What makes property videos worth watching?

Video marketing for real estate is still in its infant stage.  Style experimentation, length of message, variety of content, etc  permeate the “video airwaves”.   Having been a Creative Director, writer and producer of television commercials, I can say I’m most amused by a great deal of what passes for “property videos”.   Spending  30 to 45 or more seconds identifying or “interviewing” an agent who describes the trees on the street isn’t selling her listing.  The viewer/buyer/home searcher probably clicked off the video after 15 seconds of agent talk. And getting a home tour with bad lighting and long, slow, jerking movements doesn’t qualify as a video that will keep a viewer’s eye on the property prize .

Just what is a property video?  To me, property videos  are “coming attractions”.  Their purpose:  to grab a buyer to learn more, to contact the agent, to see the “movie” in person.  I believe, it’s a short “moving story” about a home.  I don’t care if it’s digital footage, photography set to music or photography with music imbued with a voice track, it should be selling the most important aspects of a home, condo or commercial property.

Consider the buyer.  They all have been groomed by television, watching TV spots go from 60-seconds to 30′s and 15′s, most likely contributing to short attention spans and impatience that doles out texts in mini seconds. They see movies with hundreds of cuts in a single scene.  And  yes, 10 to 15+ seconds for a slow move in a dramatic movie scene could work wonders.  In a “property video”, it could also be the kiss of death. When I first started in advertising I was fortunate to have my tv script solve the  creative challenge for a Dial soap commercial at the agency where I was working.  The  spot I created was a live/animation jingle for kids and it sold the product off the shelves.  I have a 35mm copy of the spot and upon watching that :60 “wonder” with Hanna Barbera animation (ahem, it was so cool),  I feel as though I’m watching “Gone with the Wind”.  I can only imagine a 30-something watching it with impatience and boredom…and clicking “next”.
When a buyer is looking at resales, he or she has rough criteria in mind.  So they search for the basics and zap thru them.  A few  photos or one digital scene in a video can turn them on, or make them click “next”.   Ever watch a video on your computer? Those ad pre-rolls are paid for, by advertisers–even if you watch for only 7 seconds before clicking off the page.  7 seconds–that’s the measure of an impression–that’s an average of 21 words!

No, a property video is not a tv spot, but the concept is the same.  Deliver mood, beauty shots, information.  Example with voice:  property video.      Below is an  example with music and movement.

We all know the impact photos can have on a buyer–so can movement, music and a voice track. Sound can create a mood, a sense of urgency… a voice track can identify the hot buttons.  So, be mindful.  Decide what you trying to do– grab as many potential buyers as possible…convince viewers  to put your property on their short list… call you for an appointment… or, create a sales piece for yourself.
Remember, the star of your property “movie” is the property.