This is the first official video project I completed with MeetingHouse Media. It was done for Jeannine Coburn, a colleague of mine from Hallmark Sotheby’s International Realty. It is for her listing at 48 Blueberry Lane in Hopkinton, a great home, on an awesome lot in a fantastic neighborhood. Jeannine has a genuine energy and enthusiasm for her job and that comes across very clearly when she talks about her listings. With that in mind, my idea was to get her to kind of do the narration as if she was talking to a potential buyer. She did a great job and before I finished editing it, I already had ideas on how to make the next one better. She will be launching a property website (not done by us) very soon at 48BlueberryLane.com. Great job, Jeannine, and I look forward to working on the next one together. Thanks for the support!
Blog
Sample Floor Plans
Some of us used to be Massachusetts Certified Residential Real Estate Appraisers. Collectively, we’ve created over 2,500 floor plans for single family, multi-family and condominium property all across the Commonwealth. We actually enjoy doing it as well! There is a little “arm chair architect” in us that genuinely enjoys the combination of mathematics, design and real estate that creating floor plans brings.
Click the link below to download a PDF example of the type of floor plans we create for our Realtor clients. All floor plans are branded specifically to you and can be easily uploaded to MLS for co-operating brokers to download for their buyers. Like we said, these are not detailed architectural plans that you can turn around and build a house with. They are provided for marketing purposes to give potential buyers a feel for the “lay of the land” and a sense of how all the individual rooms in your listing come together to create a single, unified “home”.
For pricing on floor plans, click here. We’re also including floor plans in our introductory “Whole Enchilada” special here…
HDR Photography
Grandfather's Study by Wili Hybrid
HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography is the process of blending three (or more) different photos of varying exposures to create one single image. Sometimes the foreground of a shot can look stunning, but the windows are all blown out with overexposed light. Sometimes the windows look great and you can make out the details of the swingset in the backyard, but the interior of the room is completely lost. HDR photography takes the best features of each exposure setting and combines them to create a single unified image.
There is a raging debate about whether HDR has a place in professional photography. Opponents claim it distorts reality and produces unnatural, cartoonish effects that overemphasize mathematics and technology rather than the actual image that is visible to the naked eye. Proponents say it is “art” and a very personal, interpretive type of photography that can help communicate a whimsical, fantastical effect when properly employed.
Me? I love it! I’m hardly a photography purist, and am open to any interesting or compelling effects that can be achieved with the advancement of today’s technology. I don’t worry that a buyer might show up at a listing and say, “Hey! This room doesn’t look like Alice in Wonderland like it did in the pictures!” HDR photography is simply one tool out of many in a real estate marketer’s tool box that can help tell the story of a home and paint the picture of what a lifestyle might look like for someone buying that home.
The photo above, “Grandfather’s Study ” by Wili Hybrid, is a fantastic example of the creative extremes HDR photography can help you achieve. Wili also used an ultra-wide 8mm fish eye lens to capture this shot which gives it even more of that dream-like quality.
MeetingHouse Media loves HDR photography and believes it has wonderful applications for real estate photography. It can often cast a surreal effect on homes and makes rooms look very different than they do in real life (which isn’t always desired), but it can also capture the viewer’s imagination (as in Wili’s photo above) and cause an emotional reaction in buyers, which often leads to a showing request. When I look at Wili’s photo, I can smell the antiqued musty floorboards of this seaside cottage, I hear the distant sounds of waves crashing on the shore and I think of all generations who have sat in that inviting arm chair and gazed across the horizon views through the smoky windows.
If real estate photography can transport potential buyers into your home and give them an emotional experience before they even walk through the door, then I think everyone would agree that is a HUGE win and surely will lead to more showings on your listing.
If you’d like to see what HDR photography can do for your listing, give us a call. We’d love to work with you to achieve a phenomenal look that will stir the imagination of your potential buyers.
Professional Photography = Higher Selling Prices!
The Wall Street Journal is reporting results from a Redfin survey that says real estate listings that feature photographs taken by the higher-end SLR (single lens reflex) and DSLR (digital single lens reflex) cameras tend to do better than those that use photos from cheaper point-and-shoot cameras.
