Should Video Home Tours Be Mandatory?

Before you answer, check this out...

Some MAJOR brokerages are quickly moving to this philosophy. Why? Because they want their listings to be seen as different and more professional. When I first heard this I thought, "Wow, that's a bit extreme". But then I thought, "What a great idea!" It really does make sense. Why not have your agents do all they can to stand out in the crowd? And since only a small fraction of the real estate industry is currently using video, success is almost guaranteed if executed properly.

Here's the inside scoop of what we've been hearing on the mandatory video front:

-Video tours for any listing above a certain price point

-Video business cards/agent profiles for each agent on the main/corporate site

-Community profiles for brokerages showing the areas where they specialize

Here's the flip side of how the video world is changing. Brokerages are now becoming more of a "big brother" over the video they produce. Why? Well, one look at some of the poor video out there and you'll get the picture. Brokerages spend an awful lot of money, some on a national level, developing and protecting their brand. All it takes is one agent with poor judgement doing something 'not so professional' and posting it on YouTube. The brokerage is now in the position of performing damage control based on the actions of one agent. Because of this, many major brokerages are now asking for complete editorial control over each and every video posted with their logo/likeness. Some video distributors have heard this call and are now offering tools to help brokers with their quest for quality and professional video. WellcomeMat is offering customized websites that brokerages can control. If a video doesn't make the cut, it doesn't make the site.

Would love to know your thoughts.

Reel Productions TV- Real Estate Video