Agents who use real estate testimonial pages in their marketing understand how powerful they are.
Sure, celebrities and others are considered “influencers” when they endorse a product or service. Turns out, though, that the average, everyday American is far more influential than any daytime talk show hostess or athlete.
Think about it: how many times a month do you consult Yelp.com for other people’s opinions on the best Chinese restaurant or the best auto mechanic? Do you routinely check reviews on Amazon.com and other online retailers before forking over your money?
A “jury” of our peers is very often the final arbiter as to whether or not a product or service is reliable.
We can thank Amazon and their fake review problems for the glimmer of skepticism taking hold in the general public.
Studies show that consumers don’t trust old reviews (older than three months), they don’t trust initials in place of the reviewer’s name and they are quite skeptical if there isn’t a photo attached to the review.
There is a way to get around this distrust and that is real estate video testimonials.
Make it hard for them to be skeptical with real estate video testimonials
“… reviews are the one big metric customers have relied on to determine the quality and authenticity of a product,” or service, according to Katie Schoolov at CNBC.com, in a report on fake reviews at Amazon.com.
The problem on the site is so bad that Amazon took down 20,000 reviews “… after an investigation found that the top Amazon reviewers in the UK were engaging in fraud.”
It is so bad that Nike decided to stop selling its products directly through Amazon, according to Lauren Thomas at CNBC.com.
That was big news and consumers were then fully aware that much of what they read in the review section at Amazon is fake.
Which is why it’s never a good idea to post a testimonial using only the giver’s initials instead of a full name. That review will most likely be immediately be dismissed by the reader.
A full name, accompanied by the testimonial giver’s photo is far more effective than “J. Doe” in a purely text review.
An even better way to dash skepticism is a client singing your praises in a quick video.
First, although your real estate video testimonials are about your services, they are not about you. Check out this example of an agent who is calling her video bio a testimonial.
Also, don’t star in your video. In an example of a good review ruined by the agent’s appearance, check this out. If you aren’t too dizzy by the time the actual review starts, you’ll notice that it’s a darn good review.
If you prefer to go big (and have the money for it), have your video shot and edited professionally. Here are two examples of agents who went this route:
- Southern California broker/agent Jeff Russell
- Or this one from Steve Clark, partner at Deasy/Penner and Partners in California
But you don’t have to dig deep to come up with an effective video review. We love this one from New Jersey agent Melissa DeSantis.
Feeling playful? Check out Anne Jones, Tacoma agent.
Or, just sit your clients down in the conference room and let it roll, like Jeremy Knight of The Knight Group in Austin, Texas.
Finally, another cheap and easy, yet effective real estate agent video testimonial about Lance Mohr in Tampa, Florida.
Leave them wanting more with your real estate video testimonials
It’s tempting to wring out every last accolade from your client, but it’s a waste of time.
Viewers prefer videos that are 2 minutes in length or less. In fact, according to the Video in Business Benchmark Report by Vidyard.com, nearly 70% of people will watch a video all the way through if it is 60 seconds or less in duration.
The trick with these short videos is to get the most important information up front, at the beginning of the video.
For instance, suppose you took an expired listing on a problem home. While the previous agent was unable to get the home sold in six months, you sold it in 90 days. Ask your client to start her testimonial with that information and, if there is time, she can go into other details about working with you.
You have only a few seconds to convince the viewer to stick around; use those seconds for all they’re worth.
Finally, although many consumers use everyday language, someone who has just gone through a home purchase or sale, was exposed to a whole new language. Ask them to avoid using that language in the video. No “contingency,” or “under contract” or “escrow.”
Keep the language simple. “Everyday language” for “everyday people,” according to Thinkwithgoogle.com’s Ken Wheaton.
Don’t confine these masterpieces of the video world to your website. Share them on social media and use them in your listing presentations.