3 Reasons to Market Your Listings With Both Video and 3D

Several weeks ago, I posted this comparison of video and 3D. My goal was to offer some advice to agents who feel they have to choose between the two (usually for budgetary reasons).

Really, though, it’s a false dichotomy. More and more, agents are choosing to market their listings with both video and 3D. Top-producing agents, especially, are going this route. But why?

First of all, top producers understand the value of investing in marketing generally. They know that professionally-marketed listings sell faster and for more money, which outweighs the higher up-front cost. Plus, they know they can use professional marketing as a conversion point to win listings. (Think about it: if you were selling your house, would you hire the agent who’s going to take grainy iPhone photos, or the one who’s going to hire a pro?) They also understand the following specific benefits of using both video and 3D to attract buyers.

Using Both Video and 3D Helps You Reach More Buyers

Like the general population, buyers run the gamut in terms of personality and temperament. Marketing with both video and 3D helps you reach a wider range.

Some buyers are relatively passive, content to let you guide their search. With the ability to click play, sit back, and watch, video is tailor-made for this audience. Video is also ideal for converting buyers who make their decisions based primarily on emotion (“Oh, look! Can’t you imagine the kids climbing that tree? And this living room is just so cozy!”). Especially when set to music, video has strong emotional appeal. It pulls buyers along to get lost in the feel of the home.

3D, on the other hand, is ideal for active buyers. It allows them to control the viewing process, choosing when and how to interact with each area of the home. 3D is also tailor-made for capturing the practical audience – you know, the ones who ask, “Sure, the living room is cozy, but how much are the property taxes?” With 3D, these buyers can inspect elements of the home up close to satisfy their need for hard facts.

Using Both Video and 3D Better Qualifies Your Leads

Even if you’ve never diagrammed a sales funnel, you’re probably familiar with the concept of qualifying leads. It’s an important step in the sales process, particularly for real estate agents, who often work alone or with the help of only one or two support staff. Qualifying leads is what makes your sales pipeline manageable and keeps you from wasting time on “buyers” who are really just Looky Lous.

When you market your listings with both video and 3D, you end up with better-qualified leads than if you’d used video or 3D alone. Think of it like a three-step process, with each step moving the buyer closer to purchase. Photos give a basic overview, video is like a guided tour with an emotional hook, and 3D is like turning the buyers loose to explore the home on their own. Give buyers the means to go through all three steps online, and they’ll qualify themselves before they even call you.

Using Both Video and 3D Satisfies Buyers’ Hunger for Data

Today’s buyers simply can’t get enough data. They spend weeks researching online before even contacting an agent, and they like to work their way through multiple sources of information before making a decision. Using both video and 3D satisfies that hunger for more. And since video and 3D are complementary sources of data, meeting different research needs, buyers will feel even more satisfied.

Don’t get me wrong: buyers will still need you as an expert guide. But you can make that job easier for yourself if you give them more quality information up-front. So the next time you sign a listing contract, tell your sellers you’re going to market their home with both video and 3D.