As a real estate agent, you may have heard the buzz about reaching millennials and foreign investors. Did you know YouTube may be one of the least expensive vehicles for you to reach these and other demographics?
YouTube reaches U.S. millennials (those 18-34) more than ANY cable network (sorry, Bravo/”The Real Housewives of ____ ” (fill in your guilty pleasure location) and HBO/”Game of Thrones” producers).
Beyond millennials, YouTube’s website and video viewers include an international audience (those outside of the U.S.) of 80 percent. YouTube has 1 billion eyeballs reaching it monthly. Those numbers should not be ignored as you grow your real estate sales business.
You may think, That’s great but I don’t have the time or money to post to YouTube.
Well, I want to challenge your objections in this post to show you that you can and should be a YouTube vlogger (video blogger — meaning you post more than a random video every once in a while).
I have been vlogging at least once a week for only two or three months and I am already hitting views in the thousands and working with new clients as a result. With time, this can easily be the most effective way for me to generate leads at the lowest cost.
I believe if you get started you will say the same thing. Don’t let these four common excuses stop you:
No one will want to watch my videos
Did you know that 73 percent of home sellers more readily list with agents who promote their home using video, but, shockingly, only 4 percent of agents can be found on YouTube? Home properties with videos receive 403 percent more inquiries than those without. Brand awareness (meaning you leave the sphere of being just another real estate sales agent to a specific, identifiable Agent+) is increased by 139 percent through video enjoyment.
This means that by starting and consistently loading videos to YouTube focused on a specific target market, you will create and gain a competitive advantage. (Check out our free webinar replay of creating a competitive advantage for more tips on this.)
Did you know that 51 percent of those viewing real estate videos view them on YouTube (as opposed to a realty firm website) with these numbers only expected to grow with time? Accordingly, it is not an issue of if someone will want to watch your videos but rather if you know how to market your videos to the right audience the right way. Catch our no-fee webinar on “5 Ways to Get Eyeballs to Your YouTube Videos for Real Estate” to help you position your videos for more views.
I’m embarrassed by the thought of having my face or voice plastered online
Really?! Come on, real estate agents — our industry is notorious for our photos being splattered on EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING. Let me say it again — EVERYTHING!
Our photos can be seen on our business cards, websites, billboards, shopping carts, bus stations, lawn signs, open house fliers and mobile apps. So our trepidation about being on YouTube needs to fall by the wayside.
YouTube videos can come in all forms, shapes and sizes. The video does not have to feature your face or video — it can feature your clients, actors, cartoons, the property being advertised for sale, community events and hotspots, or whatever else is appropriate for your real estate business’s model. Here is an example of a video that received 10,000 views within the first 24 hours of posting (keep in mind I have been consistently doing this only a couple of months) and it is a cartoon with a voice-over by me, proof-positive that your video can take all forms.
I don’t have enough time or money to create quality videos
This is the YouTube generation, folks. This means that your videos to not have to cost or look like they should be on network TV (although network TV has a few reality TV shows that have shaking cameras, blurry images, etc., to give it that YouTube, “made on my cell phone” look).
“But this is for my business!” you say, and rightfully so. But business videos can be produced with a nice, acceptable (not perfect, but acceptable) quality using simply your webcam or smartphone, if you have one of the newer models with the latest bells and whistles.
You can literally record and upload a quality YouTube video in less than one hour (less than 30 minutes once you really get comfortable with YouTube videography) using several apps and tools.
Here are a few of my FREE favorites (there are paid versions of these, but stick with the free versions while you are learning and honing this):
- WeVideo mobile app — This is great if you want to edit a “raw” video you just recorded and then post it to YouTube.
- Magisto mobile app — Use if you do not need narration but want to feature the best points of your latest listing, a new-home community or events in your community.
- Hi-Q MP3 Recorder or any mobile voice recorder app — Great for voice-overs that can be recorded in minutes and uploaded quickly.
- YouTube mobile app and website — This is the final destination of your videos, and YouTube offers a great editor that will allow you to make last-minute changes to your final production.
I don’t know what to talk about
My simplest answer to this is to start keeping a journal of what ails your clients, as well as what leads to them having a superb experience.
You can feature questions that buyers, investors, sellers, etc., have during the process. And as mentioned earlier, these videos can feature you but also your clients, your family/friends, community members and even other agents if you work well together.
Another way to have a flow of topics is to set up Google Alerts for your target clients (millennials, boomers, luxury sellers, etc.) or target neighborhood (i.e., Sandy Springs, Marietta, in-town, etc.).
With Google Alerts, you can receive a daily email with all of the things that are newsworthy. From there, you can create a short, one- to three-minute video at least once a week on those notable, hot topics.
I would be remiss to write a post on vlogging without featuring one of my entries. I chose this one to show you because it is a video I created using my cellphone (see my app list above) that I personally despise but it was shared the most — go figure that the time I am the most self-conscious, the video features the best information. Check it out and remember if I can do something this simple and grow my business, you can too!
Lee Davenport is a licensed broker and the owner of Agents Around Atlanta Plus, which provides training and on-demand agent coaching for local Realtor associations, franchisors and brokerages. Reposted with permission from AgentsAroundAtlanta.com.
