We’re not talking about the Virtual Tours Realtors® were using in the late 90s and early 2000s. What I’m referring to here is creating videos and posting them to sites like YouTube.com and Google Video, among others.

With the increasing popularity of these types of sites, it’s impossible to deny the power of video especially given research that shows between 84%-93% of all buyers start their search online! And of those, you increase your chances of buyers looking at YOUR property when you have a virtual tour, video or slide show.

FACT: Most Realtors® are CLUELESS about how to use video effectively.

FACT: Effective virtual tours do not require any fancy equipment or video editing skills

Virtual tours can be as simple as creating a slide show with some music and narration or as complex as you’d like to make them. Keep in mind, you’re trying to sell prospects on not only the house, but the neighborhood, community, city, and lifestyle. If you’ve got a particular personality that you like to infuse, you may also be selling that in the video. Just remember, your goal is to separate your house from the competition and grab the prospect!

This is why it’s so important to know who your target buyer is. You see, it may not be the house itself that’s the dealmaker. It may be the local schools, the community or proximity to nightlife. Whatever these features are, include them your virtual tour. When possible, it’s best to create an actual video and infuse the personality of someone “just like them”. And keep in mind, a touch of humor is always a welcome element!

Here are a few of the main advantages of using video to market your deals.

1. Target Market Specific. You can create a video that pinpoints your target buyer and cater to the things that are most important to that person. If it’s lake living, include a clip of the family taking the boat out for the day. If it’s a first time home buyer, focus on the pride that they’ll have when they finally own their own home and stop renting.
2. 24×7 Open House. One of the best uses for a virtual tour is to simply walk through the property as you would guide a potential buyer through the home. Keep in mind, however, that they cannot experience all of the senses, so add in a few touches that make them laugh or remember you (For example, you could pull back the shower curtain to reveal rubber duckies. Then cut to a screen with a message from the duck!).
3. Inexpensive. With video posting sites, you can get your videos out for the world to view for free! To create a full video, you can purchase a “Flip” video camera for under $150. With that, all you do is plug it into your computer and click a couple of buttons, and your video is up on YouTube! It’s that simple.

We could go on and on about video for real estate because we are only just beginning to scratch the surface of what’s going to be possible and how video plays into real estate marketing, both for buyers and sellers. We actually cover this in more detail in our Selling Deals System along with 57 other ways to find buyers.

By the way, if you haven’t grabbed your copy of our Selling Deals System: 57+ Ways to Find Buyers In the Current Market, we cover over 50 different ways to find buyers…

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