Killer Real Estate Videos That Won’t Kill Your Budget

by Sean Purcell

Real Estate Renaissance Man

Author website

Yesterday I put up a post on Marketing Videos and Real Estate.  My plea was for more creativity and less facts.  My point? An agent who gets creative and starts using video wisely might just take down the Goliath agent in their neck of the woods.  The very first comment, from Tallahassee Realtor Barry Bevis, got me to thinking.  He said: “Quality at a price is the struggle…  Without going “Hartman” I can’t figure out how to make a good video at a reasonable cost.”  I quickly sat down and jotted out a half dozen video ideas, then put the pad down and walked away.  When working with creative ideas, I usually find it’s a good idea to let them breathe for a while and come back later.  Often times, after rereading them, you discover even fresher and better ideas.  No such luck today though… you get the original ideas and all their rough edges. 🙂

The goal here is to throw some ideas out and have the genius that is BHB add a lot more.  If we’re lucky, this could turn into a “mini-library” of video marketing ideas for real estate agents temporarily running low in the creativity tank and staring at an empty screen.  For me, it’s all about latching onto an aspect of the house and then running a little wild.  Oh, and I love to steal already well-established ideas from the big boys.

VISA Take-Off #1 – there are a number of ways to shoot this.  Show aspects of the house that shine and do the voice-over: “View of the mountains, $10,000; Jacuzzi tub in your masterbath, $3000; and so on.  Then come in with the conclusion everyone knows: “Owning your own home, priceless.”  The key is what you show during that line: Young husband carrying beautiful bride across threshold.  Or, husband painting vertical, purple stripes in the living room while the kids nod approvingly. Or, an exterior evening shot of the house with every window warmly lit while we see the sights and sounds of a fantastic party going on inside.  Single site web address appears at the bottom of the screen.

VISA Take-Off #2 – Same idea, but a child’s perspective (especially designed for a family home in a family neighborhood).  Filmed from a child’s height, but the voice over is the same idea: “Putting new child-proof latches on these beautiful oak cabinets, $100,” while panning the awesome kitchen.  “Putting (say your plumber’s name here), the best plumber in (your town here) on retainer, $500,” while showing a child’s eye view of putting a toy soldier in the toilet and flushing.  (Might get your plumber to incur some of the costs…) Continue with carpets or whatever is great about the house and allows you to work a child into it.  Then, the close.  “Giving your child a world of his own, priceless,”  said over video of a little boy running to the tree house or swing or whatever in the backyard.  Or how about “First step to Olympic glory, priceless,” and show a 6 year old girl in a starting position with a determined look on her face at the edge of the home’s pool.

Super-Agent – if the home is located in a terrific neighborhood, reinforce the idea of you as super agent (costume? depends on you) and take your clients on a Superman’s view of the local town and neighborhood.  (Strap camera to top of car or stand up in a convertible.)  The key is to make it obvious.  Make fun of the Superman aspect while showing off the awesome coffee house and local school.

Historic Home – While doing a voice over of the historic nature of the home, walk through and keep bumping into people in period costumes who talk about how fantastic it is… or how odd the contraptions are (which you conveniently explain to them and the viewer, e.g. Viking Oven which of course leads to a quick shriek in obvious fear of Vikings).  Better still, if some of the competing homes in the neighborhood aren’t historic (best opportunity: built in the 70s) keep the theme.  After talking to your historic figures, show some hippies coming out of the 70’s home for sale down the street and ask the viewer where they want to live.

Beer Commercial – Video shows people going in the beautiful kitchen and coming out thinner.  Or the owner’s friend comes over alone and leaves with a gorgeous bikini babe from the pool in back.  The voice over says something like: “You know how those beer commercials imply that if you drink their beer you’ll lose weight, be the life of the party and date the best looking guys and gals… well, this house is spectacular and at $250,000 a great value.  But will it deliver everything a good beer does?”  Then walk out from behind the camera and win a lottery or have a beautiful woman offer to marry you or whatever, turn back to the camera and wink: “I’m not saying… I’m just saying…”

Large – if the house or yard is really large, talk about it while a small car pulls up and the new buyers get out and remove the sign from the front yard.  Then they turn back to the car and greet an endless stream of children, friends, local merchants, etc. all getting out of the “circus car.”  End with something clever about a big house or maybe about you, the agent.  “It may look like magic (a miracle, impossible, etc) to most people, but when you buy a home from (insert your own name here), we simply call it: doing our job.”

So, there’s a few ideas from the slightly off-center head of a Tin Foil Hat wearer.  Can you top ’em?  Let’s get this library started!