Reel DesignerIt’s exciting to get a chance to feature you for our readers! For those who are new, who are you, and what do you do professionally?
PROPERTYTUBE / GRANT ROBERTS: Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me today. I read your Reel Designer all the time and I’m always really impressed with your content as it pertains directly to our philosophies and goals.
So this is very exciting to be featured!
My name is Grant Roberts and I am the V.P of Marketing, Operations and Video Development at Property Tube. PropertyTube.com is a free video marketing platform specifically designed for the Real Estate industry, matching buyers with sellers across the world.
Thanks Grant, glad you're finding value in our publications! What unique benefits does your company offer to business clients?
PROPERTYTUBE: The Property Tube platform allows sellers the ability to manage and market all their property videos from a free account. There are three different account types: a Private Seller account, a Realtor account and a Real Estate Office account. The Private Seller and Realtor accounts are for individuals, where as the Real Estate Office account is set up for agencies, teams or companies with multiple Agents!
Realtor & Real Estate Offices accounts are seen as Channels on Property Tube.
These channels are fully customizable and allow you to showcase all your property listings for sale or rent.
Once you’ve signed up for your free account you can start uploading “Property Videos” to your channel. During the upload process you will be required to add Property details to the listing ie: price, location, bedrooms, bathrooms, size etc. this information goes into our search engine, allowing the browser to search for property, “for sale” and “for rent” by location. Another fantastic feature is that Realtors and Real Estate Offices can upload “Profile Videos” to their channels. These can be any other type of video, promoting the Agent, company, area, market, video blog etc. These “Profile Videos” show up on the right hand side, on every page of a clients’ channel: View Example
We also offer a video strategy product for larger Real Estate companies with more than 50 listings, called Property Tube.
This is a unique system that we have developed for companies that simply don’t have the time and money to create videos for all of their listings and manage a full video portfolio on Property Tube and You Tube. Property Tube automatically creates videos, using the images displayed on a client’s website for all their listings. The videos are then automatically uploaded to the client’s Property Tube channel and their YouTube channel.
These videos are optimized for maximum SEO benefits and the entire portfolio is checked and updated on a daily basis, ensuring an up to date video portfolio at all times. We then provide the client with a live “embed code feed” allowing them to automatically embed the videos onto their website.
We also have a Videographer Network on Property Tube, for clients that are interested in hiring a professional to create videos for them.
Are many tenants seeking rental spaces asking for video, and if so, how is this an opportunity for the landlord to capitalize on?
PROPERTYTUBE: I think it goes beyond just tenants looking for rental spaces. The whole world is asking for video. In today’s world, 72 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute. Video is everywhere! People are now accustomed to watching videos on computers, laptops, tablets and phones.
Video is convenient and can save the buyer and seller, the hassle of driving out to a property, only to be disappointed because the pictures that showcased the property, did not provide the correct representation of the size or the feel.
With this being said, using video is a huge opportunity for landlords, sellers and Real Estate professionals to stand out and get a step up on their competitors.
Best of all, it’s inexpensive!
You can make a video, with a iPhone, digital camera, iPod Touch, iPad, GoPro or your own videographer etc.
You can upload to You Tube for free, to Property Tube for free and embed and share for free!
Very straightforward.
Why video? Video has been around for a long time in various mediums already – why is it suddenly important now?
PROPERTYTUBE: As video technology has improved with the introduction of free, easy to use, video editing software and more ways to actually capture video footage, using multiple electronic devises, as well as more efficient video uploading and sharing sites.
Video has now become the dominant medium online and is projected to make up 86 percent of online traffic by 2016.
What are the top 3-5 reasons why a landlord or realtor should have video of their property?
PROPERTYTUBE: I would say the number one reason would be to showcase the property in it’s most real form. Using video footage can give the viewer an accurate look and feel for a specific property. This saves time for both the buyer and seller.
Another benefit to using video is the ability to stand out from competitors that aren’t using video.
Also, introducing video provides a better, more appealing way for the consumer to view property online and allows professionals to adapt to the future of online business.
Taking advantage of the relatively new opportunities of Video SEO! https://reeldesigner.com/2012/11/10-ways-to-optimize-keyword-tags-for-video-seo/
How should a business get started with video? OR Is Do-It-Yourself (DIY) a good starting solution for businesses?
PROPERTYTUBE: The best advice is simply that if a Realtor or Real Estate office has the budget to shoot a video with a professional videographer they should get started this way.
