The past few months have forced many of us to embrace technology in new ways due to social distancing and stay-at-home rules. We have been jolted into thinking about how we can use our communication platforms and engage with our audiences in unusual and creative ways. This has demonstrated that successful marketing strategies in 2020 and beyond must combine familiar concepts with video technologies.
The conveniences are many: being able to search properties online, in 3-D or via personalized video tour, schedule private visits to favorites, use online tools to scan, sign and manage all documents related to the home purchase, and teleconference with the related parties throughout the process, are many of the activities that can now take place from the comfort of home!
While a few have previously embraced video technology, many hung back uncomfortable with learning a new tool or seeing themselves onscreen. Suddenly, we have all had to become experts on video conference platforms, hosting webinars, teleconferencing, and figuring out how to incorporate video into our marketing. These sudden adaptions are here to stay, enhancing the overall process for clients, and presenting opportunities for agents as well.
Recording an informational webinar on the home buying or selling process that can be shared over and over with prospects is a great way to build a rapport early on. An agent led video open-house, or Facebook Live tour that allows for questions from viewers are both great ways to promote a home. Even private video tours led by home-owners are popular. Once buyers have narrowed down their options by video, private showings appeal to those most interested in a home, and even traditional but socially distanced open-houses may draw more serious buyers.
An agent no longer has to make the awkward transition from a personal relationship to an electronic one; clients are already comfortable interacting remotely. A library of video messages embedded in a CRM to send out during and after the purchase or sale of a home offers a more personal interaction than plain email does. Recording and sending videos in real-time to individuals or whole groups further personalizes even the simplest messages. Overall, video allows you to present yourself to your buyer in more meaningful and consistent ways.
No one can predict exactly how business volume will be impacted in the coming months. Now more than ever, it is essential to utilize video to stay top of mind with those in your network who are planning to buy or sell a home and to create relationships that last long after the closing. We have all been forced out of our comfort zones; it is time to embrace the change for good.
Betsy Boggia is the New England Regional Marketing Director for Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation, one of the nation’s top five residential lenders.