Your House Is Ready for Its Close-Up

Home sellers using video to showcase their properties climbed to 14 percent last year from 9 percent five years ago, according to the National Association of Realtors. Some listing videos are being made as mini-movies or movie trailers with scripts, music, and action sequences, especially in the high-end market. According to Nashville agent Tom Patterson, “The video shows it in a much stronger light [than photos] and with a little story for it, it adds a little emotion.” These mini-movies, which are more popular in slower markets, can cost anywhere from a couple thousand dollars to more than $1 million, paid for by the listing agents and/or sellers. They can be used to sell a lifestyle, like one showing a young man returning home from work and getting ready to leave his modern bachelor pad for a night out, or they can be used to generate interest in condo buildings that will not be finished for months or even years. However, some Realtors say trailers and mini-movies lack the information desired by buyers, like location and square footage, and, therefore, are a waste of time and money. Rather than focus on story lines, some agents are shooting home-tour movies that focus solely on the home. But with homes selling faster these days, there may not be a need for these elaborate videos. | Read More