Real Estate Video is About the Real Estate, Not the Ego

Video still isn’t killing the virtual tour star but it is gaining considerable steam.  The once averse Manhattan real estate market is now more frequently embracing real estate video as a powerful marketing tool to transparently represent and efficiently sell homes.  But unlike many housing markets across the country where MLS rules disallow agents actually appearing in these videos, Manhattan, chock full of agent/"actors" permits agent guided tours.  This creates a double edged sword.

The trend that I’m beginning to see is that some of the agents seem to think that their appearance in the video is much more important than the home itself.  Obviously I don’t begrudge anyone for appearing in a guided real estate tour as I have been doing just that for almost 3 years.  However, many of the new videos that I am seeing are elaborate "performances" that feature the agent more than they do the home.  Let us not forget that these videos are primarily created to make the sales process easier and more transparent for the consumer (both buyer and seller) by allowing them to view a property in more detail than ever before possible prior to deciding to schedule an in-person visit.

So why are we seeing so many real estate tours that focus more on the seller’s agent than the property itself?  EGO.  Don’t get me wrong here, I thoroughly enjoy appearing in all of my property videos but my camera person and I are always very careful in determining when my appearance helps show the property (i.e. opening closets or standing in a room to show ceiling height) or hinders/takes away from the impact that the property itself may have on the viewer.  For example, just yesterday we decided that shooting a gorgeous pear wood eat in kitchen in a penthouse at 2 East End Avenue without me pointing to appliances would be a much more effective and less distracting way to show the property.

My point:  I think that sellers and their agents should be mindful of the way a video shows your home and not so much the way in which it shows the agent.