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Green Bay real estate agent Greg Dallaire talks about how he is using video to build a list and attract buyers with video.

Tech Tuesday: On Tuesdays we are going to talk to agents and others in the real estate business about how they are using technology in their business.

Dean Ouellette and Green Bay Greg both have one thing in common, they both use video to build their business. How Greg does it is completely different and unique. Greg has built a business in just 2.5 months of doing video tours of foreclosures where he has already sold 4 houses directly through his website.

Greg has some of the large REO agents in Green Bay who feed him listings when there is a good deal or a price reduction Greg then heads out to shoot a video and posts them on his website. Greg has an opt-in email system on his website to be notified when a new video is uploaded and that has been the magic bullet.

Follow Greg
@GreenBayGreg
See what Greg is doing at his blog GreenBayGreg

Follow us at
@DeanOuellette
Or on Youtube

The more tech-savvy agents have been talking about it for a while now, but this is the first time I have seen Google home search running on an agent’s website like this. Ken Brand is one of the most forward thinking brokers out there so it does not surprise me to see him with it first.

Straight from Google: How to rank your videos higher

I love video. I consider myself more of a vlogger than blogger these days. More and more agents are turning to video, too. So, when Joe Ferrara shared this video with me on why your video may or may not be performing well on Google searches I had to share it with you.

How safe is your home office?

Many, if not the overwhelming majority, of technology driven agents work from their home. There are some good resources in this article to protect your data if you work from home. A favorite of mine that’s not included in the article is Dropbox (later this week you’ll get an in-depth review of why I think Dropbox is so valuable). But, even without the mention of it, the article is still a handy resource of things you need to be doing to protect your home office.

Many agents wonder why they should be on Facebook. Who buys a house there? The short answer is, almost nobody does. But that does not mean you should not be there as an agent. With Facebook rocking traffic and trust the way it does make sure you stay visible there. Why not promote your latest post and drive traffic to your blog. We’re not talking about spamming, but one post a day on Facebook about your latest article will help to turn you into a trusted news source in your network.

5 Ways iPad Will Reinvent Real Estate for Agents in the Next 5 Years

As a gadget and real estate geek I was greatly excited about the launch of the iPad. I had all types of plans to revolutionize my business. I had already made the move to a complete paperless business in every way but one. I still printed out my MLS sheets when I went to show houses. The iPad was going to help that. But with the launch of the iPad I was greatly disappointed with many aspects, as are many of my fellow geeks.

Despite it’s shortcomings, one thing is clear, for those of us who like to be paperless, and like to use technology in everything we do, the tablet is going to be a game changer. In fact, if you haven’t given thought to how you can use technology, and how to transition a tech-centric business, then it’s time to explore what technology can really do for you.

Video Explosion Continues :: What Is YOUR Plan?

Video is tomorrow’s today’s Internet. The online explosion of video views shows no sign of slowing down and is quickly becoming a preferred way to consume content online. We all know Google is the king of Internet search, but did you know the second most site used for search is YouTube? In a world of multi-taskers it is much easier for someone to watch a video while doing something else than it is for them to read a blog post. Plus, video reaches a person through more senses than straight text. The old SEO line was “people are searching, can you be found?” Still holds true… can they find your videos?

Similarly, watching real estate agents in the on-line video world has been quite eye opening and entertaining (though not always in the good way). While the vast majority of the video usage is relatively good, I consistently see the same issues in the videos that are less than stellar. Frankly, if you make these same mistakes with your videos you will not be making it to the next round…

Give Your Viewers Something To Watch

The Talking Head. Easily the biggest violation, in the sea of on-line videos you’ll join the noise of all the other talking heads out there. While it works for newscasters, even they need video overlay, stock quotes ticking below their names and a professional set to keep the consumer’s attention.

