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The Great Video Debate Continues

Published by JF December 21st, 2007 in Real Estate Marketing, Real Estate Technology and Video Marketing. Comments

Jeff Turner of RealEstateShows put together a video “conversation” to examine the “good, the bad, and the ugly” of videoblogging and podcasting in real estate. Quite informative and entertaining– exactly what an effective video ought to be.

Now, you have a choice. You can skip over the 14 minute video and read the quick summary below. (I could have published the entire transcript too but how many people would read that on a blog post?) Or you can spend the 14 minutes. Your choice may evidence something.

The Good

  • Allows for expressive communication and narrative– inflection (passion?), expression, and tone (see my nice smile & pretty blue eyes)
  • Provides authenticity (you can’t hear the birds chirping in a photo)
  • Can promote your business
  • Can be entertaining
  • Provides scale and sense of place– let’s walk the room flow, go to the park, see the shoppers, hear the traffic noise (wait, maybe that goes in the bad section)
  • Allows for creative uses– a long distance video tour for clients who can’t make it to the open house (now, if we could only eat a cookie virtually) or a take home video sampler to review with the relatives over holiday eggnog (are you sure you want your family’s feedback?)

The Bad

  • Time consuming
  • Product can be embarrassing (you mean my fly was open the whole time?)
  • Costly
  • Inconsistent quality
  • No proven advantage over traditional marketing– (photoshopped photos look darn good)
  • The learning curve is too steep for most real estate agents

The Ugly

  • See The Bad

The Case Against Video is Really the Case For Videographers

The most compelling point goes to David Jacobs, who argues the case for using a professional videographer, drawing a parallel with real estate websites. Few agents know anything about building a website, but that’s not a reason not to have one. Perhaps the case against video is really the case for videographers.

Pass Me That Jigsaw, I Have to Nail This

Clearly, video is just another tool — like a jigsaw— to use if the situation warrants (and not for nailing wood). As a professional, you need only ask yourself one question: Do I want it in my tool kit? If yes, make sure you have someone who knows how to use the tool.

Jeff’s excellent video may itself advance the case for the medium.

If you want the FULL video conversation, visit Jeff’s site. (click here)

Share This Post
  • My feelings on the black and white videos go right back to your last post. As for videos, they do have a place.
  • 1. Kudos to Jeff for putting together a fine piece of video.

    2. That said, none of our opinions matter. It's the consumer that decides this one. Yes of course we should discuss the pros and cons of each medium (especially when our business models are directly tied to either it's success or failure) but again, THE CONSUMER DECIDES THIS ONE.

    3. Video just another tool? No proven advantage over traditional marketing? Your absolutely right. And the TV was just another way to communicate. Look... it's very easy to say that video is simply another tool, that it's not proven. It's too new, too difficult, too [pick an adjective]. While video online might be (somewhat) new, the medium itself is not. We all grew up on TV (video). The only difference is that now you, me, anyone can do it. Just like the people in Jeff's video, we can broadcast. We can reach out. We can communicate.

    I'll take the good, the bad and the ugly. It's what makes us human.

    Happy holidays everyone!

    BTW... If you are wondering what some of the common objections to video might be? Check out this four part series, "Top Four Objections to Real Estate Video".
  • Real Estate Consumers-Realtors, buyers, sellers-have already voted with their dollars.

    Consumers have chosen Viritual Tours/Immersive Photography-coupled with still photos, effective aggregation, distribution and easily measured results- as the leading form of marketing propreties on line. All over the world.

    In watching Jeffs' presentation, everyone was fair and unflinching in their evaluation of RE web video.

    Also, the current accepted model of downward pressure on pricing for web content creation does not support RE web video at all.

    RE web video has a long way to go: in terms of quality, ease of use, distribution,agreggation and effectively measured results in terms of its practical use. Recently, several video sites announced they were no longe accepting user generated content.

    Consumers run from a bad buying experience; it could be logically said the the vast majority of RE web video is not a good consumer experience.

    I have always held that RE web video has a niche market: for imparting a sense of place, exceptional architecture or location and possibly for promoting a particularily dynamic Realtor or agency.

    Obeoman
    steven.stearns@obeo.com
  • JF, a great synopsis, thank you. After the hours of editing, I was simply too exhausted to do the same! Seriously, this was a pain in the butt to produce. (The bad.)

    To clarify, this was about videoblogging and podcasting, not listing videos. That is a whole different discussion.

    Let's hope this video does advance the discussion. That was the goal.
  • You did a fantastic job, Jeff.

    You have shown, through your own use of video (here and elsewhere), that it certainly has a place at the table for real estate. One example I've seen you use to great effect is the tutorial. (Brian Clark also used it in his Tubetorials, if you recall).

    The conversational montage here would seem to have application to client testimonials or for interviews with people who live in the neighborhood to tell viewers/clients why they love the area.

    The fact that video more closely approximates reality makes it a more sensual medium. And isn;t that useful to those wishing to convey an experience, which real estate is, for the most part. Heck, if you could put a virtual mask on me and transport me to the house to look around and "feel it", I'd do it.
  • Obeoman,

    People's buying habits change. I no longer buy 8-tracks, records, cassette tapes, cds. To make a political analogy-- the guy who wins the election in a landslide may, 4 years later, be shown the door.

    Here's an example how video helped me make a consumer choice. I wanted to go on a sailing trip in Maine. One company sent me a brochure, the other a video. The video conveyed the potential experience better for me. It sold me.

    But you are right-- it must produce results. And once it does, it gathers momentum and becomes a wave. I get the feeling, we'll soon be yelling "Surf's up".
  • JF... when we're talking about showing people, I couldn't agree more. I've been saying this for a long time. This conversation is about videoblogging and podcasting, not listings. Again, I think that is a completely different conversation, with a great deal more complexity.
  • Yes, I know it is not about listings (although you did edit in Deek's insightful comments which were listings related).

    That's why I used the examples of tutorials, video interviews with residents, client testimonials. Let's throw in neighborhood tours, shopping area tours, school tours, park tours, coverage of town events, agent profiles, local news events, interviews with local officials, etc, etc.

    I think you do the industry a great service by pointing it away from a focus on listings and toward more creative applications for video.
    You the man, man.
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