Australia’s Modern Take on Real Estate Technology

[Realty]

While it’s already a known fact, that about 80% of home buyers begin their search on the Internet. For years, brokers, agents, and sellers have struggled to display properties correctly. 360 Virtual tours, mapping technology and now google street views are a step in the right direction, but agents are in need of a new differentiator.
That said agents who want to lead the pack have begun creating engaging videos, utilizing sites such as YouTube (http://www.youtube.com) and My Space to market property and generate leads and ultimately close sales. But honestly if potential buyers are looking for property the last place they will visit is YouTube or My Space. Sure the idea of online video marketing is great but such video hosting sites are teaming with pornographic images and childish stunts. Do you really want your potential clients seeing such images, and worse yet associated your video with teen beatings that were filmed on the same street you’re trying to sell a property?
I must admit that I was impressed when real estate companies were taking advantage of sites such as You tube but was always puzzled to why no one was providing dedicated video hosting for the real estate industry.
It’s time the bar was raised for online videos for the real estate industry and that’s what the guys from Realtytube.com.au (http://www.realtytube.com.au/) are doing in Australia (http://www.realtytube.com.au/) and New Zealand. (http://www.realtytube.co.nz/)

(http://realtytube.com.au/index.php)

Realty Tube (http://www.realtytube.com.au/) is a key component to raise the bar, and a few years from now it will be expected. Many agents are receiving the majority of leads from the Internet, which is less work for them. The more tools that are provided for the buyer, the more properties will be moved in a shorter period of time.
Videos offer opportunities to highlight areas of the home, adding a whole new dimension. With the equipment available today, you don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on a camera. You can take shots, hand the content over to someone who can edit it for a few hundred dollars, and make a decent video.
If you do not have the skills or time Realty Tube (http://www.realtytube.com.au/) provides an invaluable service of video specialist to help produce your listing. If you are not too concerned about mixed audiences from other video sites Realty Tube (http://www.realtytube.com.au/) can arrange full production of your video as well as submit and manage your listing to major video portals such as Google Video, AOL, YouTube, Yahoo and of course there own site Realty Tube.


For more information, visit www.realtytube.com.au (http://www.realtytube.com.au/)

[Jimbo]

It's well over due that such a site is needed.
It doesn’t take much searching to realize the inherent problem with posting your property video at sites such as YouTube. Have you ever looked at the “comments & responses” section under one of these videos?
I love the freedom of speech, but you wouldn’t put your lovely family home on the back of an adult magazine. Posting your property video on Youtube is all good for to boost your initial SEO but the negatives I feel out weigh the positives of sites such as You Tube.

I find it amusing to see real estate agents jump to the call of You Tube in an effort to promote their properties but they are honestly doing more damage then good.
The news is constantly reporting on school shootings and beatings that often begin and are promoted at YouTube, along with Porn images and how to make home made bombs.
Now come on, it does not take a rocket scientist to understand that the family home and Youtube do not go hand in hand.
Below are a number of lovely property videos that have been posted on YouTube.
You would have to be an idiot to think buyers are searching Youtube for real estate. And even if there was buyers floating about You Tube you surely would not want them reading the childish comments and responses associated with the videos.

Just take a look at these links below and view the comments.
Would you post your family home on You Tube?:nono:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=mgaa4fw1aVY (http://youtube.com/watch?v=mgaa4fw1aVY)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ppP-67CvB8k (http://youtube.com/watch?v=ppP-67CvB8k)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=uj_dH9fJq_I (http://youtube.com/watch?v=uj_dH9fJq_I)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=8edY7bUa18o (http://youtube.com/watch?v=8edY7bUa18o)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=RS_9WNuPfe8 (http://youtube.com/watch?v=RS_9WNuPfe8)

[Agents no]

Surely you do not need your clients property or yourself to be humiliated simply to become a featured listing or be rated on such sites in order to stand out from the crowd.
And it’s no doubt the crowd is certainly not the type you are looking for.
Realty Tube looks to be a great idea , I hope it's a success as I feel it's needed.



