In today’s fast-paced digital world, the home buying process has undergone a remarkable transformation. As a result, homebuilders now have a wealth of innovative tools to showcase available homes in an engaging, convenient, and immersive way for potential buyers. At PCBC this past May, Kelly Borgen sat down with experts from Woodbridge Pacific Group, Shea Homes, and Brandywine Homes to explore the benefits of three key tools for modern marketers: Reels, Text Messages, and Immersive Videos. If you missed the panel, don’t worry, this blog covers key points from the discussion, and even includes a few challenges from Kelly to help you get started!
Reels: Bringing Homes to Life
Reels, a popular feature on social media platforms like Instagram, have become an excellent tool for home builders to showcase available homes. Short and engaging, these videos offer a visually appealing and interactive experience that grabs the attention of potential buyers. Homebuilders can use Reels to highlight the key features, unique design elements, and the overall ambiance of a home. For example, a homebuilder could create a Reel that showcases a modern kitchen with state-of-the-art appliances, spacious countertops, sleek cabinetry, and stylish lighting fixtures. Leveraging Reels, homebuilders can bring their homes to life and generate excitement among prospective buyers.
Tips for Successful Reels:
- Elegant Exteriors: Capture a home’s overall architectural design and curb appeal. Showcase the beautiful landscaping, and highlight unique features such as a backyard patio, pool, or garden. Include footage of the front entrance, welcoming foyer, and any distinctive architectural details.
- Inviting Interiors: Highlight the spaciousness of living areas by capturing the flow between rooms and the abundance of natural light. Try beginning with a grand entrance shot featuring a stunning staircase or an open-concept layout.
- Key Features: Show off essential rooms, such as the kitchen, primary suite, and bathrooms by emphasizing high-end finishes, appliances, and luxurious amenities. Focus on unique design elements, such as a fireplace, built-in shelving, or custom cabinetry, to convey each room’s craftsmanship and attention to detail. Don’t forget to capture breathtaking views from windows or balconies, as these shots create a sense of connection between indoor and outdoor spaces.
- Amenities and Community: Include footage of community amenities like a clubhouse, gym, or park, to demonstrate the convenience and lifestyle opportunities available. Consider featuring nearby attractions and points of interest, such as shopping centers, schools, or recreational areas.
- Local Lifestyle: User-generated content performs very well on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Invite residents to send videos or photos of themselves enjoying their homes and community. Videos that show residents engaging in activities like biking, swimming, or social gatherings typically draw a lot of positive responses and boost engagement.
“Whether through Instagram Reels, Instagram Stories, or TikToks, gather your sales and marketing team for a brainstorming session dedicated to this topic. Be sure to focus on ways to address homebuyer pain points, and showcase the features of your homes and community. Build a comprehensive list of topics to talk about during pre-marketing, grand opening, sales, and beyond. Embrace the power of short-form videos and you will soon captivate your audience like never before.”
Text Messages: Personalized Communication
Leveraging text messages to connect with potential homebuyers has become an incredibly effective strategy. Homebuilders can utilize text messages to share exclusive updates, announcements, or even virtual tours of available homes. In addition to creating a sense of exclusivity, homebuilders can leverage SMS marketing to generate urgency and drive immediate action. For example, by sending targeted text messages announcing new phases or previously sold homes now available, homebuilders can motivate potential buyers to act quickly or risk missing out.
Quick Tips for Text Message Marketing:
- Keep Messages Concise and Clear: Craft to-the-point, easy-to-read, and understandable messages. Use precise language, avoid jargon, and communicate the main message or call to action up front. Provide useful and relevant information, such as tips, industry updates, or insider insights, to establish yourself as a trusted resource.
- Targeted Text Lists: Create targeted text lists to personalize your messages effectively. By segmenting your audience based on priorities or preferences, you can craft personalized messages that resonate with each group, making them feel special and unique.
