7 real estate video marketing ideas for increased engagement

From Netflix to TikTok, we all love video. But watching it and creating it are two very different things. If you’ve been experimenting with video and still aren’t sure if you’re making the most of it, you’re in the right place.

The truth is, the bar for video is high. These days, it's not enough to shoot a video, upload it to YouTube, and wait for the universe to reward your efforts. Clients expect a modern, visual experience that caters directly to their needs at every step of the real estate process.

And the agents and teams with the strongest video marketing will be best prepared to give it to them. Here are the essential video marketing strategies and ideas to know as you get started.

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Why is video marketing important?

The real estate game is changing, and it's time for brokers and real estate agents to adapt. 

Modern homebuyers are all about convenience. Here are some of the benefits real estate video marketing can bring, according to data:

• Greater convenience: In 2021, 68% of consumers said they would like to use a video tour with an agent when shopping for a home.
• Time savings: 52% feel they wasted time during the home search viewing properties they would have skipped if they’d understood the floor plan.
• Better customer experience: 45% of potential homebuyers said it would be "ideal" to see a video tour from their agent. 
• Increased traffic: The share of listings featuring a 3D tour was up ~200% on Zillow (noted in a 2021 survey), while those advertising an open house were down 42% from pre-pandemic levels.

Potential clients don’t want to go out of their way for an open house or commute to an agent’s office — they want to browse properties online and take virtual tours at their own pace.

In a digital age, relationship building isn’t just about exchanging a firm handshake and a business card. It’s about creating an authentic online presence, generating an organic following, and encouraging the buyer to explore as much as they’d like to on their own, before coming in with the right information at the right time.

7 engaging real estate video marketing ideas

Success with video isn’t just about offering buyers the freedom to explore homes independently. It’s about daring to try new things to stand out in a sea of other agents and increase the return on investment (ROI) on your marketing strategies. 

Here are seven ideas to get you started.

1. Virtual tours

Video tours are becoming the new open houses. Not only are they a great way to increase traffic to your property listings, they’re also a great way to start relevant conversations with potential homebuyers. But not all virtual tours are created equal.

To stand out, start by cranking up the quality on those visuals. No one wants a blurry, pixelated tour of their dream home. And don't forget about mobile compatibility. Make it easy for folks to house hunt on their phones by testing your video quality and navigation from both desktop and mobile. Lastly, don’t be afraid to have some fun and get creative. Whether it’s adding dreamy lifestyle music or a dash of humor to your voiceover, an effective virtual tour will also reinforce your unique real estate brand.

2. Agent introduction video

Many agents are understandably hesitant to “sell themselves” via video, but creating an entertaining video narrative around your personality, team, or unique sense of humor can be a great way to offer potential clients the digital handshake they’re looking for.

3. Neighborhood videos

With the right drone footage, you can bring your property listing videos to a whole new level. From aerial videos to fly-throughs, you can take viewers around the entire neighborhood and all the way through the interior of the house for a 360 view that gets them inspired to reach out.

4. A day in the life video

A day in the life video is a great way to build trust with viewers, especially first-time buyers who might feel intimidated at the thought of reaching out. By giving them a glimpse into your life, you position yourself as a friend and ally — someone they can feel comfortable approaching with their real estate needs.

And the best part? You’re never in short supply of content. Pretty much any aspect of your work as a real estate agent can make for interesting content. Potential buyers may be naturally interested in things like how you communicate with clients, engage with other agents, connect with your local community, and more.

5. Client testimonials

Client video testimonials are a game-changer when it comes to growing affinity with your audience. For hesitant first-time buyers, seeing and hearing real clients share their positive experiences can be the confidence boost they need to take that next step. 

But the real beauty of video testimonials lies in their versatility. From showcasing how you go above and beyond for your customers, to highlighting successful transactions, or even demonstrating your involvement in the community, the possibilities are endless.