Homes shot professionally with DSLR cameras:
- Receive an average of 61% more views online than the competition across all price ranges
- Have a 47% higher asking price per square foot
- Have an increased likelihood of selling for homes priced over $300,000
The survey was conducted by Redfin and only looked at two regional markets, Boston and Long Island, because there is enough metadata contained within the photos in these markets to determine what type of camera was used to take the pictures. But that’s ok… We ARE in the greater Boston market! This report is about YOU! This is more concrete evidence that simply strolling out to your new listing with your point and shoot camera is doing your sellers a huge disservice. Read the entire article here.
MeetingHouse Media is offering FREE wide angle DSLR photography (a $149 value) with the purchase of our standard video package. Knowing that professional DSLR photography leads to higher listing and selling prices and knowing that MeetingHouse Media is offering this type of photography for FREE, is there really any reason not to book your photo and video session now?
If you’d like to be kept abreast of news like this that can help grow your real estate business, please join our mailing list. We hate spam too, and will only send you stuff that we think you might find useful. Remember, we were once Realtors as well, and we know how annoying all the “silver bullet” emails can be.
Video and the “New” Twitter
Last week Twitter began quietly launching the newest version of their insanely popular platform which now allows users to embed videos and pictures directly into their Twitter stream. Previously Twitter only offered users a link to an outside, third-party site to view videos and photos. With the latest version of Twitter it is now even easier for users to share, view and forward video and pictures without leaving the Twitter interface. Do you see the immediate implication for real estate professionals? Move views, more shares, more re-tweets… MORE EXPOSURE! Look for the “new” Twitter to be gently rolled out to all users over the next few weeks. In the meantime, check out this really well-done video presentation of the “new” Twitter.
The fact that Twitter is leaning heavily on video to introduce this new version speaks volumes. What would you find more exciting as a consumer? A tweet announcing your new listing or a tweet with a condensed, twitter-designed video (remember it’s 140 characters or less on Twitter so videos should be similarly thought out) announcing your listing? At MeetingHouse Media our creative juices are flowing and we’re looking forward to making some really cool 10-second Twitter videos soon! Be a pioneer in your area, and call us to put together a marketing strategy to utilize this latest version of one of the world’s most popular internet phenomenons.
A Look Back at the WellcomeMat Real Estate Video Report
It’s been just about one year since the very smart folks over at WellcomeMat.com released their 2009 Real Estate Video Report asking whether video was “the new photo” in real estate marketing. We learned several valuable things from this report and we think it’s worthwhile to take a look back at some of their findings, as well as take the last year into account as we wait anxiously for their follow-up report which is most likely to be released sometime soon this fall.
The report showed some things we all kind of assumed. The rate of adoption for real estate video has been on the rise and continues its uphill trend. Over the last few years the rate of videos uploaded to their service has doubled and nearly tripled in some instances. As consumers demand more visual search results, making YouTube the second most popular search engine only behind the all-powerful Google, we are learning that home buyers are looking to real estate video to help narrow their home searches more and more. Before they even get in the car to start looking in person!
We also learned that Realtors not only see the benefit of marketing the homes they represent through video, they also responded that video is becoming a powerful tool to market themselves, their firms and their brands. Nine out of ten real estate professionals surveyed said “video improves their ability to win listings over competing agents/brokers”. As competition is getting fiercer and the number of opportunities for listings shrinking, video is standing out as a clear differentiating factor and something that can really set yourself, your firm and your brand apart from the crowd.
The survey found that the largest barrier to entry for real estate professionals with video was “not enough knowledge”, with nearly 50% of respondents claiming such. Let’s face it, the internet is full of shaky real estate videos with amateur audio that literally makes you cringe and most likely produces the OPPOSITE effect on consumers you’re looking for. While we at MeetingHouse Media applaud those brave souls venturing out on the DIY highway, we also know your job is selling real estate, not making videos. Actually, making videos is our job. The simplest solution to the “not enough knowledge” objection is hire the pros, and with listing videos starting as affordable as $199, it really doesn’t make sense anymore to NOT farm this part out to a trusted partner.
