Real estate professionals are becoming more web savvy every day.  Competition for the best listings is fierce and strong Internet marketing can give a realtor a substantial edge.  Using every available on-line resource is especially important because so many buyers shopping from home.  In addition to keeping up with photos some realtors are opting to include videos.

Giving a potential buyer a video is like giving them the house keys.  It lets them see the features in all dimensions, as if they were touring the home.  Video presentation gives the buyer a better sense of the space in a home than a still photograph.  While video can’t replace photos, it can be an excellent addition to a marketing plan.

The problem with adding video to a site is the amount of web resources it demands.  Video can put a strain on your server if you host it yourself.  For this reason, many sites use video hosting services like YouTube.  It’s not all funny cats and skateboard crashes.  Companies are using YouTube for hosting training videos, nonprofits are using it to spotlight fundraising efforts and real estate agents can use it to show houses.  There are a few tips to keep in mind if you chose to incorporate video.

Always professional

As a real estate agent, anything on your site should be exceptionally professional.  This includes video footage and voiceovers.  Using your Blackberry to take some quick shots isn’t acceptable for your still photographs and it won’t work for video.  Use a quality camera and record when there is plenty of light in the home.  You may even want to consider hiring out filming and voice over work to an expert.

Consider the resources

Not every house warrants video footage.  Some houses are better seen in person for a number of reasons from low lighting to a color palette that just doesn’t film well.  In addition, it may not be a listing that will give you a return on your investment.  Some realtors set a limit on which listings get video.  For instance a listing exceeding certain square footage or a certain price point is entitled to the added service.  If you are hiring out your video work or paying for video hosting, think about the amount of resources a video will take.

Clean, clean, clean

If the home will be filmed, be sure it is immaculately clean and staged to perfection.  Any flaws will quite literally be in the spotlight.

Video marketing could be the feature that gets that luxury listing.