6. Property listing videos

A property listing video is similar to a video tour in that it showcases all the top features of a home. However, it’s different in terms of length and purpose. Both types of videos qualify as walk-through videos, but property listing videos are often shorter and more promotional in nature. It’s about offering the quick highlights as opposed to each of the home’s finer details. Even a brief walkthrough of the right luxury property can attract more eyes to your real estate listings.

7. Market and community updates

The real estate industry is always changing. Keeping your audience in the loop via quick video updates on the latest pricing trends, mortgage rates, and developments in the market is a great way to show you've got your finger on the pulse. With well-branded videos featuring your real estate logo and brand colors, you can also bolster your image as a go-to source for all things real estate-related.

Whether it's sharing insights on current market conditions, upcoming events in the community, or shining a spotlight on new listings, these updates position you as a reliable resource that your audience can trust. 

Video production best practices: budget-friendly tips for scaling video content

Like most good things, it can take some time before the benefits of your efforts with video begin to show themselves. The key is to stay consistent and slowly scale up as you start to see impact on your marketing campaigns and ROI.

Here are some essential tactics to keep in mind as you level up your video strategy.

Have a clear purpose for every video

Is your goal to increase awareness via regular video updates on YouTube? Boost the conversion rate on your Facebook ads, or elevate your search engine optimization (SEO) strategy? From social media marketing to re-engaging your SOI, video can play a range of roles in your real estate business. Before you do anything else, get clear on where in the business you can use video to drive the biggest results.

Repurpose your video content

One of the main advantages of video marketing is how easily you can repurpose your content for your YouTube channel, social media platforms, video ads, and so much more. With the right approach, you can use video to hit multiple marketing goals in one fell swoop by repurposing long form videos into shorter, more snackable formats for your email and social media channels. 

The truth is, there’s virtually no limit to the ways you can repurpose your video content — which means that when optimized effectively, a single video can continue driving lead generation months after it’s been shot. 

Track your analytics

When it comes to video marketing, looking at the numbers is the only real way to ensure your strategies work. While there are many metrics you can track, it’s important to remember that context matters. A market update video may have only 300 views, but if all those views are from local homeowners it could still be well worth your time.

Should you hire an agency or DIY it?

Despite the rise in low-cost tools offering done-for-you video templates, video marketing can still get expensive. Before you start building your shortlist of professional videographers and agencies, take a moment to consider your budget and ROI.

Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of each approach: DIY vs. outsourced.

DIY approach

One of the easiest and most affordable ways to produce videos is to, you guessed it: record them yourself. If you’ve already got a video savvy individual on your team, you can dodge the cost of fancy equipment or expensive branding agencies and focus on getting early traction with your own content first.

Pros: 

• Simple way to gauge interest around formats and topics
• Low cost or completely free!

Cons:

• Can be time consuming
• Difficult to achieve a high-quality outcome in one take‍

Best for:

• Social media videos (YouTube, YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, TikToks, etc.)
• Agent introduction videos
• Day in the life of videos
• Personalized video emails to clients

Hiring an agency or videographer

Videographers are professional video editors that can dramatically increase the production quality of your video content, while also giving you tips on how to make your videos more engaging.

The best time to consider hiring a videographer is once you’ve generated some traffic and engagement with your videos, have seen the early signs of ROI, and are ready to dominate with the best quality video content in your market

Pros:

• Higher visual quality
• Saves hours on editing
  

Cons:

• More expensive than recording videos yourself
• Takes time to find and hire a good videographer
• Must wait for videos to be edited

Best for:

• High-quality luxury listing videos
• Customer video testimonials
• Weekly podcasts

‍💡Pro tip: Some video editors specialize in certain formats, such as listings, interviews, or home tours. If you plan to produce many videos in a certain format, consider hiring the best in the niche.

Get more out of every video

In the modern game of real estate, video marketing is an ever-evolving skill. By mastering the essentials and organically scaling up from there, you can increase your engagement with qualified leads and elevate ROI across all your marketing efforts.

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