Watch "ABSOLUTE BEACHFRONT PENTHOUSE STYLE APARTMENT" (http://realtytube.com.au/play.php?vid=87)

[Gazza]

Double post oops

[Gazza]

I love this idea being able to post clips like this forums:welldone:


Watch "North South Real Estate - Riparian Plaza - North East Aspect" (http://realtytube.com.au/play.php?vid=84)

Watch "27 Nankeen Ave , Paradise Point , Gold Coast , Australia : NorthShore First National" (http://realtytube.com.au/play.php?vid=94)

[ACE]

Contrary to what the media has led many people
to believe, Myspace and YouTube have a massive
membership in the 25 and above range which is
literally ripe for the harvest if you know what
you're doing.

Myspace is currently the largest
social networking site online. It boasts of over
225 Million profiles, and has users from every
part of the globe. It is owned by Newscorp, one
of the largest media conglomerates in the world
with an annual revenue well over 23 billion dollars!

YouTube, on the other hand, went from zero to
4 Million monthly visitors to their site in only three
months and is growing by leaps and bounds. It
won Time Magazines invention of the year in 2006
and Google actually acquired them that same year
to the tune of 1.65 Billion.

[Agents no]

4 Million monthly visitors to their site in only three
months and is growing by leaps and bounds


That is staggering wow , how did they market the idea originally any one know?

[Amey]

Good points Jimbo , I would be shattered to witness such comments about my home if I listed it.
Are users able to delete such posts on you tube?

[Realty]

I love how they have put this together just using photos.
What a lovely production and making it very easy for agents.

Watch "neuvue" (http://realtytube.com.au/play.php?vid=95)

[Jimbo]

The system could end up similar to Real Estate TV www.realestatetv.tv (http://www.realestatetv.tvin) in the Uk . The video quality is high and I'm sure the video production developers would have no trouble in producing a tv quality outcome.
I look forward to when realty tube is open for the public.


Real Estate TV Audience for the UK

In March and April 2008 an average of 1.5 million viewers tuned in to the RETV per month.

876,000 of those continuously watched the channel for more than 2 minutes and 44% of those (385,000) watched the channel for more than 10 consecutive minutes. This proves this audience is engaged and has a relationship with the channel.

252,000 watched the channel for more than 15minutes and the average time these viewers watched for is 29.4 minutes. These viewers can be seen as those which have a strong association with channel and its content.

Female/Male ratio
43.5% of the audience is male and 56.5 of the audience is female

Real Estate TV has a high profile audience.

AB profile – RETV audience is 28.1% against 18.05% adult average audience
ABC1 profile – RETV audience is 53.4% against 48.78% adult average audience

Men ABC1 profile – RETV audience is 26.2 % against 24.6% adult average audience
Women ABC1 profile – RETV audience is 45.2 % against 32.9% adult average audience

[realestateguru]

Internet has become a hot place for Real Estate marketers...

[Beaker]

Interesting site Jimbo but the big downfall for me was I had to download some sort of player to view the videos on the uk site.
I feel having a standard flash player as they do at Realty Tube and the same applies at Youtube is more more easy.
I noticed realty tube is still in testing stages , does any one know when the public will be able to start uploading?

[Fossil]

What a great idea , but the big question what is the price to have a video created and placed on realty tube?

[Anne]

I must agree a very nice production , just a pity on the voice over ending.
You can hear the clicking of mic off , I know it's only minor but for an example of voice talent it put me off a little.
My other issue of concern is how is it possible to upload half a dozen images of high quality via email?
Most images of quality are at least 5mb each even higher when many email services only allow 5mb transfer at a time.
I'm guessing they must have an ftp option set up that allows clients to directly upload to their server?

[Jimbo]

Online Video Marketing has double impact in a short period of time .
Online video is changing the way we market, and it requires skill sets they don't teach in business school (at least they didn't a decade ago.

[Jimbo]

Just another prime example why Real Estate and You Tube do not go together!:duh:

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mmK_mIDLI6A&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mmK_mIDLI6A&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

[Realty]

Jimbo yes you are right about the you tube problems, how degrading people can be at times.
Corflute boards are not cheap I can vouch for that!

