Leverage Video and Secure Local PR Using Tips from a RE/MAX Broker

Video: It’s the hottest digital medium that most real estate agents consume, but not all agents are creating.

In addition to using social media platforms, agents are finding unique ways to harness the connectivity – and advertising power – of video through other outlets. Eric Rehling, Co-Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Ready in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, secured a sponsored column with a local online publication but rather than posting articles, he posts videos.

A 20-year industry veteran, Rehling shares how gaining comfort on camera and filming real estate-centric video could help drive engagement with homebuyers and sellers and boost business.

Don’t wait to get started

Like any technology tool, video comes with a learning curve – and over time, agents can hone their tone and find their niche.

For Rehling, filming video became more natural over time with practice. Ten years ago, he and his brokerage Co-Owner Matt Mittman created a YouTube channel and prepared content.

“Matt said, ‘Alright, I need you to stand on this desk,'” Rehling recalls, laughing. “All we had was an old-school camera and a shop light. We put a piece of paper in front of the shop light to set the scene and we both stood on top of the credenza shooting this video. He said, ‘You have to act normal’ and I said, ‘There is nothing normal about this.’ It’s safe to say we’ve come a long way since then.

“When we started posting these YouTube videos, a woman called us and bought a house from us. She literally said that the reason why she called was because she had seen us on YouTube,” he says.

Rehling insists that video doesn’t have to be a costly endeavor for agents – to this day, the Co-Broker/Owners use phone cameras for filming, free software for editing, and let the value within their content speak for itself. If agents are nervous about being on video, Rehling says the best way to overcome the modern form of stage fright is to just hit the record button and get started.

“Start recording even if the camera isn’t on you,” he advises. “A lot of people get nervous about how they’re going to sound. We’ve had quite a few agents who got comfortable with video because they just started filming things on the job, whether it’s a house or scenes from downtown. Then, you can add voiceover and ultimately, over time, be comfortable enough to get on screen.”

Find your niche – and your platform

Rehling and Mittman experimented with different cadences to figure out what style seemed most natural to viewers. When they tried more scripted videos, they felt that the formal tone shadowed their true personalities and instead found luck with unscripted, casual videos filled with back-and-forth conversation.

“What definitely helped our growth is just understanding that it was better for us personally to not have a script or teleprompter and come up with content as we go. Matt usually just fires questions at me and I answer them,” Rehling says.

The pair post their consumer-facing and agent-facing videos weekly to local news platform More Than the Curve and cover all facets of real estate with topics including buying, selling, contingencies, moving and more. They pay for a sponsored-content column and are able to provide ongoing value to viewers in their local market. Rehling says this partnership has been key to maintaining the reputation of RE/MAX Ready as a reliable household name within the community.

“Getting our videos out there definitely helps keep our brand out front in the marketplace,” he says.

To keep viewers engaged – especially when posting on a regular basis – Rehling and Mittman had to figure out their ideal video length.

“We’ve always stayed on the shorter side, even way back before social media,” Rehling says. “We decided that if we couldn’t watch the whole video, then we couldn’t expect anybody else to either. We feel that 60 seconds or less is oftentimes our best approach.”

Film content in advance

Rehling believes agents should be utilizing video and finding unique local media opportunities to promote them. But in order to create time for this form of advertising while also running a successful business, he suggests filming in advance and creating a content bucket to pull from.

“We come up with each subject randomly. Our process is that we only film once or twice per month. The whole session is probably about 30 minutes, and then we’ll just cut through any rambling to find a few nuggets of the best information,” Rehling says.

Rehling’s best advice for agents is to remember that “knowledge equals confidence and confidence equals performance.” And, unpacking real estate topics for consumers is a great way to showcase their extensive knowledge of housing.

Nurture newfound external connections

Having a weekly video column online has helped Rehling and Mittman create relationships with agents and clients more easily.

“When people see you and hear your voice in a video, they gain a little bit of understanding for your personality and your business values. So by the time you meet them in person, it’s a more comfortable conversation. Video helps create the relationship before the meeting,” Rehling says.

Being on video has helped Rehling in unexpected ways, too.

“Getting comfortable on video has definitely opened up additional opportunities for me because it’s helped me gain much more confidence,” he says. “I’ve gotten involved with leadership opportunities like being my local real estate board’s president a couple years ago and stay involved with the National Association of REALTORS® in Pennsylvania.”

Looking to get started with video? Check out RE/MAX resources that help with optimizing video on social media platforms like insight on this year’s marketing trends and a new Instagram marketing online series.

Get RE/MAX News delivered to your inbox! Sign up for News Alerts in the footer below.