Best Bang for Your Buck: Top 5 Types of Real Estate Videos on YouTube

The booming consumer appetite for YouTube videos brings myriad good news for real estate agents and brokerages, especially since it is the second most used search engine on the planet behind Google.

But before you grab a camera and set up a tripod, let's talk about which type of video gives the best bang for your buck. Frankly, this is where many agents go astray. Some are under the impression that a homebuyer's top priority is to learn about an agent's experience or the history of their company. While "About Me" videos play a role in the overall decision of who to work with, there are three other video types that outrank them in the top 5, which are as follows:

1. Community/market-based videos - (86 percent of online house hunters watch videos to learn about a specific community.) Location. Location. Location. It's still the buyer's top priority. How's the local market? What's the area like? How does the school district rank among others in the state? Are there a variety of cultural activities available? Are shopping and restaurants within a short drive away? How about parks, recreation and public transportation? The list goes on. When you're the only company in your area providing this type of video, you jump to the head of the pack.

2. Listing videos - (70 percent of homebuyers watch video home tours.) Proper staging and quality photography help showcase the property to potential buyers. Use props like a stack of fresh towels by the pool or a glass of wine with a cheese board in the kitchen to tell the story of what it is like to live in the home. Add mapping and point out features that make this home unique. Using video builds excitement and anticipation because it engages through sight and sound. When animated graphics or moving images are combined with the human voice, our brains retain it much longer than text.