[Rate hurter]

Video marketing is a very cheap alternative to traditional advertising. Just one viral video can take the place of multiple forms of promotion.It is another online marketing technique that can drive tons of traffic at low cost.
It will be interesting to see if the Real estate industry takes advantage of such a site.

[Dolly]

Even the USA President is getting into the videos.
President-elect Barack Obama plans to tape a weekly address not just for radio listeners, as presidents have for years, but for YouTube Internet viewers, too.
The videos are part of the team's effort to build on a campaign model that helped Obama reach millions of voters online during the presidential race.

[Beaker]

Rather than making your website visitors read web pages of information, summarize these points in video and get your message across effectively.
I know when I have an option I always choose video first and often find myself view info from pages that I would not usually bother with it I had to read it.

[Greg]

Analysts say the practice, though in its infancy, is beginning to boom and new sites are vying to become "the YouTube of real estate." At this point, most of the big video sites like YouTube and Yahoo do not have a house selling category, thus making it difficult for house hunters to find what they are looking for. According to many, this is about to change - if not for YouTube, for other sites that will aim at the market.
It's great to see an Australian group ready to take the lead in the Real Estate video industry at long last!

[Chris]

One of the biggest problems I feel will be getting agents/sellers to part with the money to create a short video of their property.
In my area agents are attempting to take their own property photos all claiming to be experts in the photography field.
It's easy to see the difference between pro photos and agents there is no doubt about it.
I find it a little crazy , as often their home is their biggest asset and yet they skimp when it comes to marketing it.

[visualabode]

Agents were either burnt early on by terribly made video 'tours' or they assume professional property videos are expensive to make. When you consider how much a vendor shells out for print advertising for a feature article that will be seen just once, it still amazes me. For the same price they can have HD stills for print marketing and a video that can be uploaded to many real estate websites and made available worldwide 24hours a day.

[Fossil]

It often makes you wonder if they have a deal going with the publishers/newspaper.
I have heard such real estate groups have awards for the best advertiser or some thing similar to that.

[Agents no]

I love how they have put this together just using photos.
What a lovely production and making it very easy for agents.

Watch "neuvue" (http://realtytube.com.au/play.php?vid=95)


I must say what a great example of what can be achieved by Neuvue.
I did not notice any mic problems myself , since viewing the video I have been considering a video myself, problem is it's only vacant land.

[visualabode]

Vacant land videos aren't a problem, you just tie it in with locality shots and present developments to give buyers a better idea of the area and what houses or developments are currently close by.

[Bob]

These are tough times, no doubt. The pinch is on every business to cut unnecessary costs and improve efficiency.
Advertising is usually one of the first items to help stop the door from closing
Most business owners know that you need to advertise. Sure, word of mouth is great - there's nothing like a referral from a happy client to instill trust in a prospect - but you still need to be proactive in getting the word out. The trouble with advertising in the traditional sense is that it is difficult to know whether your efforts are working and what is generating the best value for your dollar.
After looking over this video idea I can see it being a real advantage to many businesses.
I look forward to the site.

Does any one know when will Realty Tube be officially launched and will their be any charge to use the service?

[Agents no]

Vacant land videos aren't a problem, you just tie it in with locality shots and present developments to give buyers a better idea of the area and what houses or developments are currently close by.

Thank you for the response , now I think about it yes you are right it could be possible to market vacant land. :welldone:
I will certainly give this a little more thought.
Now you have me thinking ...hmmm

[visualabode]

Does any one know when will Realty Tube be officially launched and will their be any charge to use the service?



I've been in regular contact with Realty Tube and they are still adding new pages and testing, but it won't be long. There will be no charge to upload videos.

[Anne]

I notice Realty Tube have now added Rentals, this will save a mass of time for agents.
But the question is will the landlord be willing to part with a few hundred dollars to create a video display of their property.

[visualabode]

I notice Realty Tube have now added Rentals, this will save a mass of time for agents.
But the question is will the landlord be willing to part with a few hundred dollars to create a video display of their property.

Agents could always run the video they made for the sale of the property in the rentals if it has been taken off the market. Aside from this, I agree, for a while this will be even harder to sell to Agents. Executive rentals, on the other hand, will flourish with this kind of promotion.

