The Complete Guide to Real Estate Storytelling
Increase buyer inquiries by over 400% with storytelling video
Storytelling in real estate marketing is a strategic way to garner attention and build stronger relationships with clients. As humans, we are drawn to emotion. Our brains release dopamine, a neurotransmitter that plays a role in happiness, when we experience an emotional response. Making a client feel a sense of happiness through your listing or communication increases your chance of getting them to sign on the dotted line.
The great Maya Angelou said it first, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Think about it.
Why do we love the Budweiser Superbowl commercials so much?
Because we love Budweiser thaaat much? No. Nothing against the beer, but we love following the story of the friendship between Budweiser horses and a golden retriever puppy. It evokes emotion.
The beer isn’t even the focus of the commercial. Budweiser understands its customer probably won’t remember the commercial if it’s another shot of someone cracking open a cold one on a hot summer day. Instead, it knows a customer will remember a heartwarming story because it evoked emotion. Emotion sticks.
You might not consciously realize it the next time you’re shopping for beer. But for some reason, you’ll have a stronger connection with the Budweiser brand. That connection translates to loyal customers.
Storytelling is the process of using fact and narrative to communicate something to your audience. Real estate agents have the tools to do this, they just need to follow the recipe.
We’ve discussed how leveraging technology in real estate is the future in this post. Now, how can you use that technology to tell a story?
Just like anything sweet, there’s a recipe for it.
Storytelling Recipe
Characters. In order to inspire emotion, an audience needs to relate. Characters help us relate. In the story of real estate marketing, the character is the buyer. Always make them the hero. How does the call to action (depending on where they are in your funnel) make the character succeed in some way?
Conflict. The conflict represents the challenge the character (the buyer) has to overcome. Think about the challenges you’ve seen buyers have in the past. They likely aren’t alone.
Resolution. This is the happy ending. Whether it’s the purchase of a home or a continued working relationship, your actions assisted the character (the buyer) in overcoming the challenge. The character successfully accomplished the call to action. Therefore, evoking emotion and leaving a lasting impression.
So, you understand the tools. Now, where do we showcase the characters, conflict, and resolution? Mix together the following ingredients and use the tools to concoct your buyer’s story.
Storytelling Ingredients
Social Media Marketing
If you haven’t started social media marketing real estate listings, now is the time. It’s not going anywhere. The number of users (and potential buyers) continues to grow. Different platforms provide you with the possibility of unique benefits.
Instagram is a place to tell the story of who you are as an agent. This is just as important as a client finding a listing they love. Once they find the listing, they’ll be looking to you for expertise. Instagram is also a platform useful for developing and maintaining your reputation. It’s a platform where clients can get to know you better, building trust. Tell the story of what a client can expect when working with you from start to finish. You can do this by sharing client success stories, your favorite properties and what you love about them, and more.
Pinterest is a great platform for telling the story of a listing. Pinterest is an anomaly in the social media world. It’s a search engine and a targeted advertising tool. Hence why sharing high-quality video and imagery on Pinterest can drive traffic like crazy to your website.
You can also use it as a method to moving clients down a sales funnel. For example, you can encourage a client to create a Pinterest board of homes they love. This gives you a better understanding of what they’re looking for.
Once you’re confident in a home you’d like to show, you can begin using these social media platforms to tell the story. Share photos and videos to help buyers imagine themselves in the home. Where would they make their morning coffee? Or enjoy a peaceful Saturday? Showcase them as the character in the story of someone who found the home of their dreams.
Video Marketing
Take clients on a visual journey as you illustrate what living in the listing would feel like. In this video, we helped the buyer visualize what it would feel like to walk out onto their patio to enjoy the beautiful views. You’ll notice the drone video travel from up high down to eye level, representing what the character (or buyer) would see. As it passes the grill and deck chairs, you feel a sense of longing to be poolside with your friends and family nearby. This is the emotion we want to conjure.
Aerial videography is a great way to showcase the neighborhood and surroundings, especially if the home is on the water or large land. A video montage gives buyers an impressive and romanticized idea of what the home has to offer. We can help you start with a $10 cinematic video montageusing your existing photos. See the difference we can make.
Email Marketing
No, email marketing isn’t dead. Only traditional email marketing tactics are dead.
A study by MarketingSherpa found that 72% of those surveyed prefer to receive promotional content through email. The key is to incorporate storytelling into your promotional email strategy. Include any unique history about the listing and high-quality pictures to go along with it. Bonus points if you link to a virtual tour.
If you think about it, email is a pretty personal experience. None of us mutually experience an email, as we do a social media post. The email is sent directly to us and we open in private. Talk to your clients as if you’re DMing them. What would get them to respond? Focus on the unique value of the home. Ideally, you have about 125 words to tell the story.
What now?
Contact us to set up a consultation to brainstorm how we can elevate your listing. Storytelling through video is powerful. Get ready to increase your buyer inquiries by over 400%!
Long Island, NY
631-223-8574
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