Editorial
Front Page - Friday, April 30, 2010
Video production introduces clients to Realtors
Erica Tuggle
With the rapid advance of technology, the Chattanooga Association of Realtors now offers a discounted videography service to its members. These 30- to 60-second videos, shot and edited by Jason Nunley (above), can be used on the MLS site, a Realtors Facebook or Web page.
- Erica Tuggle
The advent of e-mail was welcome news to those shy about using the telephone, and now for Realtors who want to take the edge off that awkward first meeting with a potential buyer or seller, the Chattanooga Association of Realtors is offering discounted video production services.
This service will allow Realtors to make a 30- to 60-second agent profile video that explains to possible clients why they should choose them for their realty needs. The clips can be posted to a listing site, a Facebook page or a Realtor’s Web page.
Jason Nunley is the videographer Realtor’s will see when they come in to shoot their piece at the CAR offices on Amnicola Highway. He says on average it takes about an hour to shoot the video and then three or more hours to edit the piece so that the Realtor looks their very best.
He says, “When they come in, we give it an hour so that they have time to get comfortable with me and with the camera. Basically, we sit back here and enjoy ourselves and have a good time. We want to make them something they can be proud of and will want to present online.”
Before this process, the Realtor is asked to write a script for their video, and then during production this is put on a teleprompter so no memorization is required. The video is shot, in which a Realtor will read their prepared script while their title, credentials, contact information and other useful information is shown on the bottom of the screen. After production, Nunley says, the green screen that the Realtor stands in front of during production can be changed to any color, background picture or even other motion video that they choose.
Nunley is offering these services to the CAR and its agents in order to bridge that connection gap between Real-tors and the client, he says.
“This helps them meet the people before they are actually introduced, and gives them a chance to see what the Realtor is like and ... hear accreditations before they actually make the phone call to meet this person.”
He is also doing videos for the CAR, like the MLS market update that allows Realtors to hear the updates from the mouth of the president of the board instead of merely seeing the updates on paper. This video, along with several other CAR videos, are already posted to their Facebook page.
Nunley says he has been doing video productions in the amateur realm for five years, shooting footage of his friends riding motorcycles. He is currently involved in the Media Technologies program at Chattanooga State, which has allowed him to intern for the Business Development Center downtown and begin his work with the CAR.
The CAR and Nunley are working to eventually offer the video production services to others, as well as agents, and especially have small businesses in mind for their services.
“We are trying not to overwhelm ourselves at first, but are always leaving the door open for new things,” Nunley says. “I think this will appeal to anyone who wants to use this for social media and more as an outlet for advertising and putting yourself out there instead of relying on [television].”
One of the best parts of video production is the enhanced level of control over how and when material is presented, he says.
“It is more about getting it out there to the people who need to see it faster and easier. You can only buy so much television space and there is only going to be so many people watching a program at a time,” he says.
Even though the equipment used for these videos is more professional than what you would see for your standard YouTube video, YouTube now offers expanded capabilities to allow videos in high definition. This means videos from the CAR services can be linked to their YouTube site so that these files do not take up server space he says. It seems YouTube has realized the video demands for companies, like the CAR, and has accordingly designed services for companies who want to present their material in a more formal matter as opposed to being beside a video of a cat that has just learned to use an iPad.
He says, “Our production level here is higher than you would expect from most YouTube videos but, like all social media, it is a tool, and we can use it to present these on the association’s Facebook page.”
For the future of video
production, Nunley says, the
sky is the limit. He says basic video production skills allowed the semi-professional movie “Paranormal Activity” to gross over $36 million with a production budget of only $11,000. Most of the advertising was done online as well, as opposed to the more costly television and print advertising, thereby reducing advertising costs to less than a million dollars.
Nunley says, “You could take this as far as you want to. If you’ve got the imagination to do it with, you can go as far as you want to go.”
He says the deal for this service that the CAR is offering to members is not to be taken lightly.
“Usually, hiring a videographer can become an expensive thing,” he says. “Most charge time plus equipment time and then there are preproduction, production and postproduction fees to consider as well.”
Although the editing process for even the minute long videos can be tedious and time consuming, Nunley says it is worth it because he has been in the shoes of a homebuyer and knows how ungainly a first meeting can be.
“Personally, buying a house, I’ve had that same awkward-
ness where you go to meet a realtor for the first time…” he says. “This brings more of a human aspect to the process than
what most people perceive Realtors to be.”
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