Video Killed the Newspaper Ad

In case you didn’t realize it, we’re big on video here at Coldwell Banker. We were the first national real estate brand to have streaming video content on our website back in 2006. Fast forward to 2009 and we launched what has become one of the more popular real estate channels ever on YouTube with Coldwell Banker On Location. 12 months and 1.2 million visits later, Coldwell Banker On Location is still making waves.

In case you didn’t realize it, we’re big on video here at Coldwell Banker. We were the first national real estate brand to have streaming video content on our website back in 2006. Fast forward to 2009 and we launched what has become one of the more popular real estate channels ever on YouTube with Coldwell Banker On Location. 12 months and 1.3 million visits later, Coldwell Banker On Location is still making waves.

But what baffles me is why video isn’t more popular within real estate? Why aren’t more real estate companies taking advantage of the power that video has to offer as a property marketing tool? Would real estate shopper rather read about a 3BR 2BA w/ 2 car grg or get a true virtual tour through a property?

We conducted some consumer focus groups and the participants said almost in unison that a video would tell them more about a property than photos. And they trusted a video to give them a better idea of the home more so than pictures.

YouTube, according to a 2009 Comscore report, has the second most searches conducted on it than any other site not named Google. Social media rock star, Chris Brogan, in his book Social Media 101: Tactics and Tips to Develop Your Business Online talks about the marketing potential of video for realtors as someone who isn’t even directly involved in the real estate industry.

In any case, let me leave you with this. Photos are great, but in my estimation video is better. Check out one of my favorite video listings from Coldwell Banker agent Christophe Choo (below). The photos of this property in Beverly Hills are beautiful. Some might even call them majestic. Ok, maybe that’s a little over the top. But even with the most stellar property photos, the video version of this listing is even more impressive and let’s me know the listing agent more than simple text on a page. That’s my two cents.

For more real estate videos, be sure to check out Coldwell Banker On Location.

David Marine

Husband. Father. Socializer. Mets Lifer. TV Aficionado. Consumer Engager.

David Marine is the Chief Marketing Officer at Coldwell Banker, where he oversees the brand’s marketing efforts and content strategy including acting as managing editor for the Coldwell Banker blog and heading up video production efforts. While CMO by day, David runs a three ring circus at night as he is the father of 4 boys. He also happens to be married to Wonder Woman. True story.