Solution: If you must be a talking head, shoot the exact same script three times with three different camera angles:

1. Super close-up shot from forehead to shoulders
2. a comfortable distance showing almost all of you
3. a distance somewhere between the two with a completely different angle. Obviously, you need to edit them seamlessly together

Leave Them Wanting More

The Three Minute SnoozeFest. Internet attention span is measured in SECONDS. Turn on your TV and watch for a national commercial. Count how many seconds each shot is before it changes. Usually you get about two seconds. If a national company like Danon, Toyota or UPS struggle to keep the consumer engaged in the few seconds they have, imagine the struggle we REALTORS face.

Solution: Keep your videos as short as possible when you are speaking on an issue. Home and neighborhood tours are a bit different because the consumer expects a bit more. The typical mistake is in the “talking head” genre. Try to break your education/tips into small 30 second nuggets of information. You can always cut a longer version and tease the consumer to watch it if they want more information. Have several mini-episodes out there could mean you are more findable.

Take Control Of Your Stage

The Voice In The Distance. First, you hear the fluorescent light buzzing. Then you hear the echoes in the room. In the distance, phones and office mates conversing join the noise. Finally, the consumer hears your voice somewhere mixed in the cocktail. You concentrate so much on the clothing choice, what angle makes you look skinnier and how to work the camera that you forget that audio is even more important.

Solution: Make sure your camera has capabilities for a lavaliere microphone and BUY ONE! It will make all the difference in the world. Above that, stand in the room you are shooting in and just listen for one minute. If you can hear it, you better believe it will pick up on the video. Find the quietest place you can. If your take is just perfect and those small sounds are in the distance, a light, music-only instrumental music bed is a great complement to any video.

Just as VH1, Entertainment Weekly and even Barbara Walters make lists of “The Top Shocking Moments,” “The Top Movies” and “The Most Influential,” this can be your time to put these types of lists to work for you and your business in video format.  Here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing…

1. The Top 10 Sales In Your MLS

People are NOSEY!  Use your MLS and find the top 10 most expensive closings.  Cut a quick 10 second intro on camera, then transition into the top homes with a well-scripted voiceover.

2. “Insert Your City”s Most Intriguing Homes

Dig for the unique, quirky, history filled homes that sold in 2009 and tell their stories in small vignettes.

3. 2009′s Biggest Bargains

In a sea of foreclosures and short sales, show the consumers what got away this year, then tease them with some good bargains currently on the market to garner the buyer lead.

4. Home Chronicling

Find a historic home on the MLS that has a ton of charm.  Search your MLS as far back as you can for all the times it has closed and chronicle the changes.  It’s especially effective for homes that have been completely renovated with drastic improvements.

5. Tax Credit Winners

Compile a photo/video montage of buyers who benefitted from the $8000 tax credit this year.  Try to get 10 to 20 buyers.  Have them stand outside their home with your sold sign in the yard.  Make a common handmade sign for each of them to hold saying something like “I was smart,” “$8000 Richer” or “I Got My House And My $8000!”  Put them together in a 30 second video with some kick-booty, upbeat music.

In this economy, we’re seeing more and more agents take on the task to save money.  If you’re going to do it yourself, remember these three simple techniques for making your videos look like a pro and keeping your consumers from getting woozy.

1. The Left-To-Right Pan or Vice Versa:  A “video pan” is a simple sweeping of a scene in a straight (or sometimes curved) line across a room.  A good tripod (one you or someone else paid at least $200 for) always helps.  If you don’t have one, hold your camera as close as you can to your mid-chest with the viewfinder where you can see it.  Start on one side of the room and slowly move (or pan) the camera in one direction.  You’ll want to keep the pan moving beyond the beginning and ending walls, then edit those aspects out in post-production.
2. The Zoom-In/Zoom-Out:  Choose an aspect of the area you are in that is either a focal point or has motion.  I find that the three “Fs” are a great place to look first…faucets, fireplaces and fans.  Get those elements moving (turn on the faucet, get the fire rolling, etc.) and choose a part of the room where you have a good vantage of that feature.  Once you have the shot, move as far as you can from the object and zoom in on the moving element.  Slowly zoom out to the greater space and hold the final shot as you count 1-2-3.
3. The Context Shot:  Every time I shoot a show with HGTV, they always preach, “Context. Context. Context.”  Consumers need to see the essential paths and parts of their daily lives on the screen.  For example, how far is it from where we cook the food and where we eat the food or what’s the path look like from the back patio for grilling to the kitchen.  Take your camera and again place it as close as you can to your chest.  Keep your zoom at the same level for the entire move.  Find a place in the space that can get the context while requiring you to move as little as possible.  Move the camera from a defining feature of the starting point (i.e., the refrigerator) to a defining feature of the contextual spot (i.e., the patio table).