[Whitsundays]

Video marketing is a very cheap alternative to traditional advertising. Just one viral video can take the place of multiple forms of promotion.It is another online marketing technique that can drive tons of traffic at low cost.
It will be interesting to see if the Real estate industry takes advantage of such a site.

I took the time to visit the open house for 18 Henderson Cannonvale.
The property is a for sale by owner and I spoke with Peter the owner and he said he has had a number of calls from off the video created.
Peter said he originally had the property listed with one of the biggest real estate groups in the Whitsundays and held an auction but had no success so has decided to market the property himself.
After spending a few thousand on advertising with the agents it turns out he has had equal interest if not more on a video that cost him under $200

Even though the house is of high quality the professional photographer he used has really highlighted the property bringing out it's best.
After seeing the property in person myself I'd have to agree professional photos were money well spent!


Watch "18 Henderson St -Cannonvale -Whitsundays Style 2" (http://realtytube.com.au/play.php?vid=122)

[Joe]

Should a video tour be short and sweet or should it be long and informative? Or... something in between?

Should you make the video a teaser so the viewer is hungry for more information? Or should you provide details that help the Buyer start the decision process without seeing the home? Maybe even to the point of making an offer?

[visualabode]

That is a great question Joe. It's exactly why we don't have formats and tailor our videos to the client.

Some clients for property development videos just want a short tease to get people interested enough to go to the display villages and look further. Teasers are great for this kind of property as the developer can release several short clips as throughout the development - thus keeping in contact with potential clients.

Some clients want to decrease the number of open houses and request comprehensive videos so only those actually interested in buying need to inspect the property. Usually vendors with young children or owners of prestige property request this.

In the end, property videos are just like tv show segments....if the viewer sees the same thing over and over they will switch off.

[Joe]

That is a great question Joe. It's exactly why we don't have formats and tailor our videos to the client.

Some clients for property development videos just want a short tease to get people interested enough to go to the display villages and look further. Teasers are great for this kind of property as the developer can release several short clips as throughout the development - thus keeping in contact with potential clients.

Some clients want to decrease the number of open houses and request comprehensive videos so only those actually interested in buying need to inspect the property. Usually vendors with young children or owners of prestige property request this.

In the end, property videos are just like tv show segments....if the viewer sees the same thing over and over they will switch off.

It's a hard call , I'd like many calls by interested buyers but of coarse I do not want people just wasting my time. But then there could be the off chance that one of the many calls might capture me a buyer who might not of seen some thing in my short video that might seal the deal on inspection.


I guess an option would be is to have a teaser with an extra more detailed video of the property for those more interested.
But once again it comes down to how much money a person is willing to spend on a video/advertising.

But then again if I'm paying an agent to sell my property I'm sure teaser would be good enough and let the agent earn their fee.:icon_thum

[Tex]

I feel with the falling prices and slowing economy agents will need every thing possible to help sell property and the video looks to be money well spent.
I remember shelling out $400 for a newspaper add some years ago and only recieved one call to be never printed again.
At least with these types of video they can be viewed endless amount of times.

[visualabode]

Once the property video has been made, the internet is not it's only area for viewing. Real Estate Videos can now also be:
* uploaded by companies like www.fyi.com.au who are a mobile video service provider. Allowing people to watch property videos on their mobile phones.
* uploaded by companies like www.reale.com.au who are rolling out real estate TV screens in cafes and restaurants over the next year.
* shown in reception areas of real estate agencies.
* put onto DVDs and handed out at open houses
* shown as part of a compilation of house videos at in-house auction days.
The uses are limited to the Agent's imagination. Additionally, HD stills can be taken from the video and used in print advertising for sign boards and the like.

[Sam]

An interesting concept, a cup of coffee while viewing real estate listings, I could handle that.
The question is how keen are the local real estate agents with the idea or are they all sitting back waiting to see how another competitors does with the idea.
At times I feel agents have some sort of deal going with the local newspapers and printers because they continue to use the same flogged out marketing methods that often just do not get results.

[visualabode]

The question is how keen are the local real estate agents with the idea or are they all sitting back waiting to see how another competitors does with the idea.
At times I feel agents have some sort of deal going with the local newspapers and printers because they continue to use the same flogged out marketing methods that often just do not get results.

