Tara Jones- Atlanta, GA

OK, so making the deadline over a holiday weekend was not the first choice for many. Therefore, we have added an additional week to get your submissions in. Please be sure to nominate your agent for a FREE makeover (both physically and technically) NO LATER than Friday, July 10th. This is an excellent opportunity for the selected agent to gain exposure and knowledge from industry experts! We're have great, national partners in place ready for the show!!

Do you know an agent or broker stuck in a time warp and could use some updating? We're not just talking about fashion, we're talking about their entire business! Is their website out of date? Do they even have a website? Do they look at you funny when you say the word "blog"? Is their headshot from the start of the Glamour Shot phase? Is their wardrobe just not what you would consider "agent appropriate' If you're thinking, "I've got just the person!", we want to hear from you.

Real Estate Surprise is a pilot show set to film in the Atlanta metro area the month of July. Selected agent/broker must be in the Atlanta area during this time. Participant must be at least 18 years or older and a licensed agent in good standing. An agent/broker with at least 10 years experience is preferred but is not required. Only looking for open-minded agent/broker who can handle being surprised and is open to change. A good attitude is a MUST! Selected agent will receive invaluable advice from industry leaders in the world of real estate, fashion and photography.

Contact Reel Productions TV today at Tara@ReelProductions.TV for submissions. Please include a recent photo of agent/broker, a brief description as to why person should be chosen, location of agent/broker, agent's website (if applicable) and your contact information (phone and e-mail). All submissions must be received no later than July 3rd.

A production of:

Check out the article below in this month's Realtor Magazine:

What Other's are Using: Multimedia Marketing Tools

The article has great insight into what tools agents are using in the business to be successful. You should get some great ideas! A special thank you to Matt Rains of Keller Williams, GA for the props!

Congratulations, to our client, Coldwell Banker for being nominated for an Inman Innovator Award for their new video-based website, Coldwell Banker On Location.

As I have been blogging, Reel Productions TV has been on the road for several months for corporate Coldwell Banker generating tons of material for their site launch.

Check out some of our videos below:

Golden, CO

Las Vegas, NV

Detroit, MI

Stone Oak, TX

Consumer Tip- Making the Offer: When, Where and How Much

The goal of Coldwell Banker On Location is to produce a video for each community in America. Why? Well, as you may know, video has a much higher ranking than text in the eyes of Google. So if you place hundreds or thousands of videos together, your website just became king in the world of SEO. That is the exact recipe CB used for this site.

The corporate level is now taking it a step further and asking their local agents and brokerages to jump on board as well and produce their own video or have a production shop continue to make video for them on a local level to add to the national site. This includes video listings, community profiles, agent/broker profiles, video business cards, market reports, recruiting videos and more.

You'll also see consumer tip videos including spots for buyers, sellers, homeowners and more. It's all in an effort to be perceived as the market leader across America. And anyone who knows me or has ever read my blogs knows that I say this often, "Perception is reality" and that is what video can do for anyone out there. If you tell people you are the market leader and support it with professional video, testimonials, blogging, etc...you have just become the market leader through your perception to the masses.

I believe this is the first of many video-only sites we will see on the local and national level. Again, congratulations to Coldwell Banker for all their efforts. Best of luck in August at Inman!!

My biggest pet peeve in the video production world is an agent, broker or business that made the commitment to have a video produced, spent the time making it happen and then NEVER POSTS IT FOR ANYONE TO SEE!! The whole point of video is to set yourself apart from the competition through marketing yourself in a unique, state of the art way. No one knows that you have video if you're not marketing it to the masses.

So, here are few easy tips to show you how easy it is to upload video to the web. I just spent all of one hour uploading 14 videos to WellcomeMat If you have not been on this site, get there! It is one of the most user friendly video hosting sites out there. All you have to do is sign up for an account and then hit the UPLOAD VIDEO button. From there, the instructions could not be more user friendly. Your video video automatically uploads creating a URL for you to share however you wish.

Here is my video channel, essentially a home page for me to place all of my videos and to send potential clients for viewing. For example, if I have a client that is interested in a community profile, I can simply send them an example of our work by attaching a link such as this:

Community Profile

Or you can embed the video as seen below by simply hitting the SHARE button and then hitting COPY CODE. All you have to do is paste that code into your blog and you have an embeded video!

It is an easy, yet professional way to show potential clients you know your way around high tech marketing! And the possibilities are endless...send video home tours, agent profiles, video blogs, video business cards... It's a sure fire way to get yourself noticed above the masses :-)

For more help on uploading videos to other video hosting sites, check out our video tutorial from last year posted below. Some things on there are dated, but the basics remain the same!

The following is a re-blog from about a year ago.  I thought the timing was appropriate with many agents getting listings with the turn of the weather and in some cities, the market.  This is Video Tutorial #2 out of a series my partner, TJ Hedges, and I created. A lot has changed in a year (like our hairstyles, company branding, etc!) but the message and tips remain the same. I hope you get some great ideas on creating your own video! 

So now that you know how to turn the camera on how do you know what to shoot?  It's not as easy as you may think.  We're going to walk you through a typical home tour with some photographer 101 basics.

First of all, try and find the focal point in the room.  Is it the stack stone fireplace?  The decorative hood over the range?  The unique spiral staircase?  Whatever the feature, try and showcase it first to grab the viewers' attention.  The key to remember when creating a video home tour is giving them a "tease".  You don't want to show them every light switch and electrical outlet...you want them to come see the house in person so you can sell it to them!  With that in mind, keep it simple.  Just a one to three shots in the main rooms (we'll get to what the main rooms are later) will do the trick.   

Second, NEVER shoot into windows.  Why?  No matter how powerful the light is in the room it can never overpower the sun.  That means whatever is inside will turn black (or extremely dark) and all you see are the windows.  Therefore, never set up an interview by a window (since you won't see the person's face) and try to avoid pans into the windows since you will completely throw the color off in the room.

Third, keep your shots steady.  Viewers can get sick watching a shaky video.  Have you ever seen Blair Witch project?  That photojournalistic technique is not recommended when selling real estate.  If you have a tripod, use it.  Try and find a flat surface where you can place your camera for pans or zooms (see below) so your shots will look more polished and professional.  Always try to begin with an establishing shot...a shot that shows the entire room before beginning a pan or zoom technique.

So what are pans and zooms?  Clearly stated, a pan is moving the camera from side to side and a zoom is closing the camera lens in on a particular object.  To accomplish a pan correctly make sure your camera is steady.  If you're panning a room try and keep the "horizon line" (think about being on a boat) straight.  This means you want the floor to remain in the same spot throughout the shot.  Keep the same idea in mind when panning up and down, say, on a staircase.  The sides of the shot should remain consistent to keep a professional look and feel.

For zooms, don't use it unless it's necessary.  Just because you have a feature on your camera doesn't mean you should use it!  Ask yourself these questions:  What am I zooming in on?  Why am I zooming in on this object?  Will it add any additional information to the viewer?  I once watched a video home tour where the photographer zoomed in on a plant.  Why?  Does the plant come with the house?  Do I need to know something additional about this plant that I didn't get from the first shot?  Think about detail whenever using the zoom such as a decorative back splash or exquisite crown molding.  Anything that can not be picked up on the initial shot or pan of the room MAY require a zoom.