane. Most agents don’t use video for two reasons:

1. They don’t know how to create them
2. They don’t want to pay for them

But it is a huge marketing opportunity to miss out on, especially for listing agents. Videos should be a part of any real estate listing marketing plan.

Video Secret: There are services out there that populate listing automatically. This includes Single Property Sites. SPS automatically builds and populates free listing videos for agents when they create their listing websites. Agents can check out a live example, here.

Virtual Tours

Virtual or video tours are becoming a hot marketing tool, too. Jason Fox reported that listings with virtual tours got 87% more views than those that did not. After a strong foundation of photos, a killer description, and a floor plan have been laid. Virtual tours are a powerful tool for moving inventory more quickly. Realtors can check out a review of the best virtual tour software, here.

Virtual Tour Secret: Most agents avoid virtual tours because of the investment and low amount of views. But virtual tours move inventory faster and attracted serious buyers. Check out Inman’s report on why virtual tours are actually creating a good ROI for agents.

Secret Real Estate Listing Marketing Plan

The secret to a successful real estate listing marketing plan includes the 3 most important ingredients: professional photos, detailed descriptions, and floor plans. Adding more creative elements like video and virtual tours can lead to a greater ROI and are often not as difficult to produce as some agents think.

And, for agents looking to bring all their ingredients into one dish, Single Property Sites are a great way to show off every virtual tour, video, photos, floor plans, and detailed descriptions on one, high-quality real estate website.

The post The Secret Sauce Real Estate Listing Marketing Plan appeared first on Real Estate Marketing and Property Marketing Blog by Single Property Sites.

Bigger Pockets Money Podcast

Close to 200,000 listeners tune in to this weekly podcast. Hosted by authors Brandon Turner and Joshua Dorkin (“How to Invest in Real Estate,” “The Bigger Pockets Guide”), this is not for listeners looking for quick riches.

Instead, Turner and Dorkin delve deep into many topics that they and their guests deal with all the time. For example, one episode shares stories about selling to flippers. In another episode, listeners hear tales of how investors came back from bankruptcy. Each episode also comes with a wealth of show notes for agents looking to download some of the show’s best advice.

The Brian Buffini Show

Everyone loves a true, American story. And that may be the reason Brian’s podcast is ranked #2 in the iTunes business category, is heard in over 160 countries, and features over four million weekly downloads. With those numbers, it may be the top best real estate podcast in the world.

After coming to the U.S. in 1986, Brian worked hard to become one of the country’s top Realtors and start his own company. Brian helps listeners understand the current market and what they can do to make their own dreams into realities. The show also features a ton of great guests, including interviews with real estate agents, motivational speakers, Hollywood, and music personalities.

YES Talk for Real Estate Agents

Agent-coach Kevin Ward took his successful book “The Book of YES: The Ultimate Real Estate Agent Conversation Guide” and converted it into a podcast. Each episode is dedicated to a part of the industry that people continually want information on.

One show may detail how to handle objections. Another will work listeners through the fear of asking for business. It’s a note-taking podcast where episodes can be revisited time and time again. It’s timelessness is what makes it one of the best podcasts for real estate agents.

Harvard Business Review Ideacast

Well, it’s Harvard. You can’t get more legit than that. This weekly podcast focuses on interviews with the top entrepreneurs and managers across the globe.

And while not a true real estate podcast, the program is directed to those who work hard to accomplish their own business dreams. Their goal is to share current information on management, economics, and marketing without selling coaching services or products. In addition to being educational, the podcast is one of the oldest online broadcasts.

The Tom Ferry Podcast Experience

While this podcast has been around for about two years, Tom has been reaching sales heights and coaching other real estate agents for nearly two decades.

In this podcast, he discusses everything related to real estate. One episode might be about making that first million-dollar sale. One week later, he might speak to people considering becoming agents. Ferry offers a well-rounded, topical show that agents can jump in on at any time.

Agent Caffeine

Kelly Mitchell is an agent filled with limitless energy. Her show is just as caffeinated as she is. It has been one of the top real estate podcasts since 2011.

Where other shows focus on the material portion of the market, “Agent Caffeine” examines how real estate and technology intersect. For instance, listeners can peruse episodes on content targeting and SEO marketing. For agents interested in how tech can help them get ahead, this is a great option.

Super Agents Live

This is a podcast for those who don’t have time to listen to others by Brian Buffini and Kevin Ward. That’s because they appear on this ongoing podcast hosted by Toby Salgado — a multi-millionaire entrepreneur himself.

Like “Agent Caffeine,” Toby’s podcast also crosses the line between the physical and virtual real estate worlds. Recent episodes have focused on the iBuyer craze, building online leads, and social media marketing.

Real Estate Coaching Radio

Tim and Julie Harris, coaches and the authors of the upcoming book “Harris Rules: A Real Estate Agent’s Practical, No-BS, Step-by-Step Guide to Becoming Rich and Free,” want to get agents selling.

This podcast is a mix of everything. There’s industry news, important advice for Realtors, and interviews with top sellers across the country. No matter if the listener is just starting out or a seasoned pro, Tim and Julie want their audience to learn something.

GSD Mode

GSD is short for “get sh!t done.” What Realtor and coach Joshua Smith wants listeners to gain from the podcast is the motivation to get up and make things happen. Not wait around for the market or circumstances to change.

In each episode, Joshua interviews superstars of the real estate world. He peels away their successes to find out how they got to where they are and what keeps them going. He even veers away from standard real estate topics. Episodes have featured conversations with real estate software developers and experts in cryptocurrency.

Agent Rise/Onion Juice Podcast

Both Onion Juice and Agent Rise are hosted by Neil Mathweg. Onion Juice recently ended it’s run with over 170 episodes and it is still worth a listen. Mathweg mixes humor, with real estate advice and great interviews. His new real estate podcast, Agent Rise with Neil Mathweg is just as good if not better. His conversations often focus on evergreen topics like lead generation, talking to buyers and sellers, and other actionable advice.

The Best Podcasts for Real Estate Agents

The best podcasts for real estate agents are entertaining, inspiring, and educational. They can motivate agents to sell more, close more quickly, and get more leads. The best part is they can be listened to in the car, in the office, or while working out. Though each show offers a slightly different style and topics covered, they are worth a listen to help transform any real estate business.

The post Best Podcasts for Real Estate Agents of 2019 appeared first on Real Estate Marketing and Property Marketing Blog by Single Property Sites.