Latest trend in online real estate marketing...

[realtornerd]

Not sure if the topic has been discussed before, but there are a flurry of web sites cropping up to take advantage of the video phenomenon (thanks to YouTube).

Even if you were to check with YouTube, there are tons of videos of real estate properties for sale. Has anyone done any research to find out how effective this is over the traditional marketing is?

I also stumbled on sites like clipmeet.com, zipvo.com etc who take it up a notch to distribute specifically real estate videos. I am guessing it is just a matter of time before this becomes THE online method of showcasing properties for sale.

Perhaps a shift in marketing trend?

Cheers,
-Ron

[ISellRiverview]

What if you don't have a traditional video camera? I wonder if there is some kind of cheap or free software out there that will transfer still images into a video you can upload onto YouTube. I have a nice digital SLR but I don't really have an interest in spending money on a fancy camcorder right now...

[Calum]

I believe microsoft's movie maker is free and you can create a movies from still pictures using this. It's quite simple, takes about 5 minutes.

[malamar]

I recommend www.realestateshows.com for making video-like movies from stills. Their 60 second video uses nine still shots and you can choose to zoom in and out and pan left and right. Here is a link to one I created for a client. http://www.realestateshows.com/176731

This does not mean you can post it on You Tube, but you can embed it as part of your property listing on most web sites.

[realtornerd]

Camcorders are getting cheaper by the day (you can get a good one for about $200 these days). And, yes MovieMaker from microsoft is free. It comes bundled with Windows or you could probably download from the microsoft site.

I would recommend NOT to go with photo stills. Imagine if you were to watch commercials in television with just stills of a car or a movie being advertised! What i have seen jive well with people is actually a moving video, with a voice over narration by the agent.

For example, check out this listing posted in clipmeet,
http://www.clipmeet.com/showroom.htm?user=chandra. Though the narrator could have done a better rehearsal of the narrative tour, it kinda gives you a good view of the house that you wont simply get it with stitched photos.

Compare that with this video which has photo stitches but a good voice over
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZGFy2Hb5hI

And finally with this clip which has just stitched photos but no narration, no moving video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQS5-e58G0w

Atleast for me, the differences are quite obvious.

(I apologize if i offended the creators of the videos - i was just trying to show an example)

[jessiesc]

What if you don't have a traditional video camera? I wonder if there is some kind of cheap or free software out there that will transfer still images into a video you can upload onto YouTube. I have a nice digital SLR but I don't really have an interest in spending money on a fancy camcorder right now...

As Calum points out, MS Movie maker works great for this and is free with windows!

I use it quite a bit and the quality is pretty good.

You can add voice or music, do cut aways and fades etc.

For the price, you can't beat it!

[rmasse10]

MS Movie Maker is free and works great...you can upload them to youtube as well as a plithera of other locations

[GetSmart]

i think the few hundred is very cost effective and efficient and will bring a better return than the stills, everyone's using pictures to make a video. Imagine a 360 angle view of every room and a video walking up to the house and to and from the back yard. you should be thinking in the direction of quality.

[Pinehurst Real Estate Guy]

Where can you place these once you create them, that it does not violate the host's TOS? From what I've read, YouTube, Yahoo & G do not permit commercial videos, so if this is true then anything you place there is only there until someone turns you in. If this is the case, then I would think twice about building anything around this. I know there is a way ~ I just haven't read a definitive answer on this.

I have been wondering, on the past 4 digital cameras I bought, all have had a movie setting. While all said they could hold up to a certain size memory card, I have placed multi gigabit cards in them and used them without problem. Movies made of the grand kids etc. look great on the PC or on TV through laptop etc. but are they high enough quality to serve this purpose. I have not experimented with this, but I am curious.

[adamwealth]

Yes, posting commercial videos on YouTube is against their policy, and you'll likely get reported before too long. I suggest just building a site with your videos and networking with agents in your area to draw relevant traffic. A site like this would only cost a few hundred dollars, maybe a thousand dollars if you got fancy, and would serve as a page to advertise yourelf, your business, as well as showcase your sellers properties.