Time to KILL OFF real estate cliches?

When dealing with a medium as relatively new to real estate as ‘video’, its application demands a big re-think around dialogue. Voice-Overs. And presentation to camera.

You see. Viewers ‘can see’ it is a kitchen.

There’s no point in pointing it out to them. “As you can see, I’m in the kitchen.” Yup. We kind’a guessed that. The fridge was a dead giveaway. And the audience will also decide whether or not a backyard is ‘awesome’ based on their own experience. The Grand Canyon is awesome; the average backyard probably isn’t in the same league. And so, we have to choose our words for video scripts in a completely different way.

Changing the way real estate videos are produced is no overnight exercise. I reckon it has to start with the basics. Dump all the adjectives and replace them with the benefits.

Sell the benefits.
Talk about the lemon tree in the garden and its fragrance; the salt air. Come up with an idea for a film so its not just a blow-by-blow/room-by-room tour. Let’s look at a list of real estate cliches that are rolled out in most advertising. Print. Web. And video. This list was culled from a random glance at a few pages of ads at the weekend. No brand has a unique language; all brands use the same words. It is a list of jargon totally unique to real estate.

Imagine if you started talking like this to a human being at an Open Home, they’d think you were a quarter page ad.

• Nestled in a quiet culdesac
• Nothing to do but pack your bags and move in
• European appliances (Miele appliances)
• Architecturally designed
• MUST BE SOLD!
• MUST SELL!
• OWNER FORCED TO SELL!
• Genuine seller
• Opportunity knocks
• Sun-splashed
• Ocean glimpses
• Gourmet kitchen – chef’s kitchen = has two microwaves
• Generous bedrooms
• Alfresco (outdoor area with a corrugated roof)
• Open-plan (the greatest invention since the ensuite)
• Flowing (rivers flow. homes don’t)
• Boasting
• A stone’s throw away
• A short walk
• Modern/contemporary (oxymoron)
• Arguably, could be without parallel (huh?)
• Wide water/deep water (its water)
• Easy access
• Filtered ocean views
• Media room (room with a TV)

I think the trick for Agents when presenting in property videos is to be yourself and talk like a person – not an ad. I reckon the reason great Agents get listings is because they are liked. The TV screen doesn’t need to be a barrier.

Write one set of copy for print (that’s easy as all you need to do is grab the paper and make a list of the jargon) and other copy for video.

Guest Author: Brett Clements from Platinum HD