Real Estate

Aaron Yates has provided real estate photography and videography to clients around the state of Texas since 2010. His images have appeared on the covers of every major real estate publication in Texas, and his videos reach over 100,000 viewers per month for his real estate clientele. Our teams have filmed hundreds of ranches and millions of acres of Texas landscapes. Check out some of his latest real estate work below.

Live streaming is an emerging technology that saw significant growth in 2020 due to the various restrictions on in-person events, and due to so many workers being asked to telecommute to slow the spread of COVID-19. Platforms such as Twitch, Facebook Live, and YouTube Live grew exponentially as viewers turned to “over the top” internet video providers for entertainment, information, and their own work.

“IRL” streamers gained popularity in 2020. IRL stands for “in real life,” and this genre of live streaming consists of “real” people doing interesting things while live streaming their experience, whether it’s travel, sports, hiking, or other interesting pursuits. This long-form live streaming style holds viewers’ attention as they live vicariously through the camera lens while sitting at their desk at home.

Here are some relevant statistics on live streaming in 2020:

  • Live streaming will grow 15x by 2022 and will total 17% of all internet traffic, according to Cisco
  • In 2020, people watched an average of 16 hours of online content per week – a 52% increase over two years
  • Facebook is the biggest live streaming-capable website in the world, reaching 2.7 billion monthly active users in 2020
  • 80% of adults surveyed by Livestream.com would prefer to watch live video than read a blog or website
  • 82% of adults surveyed by Livestream.com would prefer live video over traditional social media posts
  • 91% of current marketers using live video say they will continue to stream after the pandemic ends

These statistics show that live streaming is a platform that is (and will remain) important for marketing strategies. Real estate brokerages have not yet taken advantage of this emerging market force, meaning that those companies that are willing to experiment in this arena will be the first to reap the benefits.

Content Strategies

A Polaris Ranger approaches the camera on a dirt ranch road as viewers begin to be notified of a live stream being broadcast by XYZ Ranch Sales. The broker stops the vehicle and addresses the camera: “Welcome to the Helluva Ranch here in beautiful central Texas! I’m John Doe, the broker with XYZ Ranch Sales, and we’re going to spend the next hour touring this gorgeous property that’s listed for sale for $1 million.” The camera operator and the broker get into the Polaris and begin to drive around the property, stopping at windmills, stock tanks, and spots with exceptional vistas, all while the broker and his associate discuss the various features of the ranch, spot wildlife, and discuss the opportunities that this property provides the next owner. The camera switches to a drone’s vantage point as the broker tells the viewer about the amazing video imagery they’re watching live from the drone’s perspective. Back on the ground, they tour the interior of the ranch lodge, pointing out amenities and taking questions from the live stream audience via Facebook comments. An admin for the Facebook page, back at her office, harvests the names of all the commenters and viewers so she can follow up with them after the stream to provide more information about the listing. As the sun sets, the broker and his associate sit around a campfire with a beverage and talk about the joys of ranch ownership. The stream ends with the broker making a pitch and asking viewers to contact him for a chance to take this tour in person with him. Until next time, he says…

One week later, back at the Helluva Ranch during whitetail hunting season, the associate that viewers met the previous week is hosting another live stream broadcast, this time wearing camouflage and whispering to the audience that they’re about to take their seats in a hunting blind to see what game might show. In the blind just before dusk, a massive whitetail buck emerges on the horizon in the sendero, and the camera zooms way in so that viewers can see him clearly. With trepidation, the buck walks down the sendero to the feeder while the does move away to give him a wide berth. The associate whispers to the audience that this is the buck they’d seen on the game cameras, and if you owned this ranch, you’d be sitting in this blind right now with your hunting rifle, getting ready to take the shot…

These are just two examples of how live video can be used to capture the attention of a potential buyer, or increase brand recognition for a brokerage and agent. Experiential first-person perspectives, known as IRL streams, have the potential to reach huge audiences with relatively low costs and with very little planning or equipment. Since ranch agents already know how to interact with buyers during showings, they are uniquely prepared to take that experience to an online audience that might be spread around the state, the country, or the globe.

These strategies can be adapted for each listing, using the live streaming tools to highlight various selling points of a particular property. Big house and lodge? We’ll use a Steadicam to move through the home with the agent pointing out the various amenities. Raw land only? Let’s ride in the Mule or incorporate drone footage. Experiential property? Let’s go hunting or kayaking or hiking. Each broadcast can be customized to best feature the individual ranch that’s being featured.

Make the pitch… The main goal of the broadcast will be to expose potential buyers to a “day in the life” on the property. They can literally ride shotgun while experiencing what it’s like to own the tract that they’re seeing for the first time online. The broker or listing agent can appeal directly to these buyers by making a pitch for this sale.

Other Content Ideas

  • Helicopter tours of multiple properties
  • Tours of nearby communities or amenities, such as shopping districts or historic locations
  • Roundtable discussions around the campfire, discussing ranch ownership issues and challenges
  • Working cattle, horseback rides, or deer capture

How It Works

IRL streams are made possible by a new technology called cellular bonding. A device that we have acquired has the ability to take a high definition camera feed and uplink it to an online streaming service that “bonds” the signal from multiple cellular data modems to distribute a very high quality feed to social media platforms or other video streaming destinations such as Roku or Fire Stick. This means that the video content can be originated in a professional camera rather than a handheld phone, and the connection will be more stable thanks to the bonded cellular modems.

These live feeds can originate from anywhere with decent cellular signal, primarily from AT&T and Verizon networks. Both of these networks cover the majority of central and south Texas, making the IRL listing tours possible at countless locations across the state.

The stream is fed to your own social media page, such as Facebook, by allowing our team to have temporary administrative access to your Facebook account, or by using a service like Restream.io to “push” the content to your Facebook feed. No specialized equipment or training is needed on your part.

The cost is commensurate with traditional real estate photography or videography, priced on an hourly basis, plus travel. In fact, IRL tours might be less expensive than your other multimedia content, because no editing is required after the stream ends. The recorded version of the live stream is immediately available on your social media page for your audience to re-watch and share.

A full day of videography services starts at $1,000 plus tax. Half days available starting at $600 plus tax.

Return on Investment

How does a brokerage benefit from live streaming services?

  • Capturing names and accounts of potential buyers by interacting in the comments section
  • Increasing brand awareness by introducing new and exciting content
  • Building a community of loyal followers to improve your online presence and attract buyers
  • Exposure to sellers who will be impressed by your ingenuity and efforts
  • Creating lasting content that is usable both during and after the live stream
  • Potential partnerships with applicable brands and services

Contact Us

Bookings for live streaming services are available now. Since this is a new experiment, we have discounted our standard rates for all brokers interested in exploring the possibilities available with IRL live streaming. Contact Aaron Yates for more information.

Aaron Yates, Owner
KerrvillePhoto.com and Kerrville.LIVE
[email protected]
phone: 830-214-7635

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