In all of the above shots, lighting is still essential.  I’ll tap that in another entry; so, check it out.  For now, here’s a quick example of each shot listed above in this super short video.

Music on the cheap and easy

The easiest way for you to use music on your home tours, eCards, video, etc. is to use a royalty-free music service like MusicBakery.com or RoyaltyFreeMusic.com.  You’ll still need to pay extra special attention to the licensure to see if it grants you perpetual or unending use of that copyright.  Your type of usage will cost you anywhere from $25 to $300.

How to stick to your guns and pay

Now, still, you’re stickin’ to your guns on using cliché songs like “Our House,” “Sweet Home Alabama” or “I’m Comin’ Home” to make your promotional point.  Since you insist, at least let me tell you the right way to do it.  My prior life to real estate was a Director of Publishing for a record label in Nashville; so, I dealt with this on a daily basis.

Let’s use the song “Sweet Home Alabama” for our learning exercise.  You’ve finished your neighborhood video of a new subdivision you just listed outside of Birmingham which has presented you with the opportunity to use the song.  In order to use it, here’s what you need to do.

Two steps to paying more

1.  Publishing rights.  The “right” to use this song has to be granted by the administrator of the publishing catalog.  In this case there are three publishers:  Universal Music Corporation, Full Keel Music, Songs of Universal and EMI Longitude.  Each of these parties has a right to the copyright and payment on behalf of their writers Edward King, Gary Rossington and Ronnie Vanzant.  The publisher who owns the greatest percentage will control the right to the copyright, however, all publishers must “license” the usage through a thing called a synchronization license.

Unlike mechanical licenses (which are used for CDs, downloads, vinyl’s, etc.), “synch” licenses have no agreed, standard rate.  Each synch license is negotiated individually between you (the requester) and the publisher’s administrator (the grantor).  The administrator will want to know the nature of the use, but more importantly, they’ll want to know the profitability of the product “Sweet Home Alabama” is being used to promote. 

Since your subdivision has 150 home sites at an average price of $275,000 at a two percent commission rate to you and a 25% net profit margin to the builder, they will see a figure somewhere in the range of  $11M.  In this negotiation, chances are, this usage is going to cost you somewhere between $50K and $100K, if the administrator is in a good mood.  Now that you have received your “permission slip” from the publisher, it’s now time for the second license, the master license.

2.  Master rights. The artist cut of the song is controlled by the record label (or owner of the master recording).  In our scenario, you think you’ve used Lynyrd Skynyrd’s version of the song, however it could have been Hank Williams, Jr., Alabama, The Charlie Daniels Band or Rascal Flatts.  Once you are almost definite that it is indeed Skynyrd, you now must reach the record label exec who is in charge of  granting master usage. 

Each label does it differently, so you’ll need to call the main record label number and work your way to the right person.  MCA was the record label Lynyrd Skynyrd was recording on at that point.  You will need to trace down who know oversees the masters on behalf of MCA and begin that negotiation process.

The master recording right grantor in this case will use the same profitability measuring stick as the publisher, however they typically could care less what you’re paying the publisher, since they’re rarely affiliated or share profit.

The bittersweet sound of “Sweet Home Alabama”

Now, you have officially, legally used “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd in your real estate video.  It’s only taken three months of administration time, 12-14 hours of research and phone time and somewhere around $150,000.  Congratulations.  Now, what did I say earlier about royalty-free music?