Using Video to Sell Homes
Many home sellers think that it’s difficult to create a video tour, and they simply decide not to do it.Video is not hard to do and many just feel that way because they have not personally done it. A good camera can be bought for around $400 and simple editing software is not too pricy either(if you are editing on a Mac, you may use Final Cut Express). Uploading video to YouTube is easy and embedding a YouTube video into your FSBO listing on the website is a simple cut and paste job.
I can say all of these things because I have personally done them, and trust me, it’s not as hard as you might make it out to be. At the end of the day, photos have their place. I truly believe if a FSBO seller today would learn to integrate video into their home marketing plans, they would have more success than similar sellers who chose to not do so. Just my opinion, a video tour gives the buyer more of a feeling for the home. It takes about 1 hour for the shoot, and 2 - 3 hours for editing.
An ideal video tour is almost like a walking tour. How do people usually view a home? They walk in, scan left and right, and tend to head to the kitchen. Then they walk to the master, master bathroom, check the closet, etc. 90% of the people viewing homes follow the exact same path. No panning and zoom over a still shot, but actually walking through each room and focusing on what people want to see.
One more tip: filming the local community is a good idea for a video tour, go and shoot shopping areas, parks, libraries, schools and other points of interest with real people moving around. It will add a lot more interest. If done tastefully and professionally it can be a fantastic FSBO tool for a home seller listing his/her house.
