From online showings to all-digital signings and closings, the digital transaction has fully come into its own. All month, Inman examines the companies and technologies driving this new world of digital transaction.
COVID-19 forced agents into doing video tours of their listings, especially by going “live” on Facebook, Facetime and Instagram. If you’re ready to take the next step in using video to market your business, here’s how to do it.
Are you interested in becoming the dominant force in your market and also ranking higher on Google? If so, shooting hyperlocal videos about the lifestyle for each niche you serve and posting them on YouTube will help you achieve both goals. Best of all, you’re not paying third-party providers huge fees to generate leads for you.
Below are seven proven topics that can help generate huge returns for the agents who use them. These strategies will work equally well in your business.
1. ‘Top 5’ lists
Long before videos became commonplace, “top 5” lists have always ranked highly on Google search. They rank even higher when they’re posted as a video on YouTube.
Here are 10 “top five” topics you can easily customize for your market:
- Top 5 things you need to know about moving to Austin.
- Top 5 things to do in Austin.
- Top 5 pizza places in Austin.
- Top 5 pros about living in Austin.
- Top 5 cons about living in Austin.
- Top 5 hike and bike trails in Austin.
- Top 5 live music venues in Austin.
- Top 5 farmers markets in Austin.
- Top 5 things you didn’t know about living in Austin.
- Top 5 walkable neighborhoods in Austin.
A simple way to generate “top 5” lists is to ask your clients what they love, hate or have found to be fun about living in your area. Once you shoot your video, load it into Otter.ai, a transcription service that offers 10 hours of free transcription per month. Use the transcription as the basis for a blog post.
2. Timeless evergreen topics
These four topics below never go out of style. Moreover, the data around them is constantly in flux, making them perfect for regular updates.
Monthly market update
Do a deep dive into the specific niches you serve by discussing the most recent month’s sales numbers. You can also apply this approach to the overall area or ZIP code where you do business.
How much has my house appreciated (or depreciated)?
With prices skyrocketing in many areas, homeowners love discovering their homes have appreciated in value. If the part of the market you serve is in a downturn, however, being able to share how much properties have depreciated can be useful in helping these homeowners obtain a reduction in their property taxes.
The cost-of-living update
This topic is especially popular with people moving into your area. You can update it monthly for out-of-towners who may want the latest numbers and quarterly for past clients and your sphere.
Financial topics
Because mortgage interest rates are constantly changing, short-form videos on current rates are a great way to generate page views. For those who need down payment assistance, go to DownPaymentResource.com and review the programs currently available to buyers — both by location and type of assistance available.
3. City tours for relocation clients
If you have ever spent days chauffeuring around relocation clients, you know how time-consuming it can be. One of the best ways to handle relocation clients — especially during the ongoing pandemic — is to shoot videos of the various local neighborhoods you serve.
Highlight what makes each area different and what types of property they can afford based on their price point, and interview local businesspeople. Be sure to also share your best tips about recreational things to do locally.
4. Become a tourist
Have you ever gone on a “ghost tour,” toured the famous historical houses in your area, visited local landmarks or taken a horse-drawn carriage tour of your area?
These all would make great YouTube videos, especially if you share little-known tips and secrets about the areas you’re touring. Each tip or nugget could be the basis for a short or long-form video, depending how much in-depth content you want to include.
5. Check out the first page of the Google search (‘your city’ real estate for sale)
When I searched “Austin real estate,” Google generated a list of highly searched terms on their first page of their results.
These included:
- Is it worth buying a house in Austin?
- Is Austin real estate overpriced?
- What is the best area to live in Austin?
- Is Austin, Texas, expensive?
- Austin real estate market
- Homes for sale by owner Austin TX
- Homes under 100K in Austin TX
- Foreclosures Austin TX
- South Austin homes for sale
- Austin, TX
These questions are Google’s way of telling you: Here’s what our users want to know right now. Take advantage of this inside information and shoot videos on as many of these topics as possible.
6. Use Keywords Everywhere to generate other highly searched topics
Keywords Everywhere is an inexpensive Chrome extension that provides data on the number of searches for each term as well as the cost on a per-click basis. The beauty of using Keywords Everywhere is twofold. First, it provides you with the most commonly used search terms. Make sure you use these terms to tag your video.
Second, Google translates your audio into searchable terms. Use these search terms in both the description of your video as well as when you tag the video. It’s also smart to use them in your audio feed. Each of these strategies strengthens your SEO.
7. Quick and easy works
In case you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed by the process, keep in mind video platforms like Instagram Reels and TikTok have time limits of 15 to 30 seconds. If you were doing “top 5” lists, you could do each item as its own 15- to 30-second short-form video. Quick and easy works!
Best of all, repurposing your YouTube videos for other platforms extends your reach and will have potential clients contacting you for many years to come.
Bernice Ross, President and CEO of BrokerageUP and RealEstateCoach.com, is a national speaker, author and trainer with over 1,000 published articles. Learn about her broker/manager training programs designed for women, by women, at BrokerageUp.com and her new agent sales training at RealEstateCoach.com/newagent.
