LIVE OPEN HOUSES: USING GOOGLE HANGOUTS TO CORNER THE REAL
ESTATE AGENT MARKET
How do you make money using Google hangouts?
We all know that video sells, but live video makes you
different and unique. How few people are actually using Google Hangouts On Air,
a Google+ feature that lets you stream live video, is staggering.
You have to be the guy that stands out – there’s more than
one marketer out there talking to real estate agents, but you can hook them
with the promise live video. Real estate agents don’t understand what Google+
does yet – they understand the concept, but need the step-by-step information
and hand-holding that a marketing expert like yourself can provide. Sit down
with your real estate agent and give them those details, they’ll be ahead of
their competitors and ready to pay you. You become the magical marketing wizard
that makes all their dreams come true. None of our branding is on the
materials.
WHAT YOU NEED TO START:
Get a decent webcam, one that shoots at 1080p. Most laptops will
have a built-in that works just fine.
Make sure your real estate agents have either a computer
with webcam or android phone or non-iPad tablet with the Google+ app. Theoretically, you can have up to 9 people
walking through the house and showing rooms. From home, you’ll be able to talk
to the viewers and interact with them, directing the agents and asking them
questions. If a viewer says, “I’m really tall, can you show me how high that
shower head is?” you can direct the agent to go to the bathroom and measure.
Internet! This should go without saying, but you need the
have fast internet. Either plug in to your dedicated line, or have very good
WIFI. You need as stable of a feed as possible.
LET’S START
1.
Learn How to Use Google Hangouts
The kind folks at Google have provided some
instruction – make sure you read it! http://www.google.com/+/learnmore/hangouts/onair.htmsl
Being a Google Hangouts expert is KEY to making this work. Learn how to take
care of everything on Google hangouts – troubleshoot before the actual trouble
occurs.
2.
Research!
Find out which real estate agents near you
hold open houses. Some real estate agents have more open houses than others, so
there’s potential for you to host more Hangout Open Houses with an office that
has multiple agents. Hit craigslist, LinkedIn, local offices, papers. Call or
message them to ask if they have open houses.
3.
Send the Real Estate Agent a Link with Video
We’ve already composed a message with a
link for you, now you have to let your social skills do some work. Send them
the email with our non-branded information and:
4.
Wait for the Calls to Roll In
Once you’ve made contact with the real
estate agents, be ready to get some calls. Engage them, “Let’s talk about what
I can do for you!” If you’ve ever met a real estate agent, you’ll know there’s
almost no way they can resist this.
5.
Give the Agent a Demonstration
Meet with your real estate agent and show
them how you can help them host live open house events. Explain the tools, the
benefits of live video and your role as moderator.
6.
Decide On Your Fee
This is a valuable service and there is a
price to pay. Push for an upfront fee and a maintenance fee. They’re already
interested, that’s why they sat down with you. If necessary, offer a freebie if
they sign a contract to pay you for the next two live open houses.
7.
You Will Be the Live Video King!
Nobody has ever seen live video in
the real estate business. You can have a family in Germany that wants to move
to Arizona – they can find the perfect house because of this live hangout.
You’re setting up live event, and uploading it to youtube. It can be repeatedly
viewed so the real estate agent can keep on using it. You can edit it, jazz it
up and upload it for them. Charge a maintenance fee monthly. And you don’t have to be there when they show
houses because you can moderate from home.
You’ll be the first of your kind, and your
real estate agent will probably want to keep you all to his or herself, which
brings us to the next point:
8.
Do Not Sign a Non-Competition Agreement
You need to be able to negotiate, move
agents, etc. Why work for a small agent that has one or two showing a month,
when you could work for a whole office of agents and host two events per week?
Maintenance
You
will be able to charge a monthly fee, because this service doesn’t end with the
live event! You can’t use Google hangout without a youtube channel, and all the
video from these events will need to be on youtube. You’ll have to make some
changes to the video: add tags, make a catchy title, respond to questions that
come up in comments, put the link to the home in the description, etc. There
won’t be a live broadcast at three am, but someone will be able to look at the
youtube videos and all the details and questions about the property will be in
the comments. Don’t forget to ensure your client that you are going to be here
if anything ever breaks!
Remember,
you can use your position as the “live video guy” to get your foot in the door
for that agent – tell them what other marketing needs you can cover.
