Real estate is built on personal relationships. When your business is reliant on the connections you make and the opportunities you create, what happens when your typical methods of personal connection are taken away?
When the COVID-19 pandemic began, Erika Villegas, RE/MAX in the Village, was preparing to welcome a new member to her family and quickly approaching her planned maternity leave, both of which would take her away from her clients and business. She started looking for COVID-19-friendly ways she could connect her clients with her team members who were taking over for her during her maternity leave, to encourage personal interaction.
“We were in the middle of COVID and people couldn’t see your face,” she said. Not only was she trying to ensure her current clients knew that they would be in capable hands with a new member of her team, but she also realized that any one-on-one interactions they would be having would occur from six feet apart and while wearing masks. The challenge was to not only make her clients comfortable, but to also get to know them.
The answer came to her in the form of a software she had access to but wasn’t fully utilizing: BombBomb, a video email system that allows you to build relationships through video messaging by recording and sending videos via email and providing analytics like opens and clicks.
Villegas and her team began brainstorming and filming videos. They decided to create content that was evergreen, that could be used from one client to another without having to update or change the content. That’s not to say they don’t create one-off, personal videos from time to time, but for the most part, her team has a bank of videos they can access and send to a multitude of clients.
She created videos with her buyer and seller brokers to introduce them to her clients and put a face to the name. For each side of the transaction, she created five or six videos to be sent to clients. For buyers, her video roster includes:
- An introduction video of herself and the broker who’s taking over in her absence.
- A video in case the home search process takes longer than expected, that encourages the potential homebuyer to stick with it and reminds them that they’re getting closer to finding the home of their dreams.
- A congratulatory video when their offer is accepted with details on the next step, which is an inspection. She provides names and contact information for her recommended inspectors.
- A video explaining the loan process.
- A congratulatory video when they reach a clear to close.
- One final congratulations when the home has officially been purchased.
On the seller side, the videos include:
- A thank you for hiring them and introductions.
- A video when the home goes under contract that also describes the next steps in the selling process.
- A video detailing what the inspector will be looking at during the inspection.
- A video when the home is sold.
Villegas also has her other team members create videos. For example, her assistant frequently steps in to help her and her brokers during transactions, so she has a video to introduce her assistant, so they know who she is when she reaches out.
Her aim is to eventually create videos that describe each step of the transaction to create transparency throughout what can often be a confusing process. She said her clients have been grateful for the extra clarity and personal touch.
“I think people appreciate that we’re keeping them up to date,” Villegas said. One client even commented that they’ve never had this type of open communication. “And, if your client is asking for certain information, you’re likely already too late in giving it to them,” she said.
Villegas believes that creating these unique video messages help to cut through the monotony of written emails. It’s just as easy to create and send off a video message on the spot, rather than typing up a reply. She encourages the rest of her brokers on her team to do the same.
Even better, creating these videos saves her team tons of time during the transaction process. By setting aside an hour to film this evergreen content ahead of time, when she needs to send it to a client, all she has to do is go into her video library and select the option to send.
And, it’s not necessary to use a platform like BombBomb to send video messages. You can use a smartphone or computer to record a video and embed it into your personal email to send to clients. This is a DIY alternative to using a software, but keep in mind that you won’t receive analytical data like opens and clicks, which Villegas uses to do follow up.
She emphasized that BombBomb, in addition to video, is also a great tool for prospecting and retention. On the prospecting side, they sometimes create videos featuring new listings that they are representing. They will send the video email to their full database and use the open and click data to follow up on potential opportunities. The same goes for their market update videos – and any interest could be a potential lead in the future.
She also utilizes BombBomb to continue her relationship with her clients after the transaction, with a library of birthday, holiday and anniversary videos at the ready. Again, these are videos without names or details, but general celebratory content that she uses to keep her and her team top of mind for past clients who may be buying or selling in the future.
Your relationship with your clients is an important part of being a REALTOR®, so how you stand out from the crowd makes all the difference. Utilizing video emails could be another powerful tool for your business arsenal and help your team stay connected to your clients in real (virtual) time