We consider it part of our job to stay up-to-date with what's new & current in real estate photography. We want to help our clients stay ahead of the curve, and make your listings stand out with cutting-edge marketing. We're connected with real estate photographers and real estate media teams all over the country, which gives us some insight into what trends might be coming. Here are five real estate media trends we're already seeing in 2022.
1. More than just photography. All over the country, there has been a shift from marketing listings with just photos, to marketing listings with a full real estate media package. This means professional photos (of course!), but also a cinematic video to catch their attention and show the flow of the house, a 3D virtual tour to let them explore every nook and cranny at their leisure, drone photos to show the property and neighborhood, a floor plan to clearly communicate layout, and short Reels for social media. And this is not just for luxury listings!
Between the crazy real estate market of the past few years and the trend of remote work, there has been a huge shift in how buyers look for a home. People are gathering as much info as they can online, and sometimes (especially if they live out-of-town) putting in offers based off the listing media, without having stepped foot on the property in person.
We are a full-service, one-stop-shop for all your real estate media. Besides real estate photos, we also offer drone photos, video, Matterport 3D virtual tours, floor plans, twilight photos, virtual staging, single property websites, and Reels--so you can take care of all of your listing media in one appointment, without having to coordinate multiple vendors. We've also packaged our services into convenient bundles that give you a price break for ordering multiple things.
One more thing to think about: additional services beyond photos are as much about marketing you as the agent, as they are about marketing the house. By showing sellers that you'll provide a full media package, you stand out as someone who goes above & beyond, and are more likely to win their listing.
2. The importance of social media. In 2022, it's undeniable that social media is a valid and effective marketing tool. Real estate agents who embrace social media and put in the time and effort to do it well, are seeing it pay off in a big way.
However, producing quality, consistent content for social media is super time-consuming (honestly, it's a full-time job in and of itself!). That's why we started offering Instagram Reels this year.
Reels are an awesome way to build your brand as a real estate agent in 2022. They're currently getting a ton of organic reach and are a great way to find new leads, show your personality, and build genuine connections. Maybe you've heard this, but you're too busy to add something new to your plate. Or maybe you're currently making Reels, but you're spending way more time than you'd like shooting and editing them. Let us help! We'll create awesome Reels for your listings that are ready-to-post, so all you have to do is add music and text (if you wish) within Instagram.
We also have more things up our sleeves to help you grow your Instagram presence and elevate your content.
3. Branding content. With the importance of social media comes the need for ongoing quality content to post. Besides listing media, we've seen more real estate agents posting marketing videos on a regular basis for their own content. Whether these are short Reels for Instagram, longer videos for your website and YouTube channel, or photos of you and your team, the rise of branding content is definitely a trend we're seeing all over the country.
We have plans to add branding video sessions to our list of services. These can be for anyone: real estate agents (of course!) but also any local small business that could benefit from quality videos for social media.
If you're interested in this, feel free to reach out!
4. Creative listing videos. Video is the way that people prefer to consume content these days. But if you want to get the most impact out of your video marketing efforts, you'll need to stand out from the crowd. We're seeing a lot of agents take their listing videos as an opportunity to do something more unique, interesting, and eye-catching that shows their personality on video.
These custom, creative listing videos can involve a script that's funny or heartwarming, and can include additional people, or just yourself. Think of it like an agent intro, but more unique and entertaining...almost more like a short film.
If this is something you're interested in doing, we'd love to work with you on a listing video that's a bit more creative! Let us know ahead of time as a custom listing video like this will take more time on-site so we'll need to plan accordingly.
5. Floor plans & Virtual tours. As much as we love video, we still see floor plans and virtual tours being really important in 2022. Spokane continues to attract out-of-town and out-of-state buyers. These buyers need to get a clear sense of the layout and flow of the house, and photos alone can't do that. A Matterport 3D virtual tour, on the hand, is nearly as good as walking through the house in person. With the dollhouse view to get the overall picture, along with the ability to explore the house at their own pace, buyers can feel extremely confident that they understand the house and its layout.
Our 3D bundle includes photos, a 3D virtual tour, our marketing kit, and a 2D schematic floor plan.
If you have questions about any of these real estate media trends, we'd love to chat with you about them!
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