Video: The Future of Real Estate Marketing

Insight from Brian Niles,
Outlaw Partners Director of
Video Production

BY ABBIE DIGEL

In 2009, an individual in Bend, Oregon
sold his million-dollar home to
a buyer from Seattle, sight un-seen.
How did he convince the buyer into
such an investment? It was easy. The
listing agent had a video tour made
of the property, posted it to a couple
key online sites, and the buyer was
hooked.
Brian Niles works in Bend, Big Sky,
and fi lming locations across the
globe. He’s been making videos like
these for six years, and sees the real
estate industry changing drastically.
“There are more effi cient methods
of marketing a home now than there
were, even fi ve years ago,” says Niles.
“Online video is where the industry
is going.”

Real Estate Testimonial from Outlaw Partners on Vimeo.

Through websites like YouTube, realtor.com and Facebook, agents have a
much broader reach for listings. From
realtors, Niles has heard numerous
accounts of a buyer watching one of
these videos and making an offer, or
sparked interest that led to a purchase.
“Video is the most compelling online
medium these days,” Niles says. It’s a
far more effective and effi cient marketing plan for real estate.”
Victoria Smith, a realtor in Bend,
started using Niles’s videos last summer for Alpenglow Vacation Rentals.
“When compared to a home of the
exact same price and neighborhood,
[people] chose my house to rent because of the video,” she said.
Niles says the beauty of video is
that it can be customized. “Every
home has its own unique story, and
we showcase that story through a
lens.” From there, the options are
expansive: “From the basic tour
that is edited to music and bullet
style text, to full-on aerial filming
and voiceover.”
Bryant Green, a broker who works
with Niles in Bend, says most buyers are looking at each home online
for an average of 30 seconds. “You
need to catch their attention, and a
video tour is a great way to do that.”
Video tours are advantageous to
both buyers and sellers. They save
time, energy and money for realtors
and clients.
Niles says it’s all about fi rst impressions. “If I’m looking at houses online
and the fi rst photo I see is a zoomed in
picture of a bathroom, or a washed out
photo of a wall…. I’m out. We’ve got
an edge, and we take pride in helping
agents be successful.”
The Outlaw Partners offers a range
of video options for any budget, and
also provide training on making a
video tour go viral through home
search sites across the country.
Check out Brian Niles’ work online
at