However, if they don’t have the budget the DIY approach is a good place to start. Videos can be created using pretty much any video recording device and edited using inexpensive video editing software like iMovie or Windows Movie Maker.
To get started I would recommend using any digital camera that records video and a tripod for stability.
Agent Profile Videos are quick and easy to create.
All you would need is a tripod and an iPhone, as these videos don’t require movement, they would be more of an interview style of video. Newbie’s to DIY video must be willing to learn and continually try and improve their videos each time. If they give up they’re simply falling behind every other realtor that persists and eventually gets it right.
Always remember as a real estate professional you are ultimately trying to sell listings and make money so it is important to make sure your DIY videos are presentable.
Is it rational for newbies to be intimidated with the idea of learning video for business?
PROPERTYTUBE: I think it’s understandable, due to the fact that when uninformed, people immediately think that video is too expensive and too technical for them. That’s where websites or eMagazines like yours play a huge roll in educating users and putting these initial fears to rest.
All they need to do is browse your site and read some articles to find out everything they need to know.
This article is a great start: Video Marketing Strategy 101: Beginner Video Marketing
What are the most common issues that you typically see property owners getting flustered with?
PROPERTYTUBE: I think the length of video is important.
Too many video marketers are creating property videos that are too long. Keep it short and sweet. This will keep the viewer engaged throughout the video!
When uploading to YouTube it is very important to create appropriate headers and tags for your video. This will greatly improve the video’s SEO benefits. You want your video to be found in search engines.
Once the video has been uploaded it is very important to “share” it. The best ways would be to post your video to social media sites for more exposure and even better to embed your video onto your website.
Name a few projects that have benefited from your involvement?
PROPERTYTUBE: We have recently integrated our Convert It Video system with South Africa’s leading property portal, Property 24. Now, videos created for our South African clients are automatically uploaded to the Property 24 network as well as You Tube and Property Tube. http://www.property24.com/Marketing/ConvertIt/
Remax Southern Africa has integrated this new system to their website and YouTube videos are now automatically embedded onto their listing pages. The introduction of an up to date video portfolio on Property Tube, You Tube, Property24 and their website has lead to a tremendous increase with regards to their online presence, video SEO and ultimately online sales.
Why does video ultimately get buyers to buy?
PROPERTYTUBE: Watch this video: http://www.propertytube.com/us/watch/8O#.UYluyI5_iwA
Is it proven that video is good investment and will pay off?
PROPERTYTUBE: The proof is in this video: http://www.propertytube.com/us/watch/kjA#.UYlvE45_iwA
What are practical tips that should be heeded before shooting a property video?
PROPERTYTUBE: Firstly, stage the property.
Second, make sure that the lighting is good. Turn on all the lights and make sure the televisions are on and the ceiling fans are on. You want to try and capture as much movement in your footage as possible.
Third, make sure that you hold the camera as steady as possible.
A tripod is a good idea for stability and you can also hold the tripod with the camera attached, if you want to move throughout the property.
And lastly, keep your videos short and to the point!
How and where should videos be shown so the right people will see them?
PROPERTYTUBE: We have a video tutorial titled “How to market your videos with PropertyTube.com”.
What video gear do you recommend for a video producer?
PROPERTYTUBE: My favorite product for beginners is the Bescor MP-101 Motorized Pan Head. I have used this product and it is perfect for capturing smooth panning across a room or property.
It comes with a remote control and can run on batteries for easy maneuverability – very smooth shots!
Where can a reader go to try out/learn about your product/service?
PROPERTYTUBE: Reel Designer Readers can watch our tutorial videos and learn about how Property Tube works too.
Glad to have you on, and that we’re finally able to get your business featured as part of the Reel Designer interview series! What are the best ways for someone to get started with your business to see if your services are a fit?
PROPERTYTUBE: The best way to get started with Property Tube would be to sign up for a free account here: Sign Up with Property Tube
Then, if you already have videos to showcase start uploading.
If you need to hire a professional videographer you can find one here: Find A Videographer
If you decide to take the DIY approach, keep it short and sweet and make sure the camera is steady.
Thanks again for featuring us in your interview series, we are proud to be here. If your readers would like to learn more about PropertyTube.com here is where to find us:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PropertyByVideo
Facebook: PropertyTube Facebook
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=188640319&trk=tab_pro
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