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A national franchise group has revealed that listings with videos sell 27 per cent faster than standard text and picture listings.
New video technology from Century 21 has been used to create a search engine optimised video of a vendor or lessor’s property complete with voice over, details and branding, with excellent results.
“Consumers interact with video listings in a completely different manner to traditional pictorial listings because they can often be more engaging and are able to be easily shared via social media,” said chairman and owner of Century 21 Australasia Charles Tarbey.
Mr Tarbey referenced research by aimClear, an online marketing agency, that revealed videos in search results have a 41 per cent higher click-through rate then plain text.
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) marketing through video allows vendors and landlords to cost-effectively establish a strong web presence, which aims to place the video on the first page of a search result for the property, said Mr Tarbey.
While he believes it is difficult to put an exact figure on how much video helps a listing, Edwin Almeida, managing partner of Sydney-based agency Just Think Real Estate, said he would prefer to shoot a video than use a signboard.
“The figures don’t surprise me, but there are too many variables at play to confidently say ‘video helps this area by this much’," he said.
“I haven’t used a signboard in five years; I prefer to put the money I would spend on a signboard into a video. I’ve had no need to use a signboard and I sell real estate from the northern beaches through to Penrith with higher prices than local agents because of the marketing strategy.”
Mr Almeida told Real Estate Business that consumers are aware of Photoshop touch-ups and virtual furnishings that feed scepticism of trustworthy real estate agents.
“We’ve all heard that a picture paints a thousand words – well video can paint millions. Video is one of the essential tools of marketing at the moment, and if agents aren’t at least looking into this they’re going to be left behind,” he said.
And while Mr Almeida admits that some agents may find it expensive, he foots the bill for the video.
“I don’t get vendor-paid advertising," he said. "I believe it is up to the agent to market the property in the best way possible and the advertising is also promoting me as an agent.
“You can get professional videos done for a few hundred dollars, it’s not as expensive as many people believe.”
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