You have described it perfectly unfortunately. That said, those that have tried video marketing have become repeat clients. Sydney, Melbourne and WA Agents have hopped on board no questions asked. Brisbane on the other hand are determined to keep 360 degree virtual tours as they come with the photo packages and insist vendors are happy with that.

[Dave]

Here is an interesting small article from Peter Ricci with his thoughts of video.



by Peter Ricci, on 31st March, 2005 • No Comments
Ok , there are not too many believers out there when it comes to property listing movies being downloaded by consumers, but my belief it will be the key differentiator for many top quality agents in the future and this is why.

1. Real Broadband
Over the coming months you will hear a lot more about ADSL2 and ADSL 2+. Both of these technologies are rolling out across Australia as I write this article and will give consumers downloads speeds of between 10 and 20 megabytes a second. The prices will be similar to current plans but with a significant increase in speeds.

2. Setting Up
Many top agents today release and distribute their own magazines across a selected area, this costs tens of thousands of dollars per year and is reasonably successful. However to set your agency up to do movies you only require:

1. Camera ($2,500.00 AUD)Good Quality Digital Camera with Good Quality Microphone.

2. Computer + Software ($1,000.00 AUD) An Apple Mini Computer (because they are just so easy to use and come with all the software you need to make top quality movies.
3. Talent ($???) Someone who looks professional and has good onscreen presence
4. Time ($???) Take the time to do the shoot, take it back to the office and put the package together. Overlay your welcome screen finish it off with a logo and sales consultants phone number and you are away!

I really can see this being the future. It cannot be poor quality so make sure the person doing this does a top notch job.

The main thing this will bring to your consultancy is a big differentiator and will show prospective vendors a real difference that they can see hear and feel!

Who will be the leader?
http://www.business2.com.au/2005/03/31/why-movies-are-the-future-for-agents/#more-81

[Realty]

Correct if I'm wrong but Domain.com.au did add videos to property listings. But if I re-call correctly that there is nowhere in the administration back-end where you can add movies. Maybe this is a feature that is coming soon or has it been canned?

[James]

An interesting topic for sure.

Who will be the leader is an interesting question.
When will Realty Tube be up and running to the public?

[Dave]

visualabode as you are already aware real estate video marketing has not taken off all that well, what do you think the reasons might be?

I personally feel it's due to internet speed, it's only been the last couple of years many Australians have moved off dial up to broadband as costs are lowering.
Plus there being no real site catering for property videos has been the down fall for video marketing.

[visualabode]

Internet speed was an issue when we first started, but most people have broadband now and the rolling out of ADSL2 and ADSL2+ means video marketing should become the norm for all businesses, not just Real Estate.

Unfortunately the introduction of real estate videos wasn't pretty and it's difficult to wipe images of houses shot without tripods, colour balances or consideration about lighting out of Agents heads. Also, the majority of initial videos were made with the Agent as the main focus instead of the property. This alienated Agents who didn't have this marketing ideal and sellers who thought they were paying for ads for Agents and Agencies. We have been battling ever since to get these perceptions changed.

Fortunately the imminent launch of Realty Tube should be the kickstart we need to showcase properties in a different light.

[Beck]

Also, the majority of initial videos were made with the Agent as the main focus instead of the property. This alienated Agents who didn't have this marketing ideal and sellers who thought they were paying for ads for Agents and Agencies.

Yes I'm more concerned about agents branding themselves on video I paid for and making it useless if I want to change agents.
I have lost count on how many times some agent has annoyed me and I regretted signing up with them. I guess when a video production is created it might be an option to leave out the details of the agent and simply add these details to Video Description area.
This way you can continue to display the video and chop and change agents when needed.

[James]

People will realize the web has lots to offer and the big corporations who realize this early will get a bigger piece of the pie.
Times change and so does technology. We’re living in a time where user-generated material made for zero dollars gets more views online than a TV show with millions in budget.

