Real Estate Marketing in 2022
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In 2022, Real Estate Marketing has moved almost entirely online, with the website Redfin stating that, since 2020, over HALF of all homebuyers made offers "sight unseen."
Since the pandemic, the ability to connect with a home without having to step foot on property has become a basic need. And while professional real estate photography has been used with great success for years, many real estate agents are now using digital content creation tools like drone imagery, 3D virtual tours, realtor walkthrough videos, interactive neighborhood maps and others. Quality virtual real estate digital marketing is absolutely essential in creating that emotional bond between the buyer and their future home. |
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It also helps the seller since they get to see a visually artistic representation of their property through different creative mediums. Imagine seeing a video of the home you spent so much time making memories in. A home is an emotional place, so content that accurately captures those feelings and incites them in others extends deeper than just images on a screen. So let’s break down a few of these new real estate marketing content technologies and see how they individually work together to create an emotional experience with a property’s online profile.
Real Estate Photography: Making all the Difference
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Architectural photography is a true art. Anyone who’s casually browsed listings can tell right away how much effort went into capturing those property photos. Even with the advances in modern phone cameras, professional photos offer a deeper level of quality and creative storytelling. A professional real estate photographer will use multiple focal lengths to capture close-ups and details inside and outside the property as well as stand back and get wide shots to showcase the location. They will look for ways the light hits the home at different times of day and are able to use camera settings to brighten dark areas or balance high-contrast areas. Some real estate photographers can edit images to add virtual staging, grass or replace the sky with a beautiful sunset to show a property's potential.
See more photo samples below. |
Real Estate Videography: The Cinematic Experience
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On average, real estate listings with video get over 400% more inquiries than listings without a real estate listing video.
A professional real estate videographer creates a cinematic experience using music, moving shots and scripted narration. Real estate videos tend to be short, but capture the feeling of the property and allow buyers to sit back and watch a short documentary all about it. Videos can be a simple music montage, but there are real estate agents who prefer to conduct an on-camera walkthrough to create more of a personal connection with the buyer. Types of real estate videos include walkthroughs, phone tours, music videos or even an on-camera guided tour by a realtor. |
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Other Options for Virtual Marketing Videos
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Agent “About Me” Video
A video that allows the real estate agent to introduce themselves to potential clients with a video about who they are and what they can offer. . |
Phone Camera Walkthrough Video
A video walkthrough shot on a phone camera with the option to add narration or music. These are useful for social media outlets, especially if they’re shot vertically. |
Testimonial Videos
A buyer, seller, or agent gets to tell their story of the buying experience and can endorse the client, real estate agent or company they worked with. |
Aerial Images: The Height of Quality
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Drone photography is becoming an absolute must for real estate listings because they allow the buyer to see the home and neighborhood from the sky without a plane ticket. This makes them one of the single most effective ways to elevate the property’s marketing content. Real estate drone shots give a bird’s eye view of the entire lot with the home, yard and landscaping in the same image. It also offers context for how close the home is to areas like the ocean, community parks, shopping areas or schools.
A professional drone photographer will require a Part 107 Commercial Drone License to obtain these types of images and will not only have an understanding of how to operate the aircraft safely, but also of the laws around operating a drone in specific areas. Homes close to airports may not be able to have drone photos due to nearby low flying aircraft. |
3D Home Tour: An Immersive Journey
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3D Virtual home tours are the most immersive way for a buyer to see a home in its fullest capacity. They usually involve the user being able to move from room to room and see the entire home as though they were walking through it themselves. A 3D tour can be made using a specific camera and software of your choosing. Companies like Matterport and iGuide are subscription services that sell proprietary 3D cameras to create 3D tours that can be integrated into a listing website. These usually include a floor plan and exact square footage. Many real estate photographers offer 3D virtual tours as add-ons and the value they bring to the buyer experience is exponential.
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Interactive Map: A Virtual Walk Around Town
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A Neighborhood map uses Google Maps to show an icon at the property address with other icons showing nearby points of interest and their info.
It’s a way for people to go on a quick virtual walk around the neighborhood and see how far away the property is from the things they care about. This map includes hospitals and schools, restaurants and coffee shops, museums and activities, as well as recreational areas for biking, hiking, skating, surfing, and public places like beaches and parks. With this interactive map readily available on the property listing page, buyers will be able see all the exciting reasons to live in that area in the same place. We at Sand and Stone have created this specific Google Map as a template for embedding on websites. |
Conclusion: Putting a Bow on It
Real Estate Photography and videography including aerial images and 3D tours are becoming even more the norm as homebuyers are relying on them for the experience that once came with physically touring a home. They are artistic representations of emotional places that tell a home's story. While it’s possible for a property to have decent pictures, quality virtual real estate marketing content will create a relationship between the buyer and the property without them ever experiencing it in person.
If you're interested in virtual real estate marketing content, feel free to see our pricing guide or reach out for a direct quote!
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