These days, having a strong online presence is vital for any business—and that includes real estate businesses. While there are a lot of different ways to build an online presence, one of the most effective (and affordable) ways is to create and maintain a YouTube channel.
Not only is YouTube incredibly popular (over two billion people worldwide use it every month), but it’s also an excellent platform for showcasing your listings, giving potential buyers/renters a look at your properties, and sharing helpful tips and advice with your audience. Plus, creating and maintaining a YouTube channel is relatively simple and won’t cost you a lot of money. Here’s what you need to do to get started.
Choose a Catchy Name & Description for Your Channel
You want your channel name to be something that’s reflective of your brand, easy to remember and indicative of what you’ll be posting about. So, if your business is called “XYZ Realty,” your channel name could be something like “XYZ Realty – Your One-Stop Shop for Property Listings.” Keep your description short and to the point. Include keywords that describe your content and that people would use to search for your videos.
Once you’ve come up with a name, head on over to YouTube and create your channel using either a Google account or your business email address. Be sure to fill out all of the information sections (such as the “About” page) so that viewers know who you are, what you do, and how to get in touch with you. You should also spend some time creating professional-looking artwork for your channel banner and profile picture—you want everything to look polished and put-together.
Decide what kind of content you want to produce.
This step is important because it will determine the overall tone and direction of your channel. Do you want to primarily post listing videos? Helpful tips for buyers/sellers/renters? Virtual tours of properties? A mix of all three? Once you’ve decided on the type of content you want to produce, it’ll be much easier to generate ideas for specific videos.
Remember that no matter what type of content you choose to produce, it’s important to keep things interesting—no one wants to watch long, boring videos filled with nothing but dry facts (unless, of course, those videos are part of a larger series). So, infuse some personality into your videos! Let viewers see who you are as a person/business while still providing them with the useful information they’re looking for.
Start filming!
Now comes the fun part—actually shooting your videos. If you’re not used to being on camera, this step may feel a little daunting at first. But don’t worry—just relax and be yourself, and things will go smoothly. It’s also important to remember that you don’t need fancy equipment or editing software to create great videos—a smartphone or basic digital camera will do just fine. Just make sure the lighting is good and that the audio is clear.
As far as length goes, most people lose interest after about 10 minutes, so try to keep your videos under that mark if possible (unless, of course, you’re filming something like a virtual tour). Also, avoid using industry jargon or complex language—you want everyone who watches your videos (even those who aren’t familiar with the real estate world) to be able to understand what’s going on without feeling lost or confused.
Create catchy thumbnails and titles for your videos
Your thumbnails and titles need to be attention-grabbing so that people will actually click on and watch your videos. Again, use keywords in your titles so that people can easily find your videos when they’re searching for something specific.
Post regular, high-quality content
If you want people to keep coming back to your channel, you need to post regular, high-quality content. No one wants to watch a shaky, badly lit video with terrible sound— they’ll just click away and find something else. Plan out each video before you start filming so that you know exactly what you want to say and how you want to say it.
Engage with your viewers in the comments section
The comments section is a great place to interact with viewers and potential customers. Thank people for watching your videos and taking the time to comment, and answer any questions they may have about your business or the real estate industry in general.
Use a Call-to-Action in Every Video
A call to action is simply telling your viewers what you want them to do next— visit your website, subscribe to your channel, etc. A call to action should be included at the beginning, middle, and end of every video so that viewers know what their next steps are.
By following these simple tips, you can create a successful YouTube channel for your real estate business—one that will help attract new clients and grow your business exponentially! Trust us—it’s worth taking the time to set things up correctly from the start. Good luck!
