5 YouTube Tips for Real Estate Agents

Are you using YouTube to market your real estate business and spread the word about your listings? If not, you should be. Not only does posting videos to YouTube lead to better search ranking in Google, but it provides you with a platform to share your expertise and personality, and build your personal brand.

We’ve put together a list of five tips for real estate agents looking to get the most out of YouTube.

Make the most of metadata

Video is great for search optimization, but it’s important to remember that video isn’t indexed on its own – it’s indexed based on the metadata (aka title, description, and tags) that you provide along with it. Make sure to fill out all of these fields when uploading your video to YouTube.

Title optimization

When crafting your title, come up with something that not only accurately expresses what your video is about, but also includes keywords and phrases that viewers will likely search for in order to find your content. Here are some tips:

• Include keywords near the beginning of your title for better search indexing.
• Keep your title concise; a title that’s too long might get cut off in the results.
• If your video isn’t getting much traction, try updating your title.

Description optimization

The description field is invaluable when it comes to helping your content get discovered. Let potential viewers know what your content is about, add links back to your website or related content, and include relevant keywords related to your video.

• Remember that only about the first 125 characters of your description (including spaces) will appear in search results, so it’s important to make these initial words count!
• Include clearly marked links back to your website or resources where viewers can find more information.
• In YouTube’s optimization playbook, they recommend creating “a recurring channel boilerplate that includes relevant search-driven keywords” to include in all video descriptions to let viewers know about your channel.

Tag optimization

Tags will also help YouTube index your video in search. Make sure to only include tags that are relevant to your video or industry.

• Try updating tags as new trends emerge.
• Include common misspellings.

Thumbnail optimization

Thumbnails don’t exactly fall under metadata, but they’re also good for search optimization. When someone searches for your video, they’ll see the title, the beginning of your description, and a thumbnail image.

• Thumbnails must be at least 640×360 pixels.
• Choose an image that’s visually compelling.
• Make sure your thumbnail accurately represents your content.

Diversify your content

Don’t just upload virtual tour videos to your YouTube channel. Branch out and create other types of content as well. General videos about the real estate industry will help you position yourself as an expert, and help potential buyers and sellers find you. Behind-the-scenes and “About Me” videos will allow potential clients to get to know you and see why you’d be so great to work with.

Self-proclaimed “No BS Realtor” Leigh Brown, whom we featured earlier this year on our blog, does a great job of posting a variety of types of content, including neighborhood videos, tips for buyers and sellers, tips for realtors, property videos, and more.

PRO TIP: Organize your videos into topical playlists for added search benefits.

Post videos regularly

Google gives preference to active channels, so it’s worth your while to upload videos frequently. If you work in an office with other agents, you may want to collaborate to create one YouTube channel, so your entire company can reap the search benefits of having an active YouTube channel.

Add a featured video about yourself

Add a featured video on your channel page with more information about yourself, your experience, and the services you provide. This type of video will help potential clients get to know you, so they can get a feel for your personality and how you work. The following example is featured on realtor Jamie Vieira’s YouTube channel.

Here’s another About Me video, featuring a real estate broker in NYC.

Include clear calls to action and links

Finally, it’s incredibly important to include clear calls to action and links along with your video. You want to ensure that when someone watches your video, they know the next steps and it’s clear how they can take action. Ask yourself what you want to accomplish with your video, and include all the necessary information needed for viewers to take the action you want them to take.

• Sharing a virtual tour video? Make sure interested clients know how to get in touch with you for a viewing. Include contact information and links in the description to more details.
• Sharing tips for home buyers or sellers? Include links back to your website in the description and let viewers know how they can get in touch with you in the video itself.

Are you using video for real estate? We’d love to see what you’re doing. Feel free to share links with us in the comments below or on our Facebook page.

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