By Brian Summerfield, Online Editor, REALTOR® Magazine

During the 2010 Midyear Legislative Meetings & Expo a couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of watching real estate pros and YPN members Brian Copeland and James W. Nellis II participate in a panel on how to use video as a promotional tool. Here are four tips they offered to attendees:

Make stuff people want to watch. Most people aren’t interested in videos that amount to a commercial. They would rather be informed and entertained. So instead of producing a video of you talking about why you’re so great, make one in which you present yourself as an expert on a topic related to real estate. For example, Copeland, who is based in Nashville, attracts consumers by producing videos that highlight neighborhoods in the area. “I don’t sell homes to start with. My first sale is the neighborhood,” he says.

Provide a personal connection to listings. Plenty of real estate pros create listing videos that feature a slideshow of property photos with New Age or light jazz music playing in the background. While these may generate some interest, you should also use video to demonstrate to viewers that it’s a great place to live, Nellis says. One way to do this is to interview your sellers on camera as they talk about what they like most the house, and why they’ll miss it, he adds.

Make sure you get authorization. If you’re going to record any clients or customers talking about you, a listing, or any other topic related to your profession, be sure to have them sign a form authorizing use of their comments and likeness for your marketing efforts in perpetuity. Nellis offers a resource on his company’s site for practitioners who want to get a sense of what these forms should include.

Be authentic. Regardless of the medium, you should be genuine in your marketing and promotional efforts. However, this is especially important on video, where a stilted, overly slick, or nervous delivery will be immediately obvious. It’s important to use these clips to establish the brand of “you,” as anything perceived as artificial can turn your audience off. “Brand is not just color, logo, or font — it’s how people feel about you,” Copeland says. “Don’t be someone you’re not. Your brand will attract the right people.”

If you can produce compelling videos (Note: they don’t have to have incredible production values), you’ll have a relatively easy, inexpensive way to brand yourself and bring in business all the time. “It’s 24-hour lead generation for me,” Copeland says.

Want to learn more about video marketing from Nellis and Copeland? Then register for our free upcoming webinar, Build Your Business and Brand With Video, taking place at 3 p.m. on Thursday, June 24. They’ll be there — hope you will be too!

Brian Summerfield

Brian Summerfield is online editor for REALTOR® Magazine. He can be reached at bsummerfield@realtors.org.