- Timing and Frequency: Base the timing of your text campaigns on the preferences of your target audience. Never send texts at a time that will likely interrupt recipients’ lives, such as dinner times, after hours, or early in the morning. Avoid excessive messaging to prevent recipients from feeling overwhelmed.
- Include a Clear Call-to-Action: Plainly state the desired action you want recipients to take. Use action verbs and provide clear instructions, such as “Click here,” “Reply with,” or “Book now.”
- Test and Optimize: Continuously test different messaging strategies, including timing, content, and offers. Analyze and measure the performance of your text message campaigns, and make data-driven optimizations to improve results.
“Choose one upcoming neighborhood and leverage your on-site signage to start building a valuable contact list. Add a keyword and clear call-to-action (CTA) to the sign, such as, “Text Sundance to 30120 for future updates about this neighborhood.” Doing this will enable you to garner a lot of sign-ups during the pre-marketing phase.”
Long-Form and Immersive Videos: Transforming Homebuying with Matterport and Other Technologies
We all know how important it is to use short-form videos, but don’t ignore long-form content as well. With the help of Matterport technology and other immersive long-form video solutions, homebuilders can create realistic and captivating virtual tours that transport viewers into each home and community. For example this “Exclusive Look Inside Nova at University Park” video with Bradley Davis from Woodbridge Pacific Group, goes far in showcasing your home. The power of this video comes from the storytelling you are able to create and allows consumers to visualize their lifestyles in your stunning home. They provide a sense of scale, depth, and spatial awareness, enabling buyers to envision themselves living in the space. Show off the features that make your home exceptional like expansive living areas, luxurious bathrooms, and breathtaking outdoor spaces. In short, immersive long-form experiences empower homebuilders to captivate buyers, spark their imagination, and streamline the decision-making process.
Quick Tips for Immersive Videos:
- Showcase Key Features: Highlight the unique and standout features of each home, such as grand living areas, upgraded fixtures, or innovative smart home technology. Focus on amenities within the community, such as swimming pools, fitness centers, or walking trails, to showcase the overall lifestyle.
- Consider Virtual Fly Tours: Use fly tours to offer an aerial perspective of the community and surrounding areas, and promote locational advantages, such as proximity to parks, schools, or shopping centers. Include overlays or annotations to provide additional information about specific points of interest within the community.
- Emphasize Spatial Awareness: Use 360-degree videos to enhance spatial awareness and depth perception, and allow potential buyers to get a comprehensive view of each room and its layout. Add transitions between rooms to create a seamless flow and encourage viewers to explore further.
- Create Engaging Stories: Develop a narrative that guides viewers through the immersive experience. Highlight the lifestyle, design inspiration, and community benefits. Incorporate voice-over or text descriptions to provide context and details about specific features or amenities.
- Optimize for Mobile Devices: Ensure your immersive videos and virtual tours are optimized for mobile viewing, as many potential buyers will access them from smartphones or tablets. Test the experiences on various devices and screen sizes to ensure a smooth viewing experience.
- Incorporate Calls to Action: Include clear calls to action by directing viewers to schedule an appointment, request more information, or explore additional listings. Provide contact information or clickable links to guide potential buyers to the next steps in the home-buying process.
- Promote Across Multiple Channels: Share your immersive videos and virtual tours across various platforms, such as your website, social media channels, email campaigns, and online listings. Leverage the power of social media advertising to reach a wider audience and increase engagement.
Adapt and tailor these strategies to align with your specific goals, target audience, and the unique features of your homes and community.
“Start shooting. Even if you never end up posting your videos, the act of shooting will make you more comfortable, help you generate better ideas, and allow you to refine your process for editing and selecting visuals. Don’t wait any longer. Unleash your creative potential and start filming today!”
We hope this blog has broken down the potential that these powerful tools have to help you showcase homes and engage more often with your target market. Sign up for our newsletter to enjoy exclusive access to the latest digital marketing insights!