[visualabode]

Yes I'm more concerned about agents branding themselves on video I paid for and making it useless if I want to change agents.
I have lost count on how many times some agent has annoyed me and I regretted signing up with them. I guess when a video production is created it might be an option to leave out the details of the agent and simply add these details to Video Description area.
This way you can continue to display the video and chop and change agents when needed.

Our videos to this stage have been acquired by Agents who don't want to be part of the video. Details of the property and Agent are in our video description area but not part of the video and as such can be changed for multiple Agent listings and also in the case that the seller changes Agents.

[Rick]

I think some smart marketing and Realty Tube will be a hit.
I often have monthly update reports sent to me by local agents regarding what is new on the market and notice a number of them using online video to sell.
From what I can tell the videos are not hosted on a site that can be searched but on a single linked page that cannot be found in search engines no matter how hard you try.

[Eyes]

Unlike newspapers, which have space constraints, and TV, which has a time constraint, the internet has no constraints.
This is I feel is a big positive for online video!

[Rick]

Again - great article concerning real estate video !!
My opinion: it will be decisive to use high quality videos. Low-level videos are able to “destroy” my prospects.

[Tizzy]

I'm not real keen on the still-to-video tours that some people are putting out. Why in the world would I want to download thirty images per second when a still photo provides all of the same information the “video? does? These are obviously being marketed to agents who want to offer something above and beyond, but who are not aware of the alternatives yet (or who cringe at the thought of spending more than $100).

[Blow fly]

In an interesting article (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/18/business/media/18ping.html?ref=technology) in the Sunday New York Times, Miguel Helft described how YouTube has evolved from a video hosting and sharing site to become the second most popular search tool on the Internet.
According to comScore, in November, 2008, Americans conducted almost 2.8 billion searches on YouTube, about 200 million more than on Yahoo.
Helft describes how 9-year old Tyler Kennedy turns first to YouTube for school- and hobby-related research. “When they don’t have really good results on YouTube, then I use Google,” said Tyler.
The increased popularity of video doesn’t necessarily mean a decline in the consumption of text and other formats. It does, however, signal a trend: people are now turning to video not just for entertainment but also for reference.

[Blow fly]

At First, Funny Videos. Now, a Reference Tool.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/18/business/media/18ping.html?_r=1&ref=technology

By MIGUEL HELFT (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/h/miguel_helft/index.html?inline=nyt-per)
Published: January 17, 2009
FACED with writing a school report on an Australian animal, Tyler Kennedy began where many students begin these days: by searching the Internet. But Tyler didn’t use Google (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/google_inc/index.html?inline=nyt-org) or Yahoo (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/yahoo_inc/index.html?inline=nyt-org). He searched for information about the platypus on YouTube (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/youtube/index.html?inline=nyt-org).
[/URL]
[URL="http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:pop_me_up2%28%27http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2009/01/18/business/18pingCA01ready.html%27,%20%2718pingCA01ready%27,% 20%27width=369,height=600,scrollbars=yes,toolbars= no,resizable=yes%27%29"] (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/18/business/media/18ping.html?_r=1&ref=technology#secondParagraph) Noah Berger for The New York Times
Tyler Kennedy, 9, at home in California, uses YouTube to research reports for school and to hunt tips to advance in his video games.


