As I began this article, I had to resist the temptation to count all the other articles we've published about video in the last few months. You don't need to do it either, I can tell you it's a lot. So, why write another? Because video can help you win more listings and sell listings more quickly. With something that valuable hanging in the balance, I don't think too much can be said on the subject.

Here are four important points I think need to be made about video marketing.

1) Videos show up on the first page of Google search results (usually).

Very few brokers are going to see a property's listings detail page show up on the first page of search results. It's not surprising, when you remember that you're competing against paid ads and the "big boys" (Zillow, realtor.com®, etc.). However, now that Google owns YouTube, videos hold a special place in search results.

For example, I searched for a property address in Google. Here's what I found. Note that, although the video on the first page, the agent's website doesn't appear for several pages.

I clicked the link, and watched the video (Which, incidentally, was created by a company I've written about before: Listings-to-Leads.)

If this was your listing, you'd be glad to see your video show up so high in search results so that all the traffic and leads come to you rather than some national website. It's also great just to have that video in YouTube, as well. Because of YouTube's overwhelming popularity, many people are searching there as well as – or instead of – Google.

2) Videos are more engaging than any other form of content.

Photos are great. Virtual tours can be even better. But videos take the cake in terms of visitor engagement. How do we know this? Because research provides irrefutable evidence. And we even see it on our own site. When we include a video in an article, time on page (a key metric) goes way up. When people stay longer on your site, they're more likely to convert from visitor to lead. So make sure your videos appear on your site, as well as YouTube.

3) Videos make you look like you know what you're doing.

Okay, you actually DO know what you're doing. But video just helps prove it. When you're in a listing presentation, being able to tell a prospective seller that you've got the tools to create video, the most compelling form of online marketing collateral, is super important. What you don't have to tell them is that there are tools out there that make it really easy and practically effortless to create video. (Go ahead and let them think you're a tech genius!)

4) Video can capture leads (with the right tools)

Like blogging, a lot of people give up too early on video when the work and effort they've put in does not seem to be paying off. This is because video itself does not generate leads! Video needs to be integrated with the overall marketing program for your listings. It shouldn't be a standalone silo.

Leads are generated when you surround your videos with relevant calls-to-action and lead capture. See this property video for an excellent example of video marketing integrated with a listing's overall marketing. Notice in the screenshot below that this broker does not send people to YouTube, but instead puts it in a virtual tour that contains calls-to-action and lead capture.

In this case, the links take buyers to the broker website where they can see more homes for sale in the area, to landing pages and a 'Follow This Home' feature that is popular with early-stage buyers.

This way, people that see the video have reasons and ways to engage you for what they want and need. Also, be sure that you put your videos into your single property websites, eFlyers, blog posts and Facebook posts with relevant calls-to-action.

This makes video payoff with more business!

I mentioned Listings-to-Leads earlier, and they are one company that has automated video creation (along with many other marketing tasks). There are other companies as well, and you can read about them in our product directory. You can also read all those other articles about video marketing – they may not be as awesome as mine, but I'll bet they're pretty good.