Five Reasons Residential Real Estate Agents Should Have a Video Recorder

Technology comes and goes and changes all the time; as a residential real estate agent, keeping up can be tough, but over the years, some things just become staples. The video recorder is one of them. They are small, inexpensive and simple to operate with long battery life.

Here are five reasons to get one and use on in your real estate practice:

1) Show a home to an out-of-town client: When you work with out of town buyers, talking is not enough, pictures are not enough...you need video. You can save a buyer a trip out (or encourage one if the property is perfect!); help overcome your lack of good visual descriptions, and help your client understand what can't be communicated, even with great pictures. Video is also great for showing perspective in a way that pictures sometimes can't, and with your narration, the murky photos and descriptions on the internet can become crystal-clear.

2) Record Inspections: Not all buyers can make their home inspections; maybe it's an emergency at the last minute, a scheduling conflict, or your buyers are far away. That's no reason not to get into the action. Using a video to record and document problems areas, film a septic inspection (my colleague Jim Duncan does this regularly) or other specialty inspections is crucial. You want buyers to know exactly what the problems are, where they are located and to what extent. No surprises = happy clients.

3) Final Walk-Through's: Video is great for walking through a property just before closing. Pictures work, too, but sometimes video is better, especially for a large problem area. Final walk-through's are when buyers have their last chance to inspect the property to be sure it is in reasonably the same condition as when they saw it last and can be a closing-stopper if there are problems, but you can be sure the listing agent and sellers will want some sort of proof. Uploading a video or bringing a video to a closing if buyers and sellers use the same closing date, time and location can be just the proof everyone needs.

4) Neighborhood Tours: Our of town buyers want to know what it's like...before they get there. Google maps and Google neighborhoods only goes so far. Find out what your buyers want and then videotape a tour with your spin on things. When they come to town for showings, you'll spend more time showing them things they want, where they want, and waste less of their time (and yours).

5) New Construction: Again, with out-of-town buyers who are building locally? It's great. Go out once or twice a week during construction and shoot 5 minutes of video giving them an update on the progress being made. They'll feel more confident and you'll be a star keeping them in the loop and letting them know you're their eyes and ears, on-site.

Shooting video is cheap, easy and fast. If you are budgeting for future technology, include a hand-held recorder.

More from this contributor:
First Person: Why Considering Referrals from Real Estate Agents Like Me Is a Good Idea
First Person from a Real Estate Broker: Why I Love Working with First-Time Home Buyers...Even Now
Creating a Seller's Notebook for Potential Buyers: 20 Ideas to Help Buyers See Your House is the One!