Tara Jones- Atlanta, GA

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.   

I am on a mission to dispel every rumor that video is too expensive to implement in the real estate industry.  Back in February, Reel Productions TV decided to offer a monthly special for video home tours.  The response was overwhelming so we decided to keep it around for a while to enable agents/brokers to get more video on their site.  

Check out a sample of one of our video home tours: 

Our special rate of $199 includes full motion video of the home, a customized script, professional voiceover, custom graphics (if desired...some agents, like Lane Bailey's above, wanted to keep it brand-free so he could post it on the MLS) and embed code.

Consumers are looking for unique ways to make their home stand out from the crowd and they are expecting their real estate agent to have the answers.  Think about showing this the next time you head to a listing and you will be, hands down, in front of the competition.  Truth be know, only about 5-percent of real estate agents/brokers are currently using video.  Get noticed! 

Check out our recent work with Brian David Realtors in Hoboken, New Jersey. The entire brokerage was able to get a video business card as a way to introduce and ultimately, transform their website to video based content...a trend that is becoming more and more popular. The great thing about these video business cards is that they were a quick, inexpensive way for agents/brokers to get video on their site (increasing their Google SEO results), show consumers their varying personality and begin building a video presence in which their competition is lacking. Perhaps the best part, these cards only cost the agents $75 bucks each...thereby dispelling the myth that video is expensive.

Take a look at one of our favorites of the day:

One look at the above video and you can tell we had an absolute ball shooting these! If your brokerage is interested in finding out more on Video Business Card parties, give us a call. We're national but a real person will answer the phone :-)

Waylon Jones- 678-361-8005 or you can e-mail Info@ReelProductions.TV or Waylon@ReelProductions.TV

Real Estate Video

In case you haven't seen Coldwell Banker's new video website yet, I thought I would bring the videos to you. Here is a sampling of some of the community profiles we produced:

San Antonio

Denver

Las Vegas

Detroit

Boulder City

Their entire website is created to give consumers the information they need to make a decision on where they want to purchase a home. By providing a myriad of information in video form they are representing themselves as the market leader...a concept Reel Productions TV has been preaching for a long time. Think about you can create this same kind of video presence for your own market or demographic your serve.

CB didn't stop at showcasing the communities, they also wanted consumer tips to show their clients they were well-versed in other areas of real estate. Here are some examples:

How to Turn Your Home Green

Making the Offer: When, Where and How Much?

Conveying Beyond Square Footage

Check it out:

Real Estate Tomato

(Click 'play' on the first podcast from Tomato Radio)

I was interviewed by Real Estate Tomato about video in the real estate industry along with Ian Watt, blogger extraordinaire from British Columbia.

Ian first speaks of how and why to do video yourself and also gives some great ideas on video blogging. Jim Cronin then speaks with me about how to use video on a professional level by bringing in a production team.

Jim and Jason from The Real Estate Tomato did a great job capturing the importance of video in the real estate world. Hope you enjoy it and get a lot out of the discussion!

Real Estate Video