“I found some videos that gave me pretty good information about how it mates, how it survives, what it eats,” Tyler said. Similarly, when Tyler gets stuck on one of his favorite games on the Wii, he searches YouTube for tips on how to move forward. And when he wants to explore the ins and outs of collecting Bakugan Battle Brawlers cards, which are linked to a Japanese anime television series, he goes to YouTube again.
While he favors YouTube for searches, he said he also turns to Google from time to time.
“When they don’t have really good results on YouTube, then I use Google,” said Tyler, who is 9 and lives in Alameda. Calif.
Tyler’s way of experiencing the Web — primarily through video — may not be mainstream, at least not yet. But his use of YouTube as his favorite search engine underscores a shift that is much broader than the quirky habits of children.
The explosion of all types of video content on YouTube and other sites is quickly transforming online video from a medium strictly for entertainment and news into one that is also a reference tool. As a result, video search, on YouTube and across other sites, is rapidly morphing into a new entry point into the Web, one that could rival mainstream search for many types of queries.
“There are an increasing number of people who are doing video searches to supplement and improve what they do in their offline lives,” said Suranga Chandratillake, the chief executive of Blinkx, a video search engine.
With inexpensive cameras flooding the market and a proliferation of Web sites hosting seemingly unlimited numbers of clips, it’s never been easier to create and upload video. You can now find an online video on virtually any topic. Web videos teach how to grout a tub, offer reviews of the latest touch-screen phones and give you a feel for walking across the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, Italy.
The consumption of video has followed a similar trajectory. In November, 146 million Americans watched videos online, streaming a total of 12.6 billion video clips, or nearly double the number they streamed just 20 months ago, according to comScore (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/comscore-inc/index.html?inline=nyt-org).
YouTube itself has grown even faster. Its share of videos streamed soared to 40 percent in November from 17 percent in March 2007.
And now YouTube, conceived as a video hosting and sharing site, has become a bona fide search tool. Searches on it in the United States recently edged out those on Yahoo, which had long been the No. 2 search engine, behind Google. (Google, incidentally, owns YouTube.) In November, Americans conducted nearly 2.8 billion searches on YouTube, about 200 million more than on Yahoo, according to comScore.
This startling statistic prompted Alex Iskold, the founder and chief executive of Adaptiveblue.com (http://adaptiveblue.com/), a Web start-up, to ask in a blog post, “Is YouTube the next Google?” In other words, is YouTube effective as a mainstream search engine, and might it supplant or rival Google some day?
To test the idea, Mr. Iskold, whose inquiry was inspired partly by a conversation with Ian Kennedy, Tyler’s father, about his son’s search habits, performed a series of queries on YouTube and rated the results. Not surprisingly, some searches (vacuuming carpets, Donkey from Shrek) produced better results than others (George Washington, astrophysics).
As more video is added to the Web, the proportion of video searches that deliver satisfactory answers will grow, too. The question is, how far will video go as an alternative to text?
Mr. Iskold said that two factors would naturally limit video’s potential to supplant text on the Web. First, much content doesn’t lend itself well to video. And the Internet derives much of its utility from the web of links connecting its sites. But Mr. Iskold said that a shift toward video would continue, and that young Internet users, like Tyler, would only accelerate it. (In the comments section of Ms. Iskold’s blog post, two other parents said that their sons also used YouTube as their primary search tool.)
At YouTube, Hunter Walk, a director of product management, said the move toward video might not necessarily lead to a decline in the consumption of text or other media. Video, text and other formats, he said, will complement one another in interesting ways.
Mr. Walk said a good example is provided by an ad for Hillary Rodham Clinton (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/c/hillary_rodham_clinton/index.html?inline=nyt-per) during the Democratic presidential primaries — the one in which a voice asks “Who do you want answering the phone?” at the White House at 3 a.m. during a crisis. A search for “Hillary Clinton 3 a.m.” on Google would bring up news stories about the ad and the controversy surrounding it. On YouTube, the same search brought up the original commercial, as well a response by the Barack Obama (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/o/barack_obama/index.html?inline=nyt-per) campaign, pundits’ commentaries and an assortment of spoofs, giving users a much different understanding of how the story unfolded, Mr. Walk said.
“Video is part of the discovery process,” he said. “Depending on the user and the type of content, users may want to start with video or text.”
YouTube won’t break out searches by category, but Mr. Chandratillake said that on Blinkx, some of the fastest-growing searches were in reference categories like money, travel, health and food. More traditional categories, like entertainment, sports and user-generated content, remain more popular but are growing at a slower rate, suggesting a shift.
Tyler’s father, Mr. Kennedy, who is a product manager at Nokia (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/nokia_corporation/index.html?inline=nyt-org), said he has watched Tyler and his friends going from the Wii to the computer and back to the Wii enough times to understand how much the use of online video is changing. “All of us who are a certain age think of video as a medium associated with television, and not as a reference,” Mr. Kennedy said. “It’s another method of search that we don’t fully appreciate.”

[Dexta]

Online video advertising takes effectiveness and measurement to the proverbial next level. No one argues the impact of sight, sound and motion and the brand-building benefits of video. But coupled with the ability to drive direct response and gather deep insight into performance, video is taking a powerful new role in the marketing mix.