When asked…
Do you believe that video improves your ability to win listings over competing agents/brokers?
nearly 90% of real estate professionals surveyed responded with a resounding “Yes”! Imagine how powerful it would be getting a call from a seller who said they saw your profile video online and would like to meet with you to discuss listing their home for sale. At the appointment, after demonstrating your professionalism and market value, you had them your iPad and let them watch some sample property videos you have used to market homes in their area AND a video testimonial from some of your recently satisfied clients. How could any seller say ‘no’ to a presentation like that? Video helps sell houses, but it also proving to be extremely effective in selling YOU as well.
The final interesting tidbit the survey uncovered was that video as a medium is rapidly gaining on photos as the media consumers valued most when searching for real estate. While photos are still king with 48% responding they are the most important tool, video is right on photo’s heels at 41%. We kind of knew this based on Realtor.com’s very deliberate choice to allow visitors to their site to rank their search results by number of photos, but does it indicate that we might see an option in the not-so-distant future on Realtor.com to allow visitors to view only listings with video attached? We think most definitely yes!
You can read the entire contents of WellcomeMat.com’s 2009 Real Estate Video Report by clicking here. You can also review some of our video work on WellcomeMat by browsing the MeetingHouse Media channel on their site. And for details on how to get started with us and get your video marketing plan into full-swing, check out our pricing page, which includes specifics on all the plans we offer including our $299 introductory special of a full narrated video with a FREE set of wide angle still photography.
2009 was definitely an exciting year for Real Estate Video and we could not be more thrilled about the direction this phenomenal media is heading! Call us today to get your listings, your self, your firm and your personal brand on board.
introductory specials
To help kick off the official launch of MeetingHouse Media, we are offering two limited time promotional specials to all our new clients. (I guess since this an introductory promotional launch for a brand new company, all the clients are new clients, huh?)
Video and Photography Bundle $299*
Our most popular video package combined with a full set of wide angle still photographs.
*Introductory pricing.
The Whole Enchilada $550*
Our most popular video package, a full set of wide angle still photographs, floor plans and our basic single property website package.
*Larger homes may incur additional fees.
We look forward to working together soon!
about us
Hello.
We are a group of creative, marketing-minded individuals who understand the business of real estate because we have literally been there and done that. We’ve worked in the industry as Realtors and we’ve tried a bunch of different real estate marketing approaches. We’ve seen what works and what doesn’t – what’s effective and what’s not.
We are technology driven and gadget addicts. We’re constantly evaluating the latest and (so-called) greatest techniques, tricks and toys and filtering out what is fluff and what can actually help make your real estate business more efficient and profitable.
We’re storytellers. When we are doing our job right, the story of your home is told to buyers in an emotional, compelling fashion that causes them to react by calling you to schedule a showing.
We know what your ‘typical’ day is like as a real estate professional (there isn’t one) and we know what you need help with.
We’re flexible, efficient, dependable, creative, tireless, friendly and admittedly a little quirky at times.
And hopefully, we’re exactly what you’ve been looking for in a real estate marketing partner!
photography
A picture is truly worth a thousand words, and most likely a whole lot more in real estate marketing. A recent survey by the National Association of Realtors tells us that 83% of buyers and sellers rated pictures as “the most useful tool” in their online home searches, above detailed property information and even virtual tours. It’s no accident that Realtor.com (still the most popular online real estate search portal) allows visitors to sort their search results by “Number of Photos”.
This New York Times slideshow that accompanies Vivian Toy’s article, “Making Every Pixel Count” helps put things in focus. Pun intended.
We will deliver up to forty photographs, touched up and edited just enough to look stunning while still achieving a very natural, organic look. We will provide you with a set of photos sized both for online use and larger photos for printing.
Understanding the impact photos have on potential buyers’ first impressions of your listing, there is no reason not to put your very best marketing foot forward and present your properties in the most favorable light possible.
And with our introductory special of FREE photos with each video tour, there is no reason to ever accept actual MLS photographs like these!
Click here for photography pricing.