With deft camera work and editing and a Shakespearean actor providing voice-over narration, a “mockumentary” produced by RESAAS Services Inc. aims to coax old-school agents into adopting the latest technology and social media tools.
The subtle humor of the four-minute short, “A Natural History of Real Estate,” is backed up by presence of some real estate tech heavyweights who agreed to lend their names to the cause: Tina Mak (associate broker at Coldwell Banker Westburn Realty in Vancouver), Nobu Hata (director of digital engagment for the National Association of Realtors), Christophe Choo (Christophe Choo Real Estate Group), and Ian MacLeod (president of LuxuryHomes.com).
“Our concept and strategy was to show agents how transforming from old-school tactics to new digital media isn’t so difficult or scary,” said Lisa Francilia, a marketing adviser for RESAAS, in a statement. “It’s an evolution that embraces new technology and promotes real-time interaction online between a network of agents. We’re suggesting that there’s a new way of communicating, so that’s how we should market ourselves, too.”
RESAAS promotional video, “A Natural History of Real Estate.”
The lead character is played by a real agent, Jason Hibbard, and Vancouver-based Shakespearean actor Christopher Gaze provides the deadpan narration. The video’s been posted to YouTube and promoted through a number of social media channels, and sparked a discussion about innovation and evolution of real estate around the hashtag #REevolution.
RESAAS Services Inc., which has been signing up clients for its “Real Estate Social Network” left and right this year, is hoping to do more than just drum up business with the video.
Francilia said the main focus of the campaign is “to get real estate professionals talking about how the environment is evolving, how we’re adapting and what we can expect in the future. We want to promote something bigger than just RESAAS; it’s something that involves many organizations, associations and individuals who believe that change is good and that technology provides incredible opportunities for everyone in the industry.”