As bandwidth gets cheaper, and the tools and utilities we use for content publishing gets easier and easier, the tech industry starts to bring big boy toys into the hands of the masses. For example, streaming video. If you haven’t heard about YouTube by now, you are like so living in web 1.0, as it was one of the latest companies sucked up by Google.
YouTube provides an easy way to upload video files, and embed them in your site, or redistribute them via email links - and that is only scratching on the surface. From a Realtor perspective, the latest craze is getting your pictoral home tour online for video viewing.
There are many services popping up that can do this for you, but why not try it out for yourself? Get some of those creative juices flowing.
As an experiment, I gave it a whirl. Windows XP comes with Microsoft Movie Maker. If it is not installed, you can find it here, amongst other places.
It seems like it has all the tools one needs to make a quick video tour, image importing, transition effects (fade, dissolve, flip, wipe), and image effects (rasterize, add noices) - your imagination is the only bounds on this. 10 minutes later, I made my first tour - you can clearly see why I am a geek and not an artist! A little more patience, a soundtrack and a some creativity, you can start whipping these off for all your tours.
- Enjoy
Microsoft Photostory does this much better IMO and creates a nice 'Ken Burns-style' effect. You can easily add music too. http://www.futureofrealestatemarketing.com/tip-tuesday-creating-a-killer-listing-presentation/ You can also do this online using a web site, OneTrueMedia http://www.futureofrealestatemarketing.com/creating-a-killer-listing-presentation-part-ii/
One problem. Read the terms of service for YouTube. Commercial uses of YouTube are not allowed. Same goes for Google Video. We should all play by the rules.
My website is under construction, but I can give Realtors the ability to play full screen, hi-def-like quality video through their web sites very inexpensively. YouTube is the wrong place to put your videos because the playback quality is poor, there are strict time limits, the YouTube logo is tacky and commercial uses violates the terms of use.
Andrew, just curious, what part of the country are you? Let me know what your URL is for your website. Best of luck, Howard
I am an agent in Las Vegas and I am using http://www.PresentationLV.com
The video is made from your pictures and can be hosted either on your own website (you have to talk to your webmaster) or the hosting can be arranged. These presentations are burned on CDs and can be mailed in your farm area or instead Just Listed postcards. Believe me, after mailing like this, everybody knows me when I do Open House. I also give these CDs away at open house and to everybody I know.
There are many, many sites that can host real estate tours - and even though YouTube may say no commercial videos, YouTube is full of them!
One ‘real estate specific’ site you should look at is http://www.WellcomeMat.com They are similar to YouTube, but only for real estate.
I’ve been doing real estate videos in New Hampshire for two years, and I recently posted just some of the video sites where you can upload your vidoes (http://activerain.com/blogs/fredlight).
There are over 200! Which only speaks to where video is going in regards to the internet - and especially real estate. I’m about ready to start virtual open houses online in New Hampshire - where you can tour the house AND speak directly with the agent - online, on video, in the privacy of your own home. The possibilities are really endless….
I am the managing director for the digital media company Open i Networks. We have been innovating video applications for the web since 2001.
There are a lot of ways to implement video for your industry. The bottom line, though, is you have to sell the property. Does just filming a walk-through and putting it on the web accomplish that?
If you are going to do this yourself, remember that you have the opportunity to 1. Tell a story and 2. Create a relationship with your potential buyer.
This may seem obvious to you, but how many of these “virtual tours” put you to sleep?
For an example of how we approach online real estate feel free to visit our demo: http://www.openinetworks.com/realestate/
Best of luck and if you have any questions, feel free to write.
I use a company called http://www.PreviewFirst.com out of San Diego. I think they were the first on the scene back in late 04 to offer this sort of thing. Here in Socal, they do more business than all the other tour providers combined. There product is fantastic and their service and price is so far superior to anything else I’ve experienced. I honestly can’t say enough good things about them.
All of the top agents in San Diego real estate use them. Marie Jo Atkins, Marty and Maxine Gellens, Chris Heller, Ann Brizolis, to name a few.
I’m located in Northern California and I’ve been using a company that was referred to me by another agent. The company is called Real Tour and they are amazing. http://www.realtourvideos.com
They not only create the video home tour, but also shoot a minimum of 20 digital still photos, give me a web site with all my personal and property information, a property address URL, a sign rider and they take care of sending it to the Internet, putting it on Realtor.com, YouTube, Google and any others I ask for. Just recently one of my sellers called from their vacation. She had pulled up Realtor.com and found the video tour of her house. She was overwhelmed at how gorgeous it looked and told me she had just emailed the link to all her friends and family. I’m convinced that video home tours on the Internet are a very good idea. It’s working for me.