5 Business Reasons to Hire an In-House Media Producer

Let's say you have 100 agents in your brokerage and these agents have 50 listings between them. Each of these listings needs to be marketed online, a process that includes, among other things, top notch photography and video work.

There's nothing wrong with paying a freelancer or production company for this job. They're the experts and will (likely) give you everything you pay for. But you already know that.

Here's something you might not know:

You could save money, strengthen your brand, provide a service to your agents and generate more leads if you do all of your photography and video production instead.

Here are 5 ways an in-house media producer will benefit your business:

1. Consistency, Reliability and Mobility

When you hire an in-house media producer, you control their hours, pay and benefits. You set the standards for work and productivity. When these factors are controlled, your media producer will be as consistent and reliable any of your other employees—something you just can't guarantee with outside help.

In addition, having an in-house producer means you're also able to mobilize for media production at the drop of a hat. You don't need to wait for a freelancer's schedule to open up; you won't get charged extra because a production company has taken on your last-minute project. With a media producer on staff, you get what you want and when you need it.

2. Your Brand

Think of your brand like the Great Wall of China—a grand construction comprised of many smaller parts, each part as vital as the next to the final design. Your photos and videos are one of these smaller parts and each one you upload has a cumulative effect on how you are perceived.

Freelancers and production companies don't care about how your brand is perceived; they care about doing a good job with each project, of course, but they also care about a) navigating their chaotic workflow (which may include jobs from your competitors) and b) adding to their demo reels and/or portfolios. So while they'll give you quality work, the freelancer or production company is more concerned with building their own brand than yours.

One of the greatest benefits of an in-house media producer then is that they will help build your brand. Every picture they take, every video they produce has your brokerage's name on it, and over time these smaller parts transform into a grand construction of branded visual content. So by virtue of just doing their job, the media producer helps you build and even strengthen your brand.

3. Value Proposition

Put yourself in your agent's shoes. How cool would it be to have a media producer at your beck and call? How beneficial would it be to have high quality photography and video production on a timely basis at no cost to yourself?

Here's a quick brainstorm of some ways an agent could use a media producer (the list could go on and on depending on how apt your agent is at marketing themselves):

• Headshots
• Listing photos/videos
• Promotional videos
• Market updates
• Neighborhood material
• Biography videos
• Client photography

Methinks the brokerage that offers this service to their agents has a major advantage in recruiting and retaining new and top agents alike.

4. Growth

A media producer will grow with your brokerage and develop skills specific to your business. Through experience, they will learn how best to break through stagnant email threads with non-responsive agents, they will learn how best to capture the morning sun in a concrete-jungle condo, they will learn which new technologies are upgrades or unnecessary.

And just like any employee, an in-house media producer will strive to improve themselves and contribute to your business in unforeseen ways.

5. Money

The bottom line: you pay the in-house media producer what you want rather than paying outside help what they charge. But don't low-ball them! I'd recommend a competitive salary with benefits as this will attract quality resumes. Even if the salary is higher than you'd like, consider that you have this talented employee full-time for whatever task you need them for. That means you'll get more content which will in turn generate more leads, thereby lowering your long-term cost and improving your bottom line.

Now, when you hire an in-house media person, you will have considerable up-front costs. You'll probably have to spring for about $10,000-$15,000 in equipment and software (which will need repairs and updates over the years), but this initial cost pales in comparison to the stellar service the in-house media producer will provide for your business.

To view the original article, visit the Lone Wolf blog.