HOUSTON ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® INTRODUCES MEMBER VIDEOS
Free online tool lets REALTORS® promote listings and themselves through video
 

HOUSTON — (March 26, 2009) — With an estimated 146 million Americans viewing online videos each month, the Houston Association of REALTORS® (HAR) has introduced Member Videos, a free online tool that allows members to upload and share videos of their listings, their firms and themselves on the association’s Web site, HAR.com.  The addition of this service is designed to provide a multi-media marketing vehicle to REALTORS® amid today’s new economic conditions while bringing otherwise static images of properties to life for the consumer.

 “HAR Member Videos add value by providing agents with an opportunity to market themselves beyond the standard head shot and bio, allowing agents to engage their customers in a new and more personal way,” said George Stephens, 2009 HAR Technology Advisory Group chairman.  “Listing videos will enable consumers to see greater detail of properties than still photos provide, almost as if they were taking a walking tour.  In some cases, these videos will also contain narration.  This takes the home search experience for consumers to a whole new level.”

According to Realtor.com, the National Association of REALTORS® Web site, 70 percent of home sellers would be more likely to list their home with an agent who offered to post a video of that home on the Web.

REALTORS® can have their personal videos professionally produced at the HAR studios and uploaded to YouTube for a nominal fee.  However, they have the option of producing their own personal videos as well as videos of their listings and manually uploading them to YouTube.  The agent and listing videos will be displayed on HAR.com.

The Member Videos tool is the latest offering from HAR as it builds on the successful integration of video interviews to explain the current state of the real estate market and brief tutorials about the vast array of technology tools and services HAR provides its members and consumers.

Founded in 1918, the Houston Association of Realtors® (HAR) is a 23,000-member organization of real estate professionals engaged in every aspect of the industry, including residential and commercial sales and leasing, appraisal, property management and counseling. It is the largest individual membership trade association in Houston, as well as the second largest local association/board of Realtors® in the United States.