[Dexta]

I'm not real keen on the still-to-video tours that some people are putting out. Why in the world would I want to download thirty images per second when a still photo provides all of the same information the “video? does? These are obviously being marketed to agents who want to offer something above and beyond, but who are not aware of the alternatives yet (or who cringe at the thought of spending more than $100).

I find it annoying when agents promote virtual tours, but on visiting the link all you see is a camera that moves left to right around a central point. Years ago it might have been a creative idea but technology has moved on and some agents are still using stone age methods that reflect on them.

I have noticed another photo viewing idea that agents are pushing but sadly it involves the same repeated still photos with a voice over that just gets my goat.

It's about time the real estate industry get creative in these tough economic times!

[visualabode]

Online video is definitely a powerful new marketing tool. When we first launched we were concentrating on properties, but we are finding more and more clients under our business video arm. Everything from a builder wanting his latest client's renovation filmed from start to finish to a new lipstick company wanting to showcase their latest products and a fitness company wanting a DVD to showcase their machine at expos and trade shows and a short online video produced for their website.

The beauty of online video is that it can put your product, expertise, and of course, business, on the world stage.

More and more portals are accepting online video business profiles and even incorporating them into their marketing packages.

All you have to do is look at the reaction from fellow forum members to Constud's videos. How many replies or comments do you think he would have got if he just posted a couple of photos and some text?

[Dexta]

All you have to do is look at the reaction from fellow forum members to Constud's videos. How many replies or comments do you think he would have got if he just posted a couple of photos and some text?

Yes that's a prime example, in approx 15 days since posting with over 270 views for the thread and a couple of slap up video each pulling in over 250 views per video on You Tube.

With some smart marketing video can pull the crowds!

[Anne]

A USA research firm Borrell Associates said streaming audio and video ads currently account for 19% of local online revenue and will rise to 59% in 2013.

[Fossil]

Website owners have been told that visitors won't wait for anything, that they are impatient, and you've got to get to the point fast, make the pitch and close the deal.
I feel short video presentation is able to do just that , they hear what you have to say, and can see it
Just this week I spent $130 on a small advertisement in the local paper for one single day print and captured two clients. But now I'm thinking I'd have to spend over $500 to complete a full week of newspaper advertising and then what am I left with ,nothing!
I'm really racking my brain on how I could use video, but sadly I cannot see any quality sites for small business to advertise video on..

[Anne]

With the rise of YouTube and the realisation online video does not need to meet the same production standards as television, companies all over the world are promoting themselves using video more effectively than they could through words or pictures.

According to Nielsen/NetRatings, 36 per cent of Australians have downloaded video, while 33 per cent have streamed content across the internet.



Video shows a lot more than a static website or a flyer or a telephone call.
I was reading by creating a 1 minute video is more cost-effective than producing 1000 high-quality flyers for direct mailing

[Sam]

It is easy to see why Internet video would become very popular.
Just last year China has beaten the US to become the world's number one internet user.

The China Internet Network (CNNIC) report said the nation's online population had boomed to a massive 253 million users, up by 56 per cent since the end of June last year.


Nielsen Online research put the US in the number two position with 223.1 million internet users. The US has less room to grow with 71 per cent of the US population already online, according to figures from the Pew Internet and American Life Project.

Chinese online population could keep growing at a rate of 18 per cent each year, according to research company BDA China. At that rate, it would hit 490 million by 2012, outnumbering the entire US population.

[clintonbaisley]

Your ideas are cool dude.I think real estate is much better than stock. Real Estate is non movable asset, it will loose value but will never evaporate like stocks.The nice photo using.Great photos.Thanks for sharing.

[Agents no]

Bump

[Ray]

A number of people are claiming 2010 to be the year of video in the real estate industry. Meaning, online listings will have video as a major component, rather than just pictures or 360 degree virtual tours. I agree, and think that this space within the industry is shaping up quite nicely.

[Sue]

A picture is worth 1000 words… But a web video SELLS and TELLS the WHOLE story”…..Video is a very effective marketing tool…..