Video marketing has blown up in the real estate industry over the past few years. It’s a great marketing strategy because there’s no better way than video to tell a story about a home, the surrounding neighborhood/community, or even you! In fact, 85% of buyers and sellers want to work with an agent who uses video, and listings with videos receive four times more inquiries than those without.

That being said, live video content is taking over the internet. Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook have made it easier than ever to share information with clients. These social media platforms all have a live video streaming feature that provides an unfiltered glimpse into your everyday life, both professionally and personally. Streaming live video on social media is an excellent way to build and strengthen relationships with potential buyers for a few reasons:

• Fosters trustworthiness—you can’t edit live video: what your clients see is what they get. Offering tips, giving advice, answering questions, and sharing announcements via live video are memorable ways to humanize your brand.
• Helps you do business more efficiently—provide virtual home tours at any time in just a few minutes instead of hosting traditional scheduled viewings. This can streamline the house-hunting process, saving time for everyone involved.
• Makes your social media strategy more compelling—reading about a home’s features isn’t nearly as effective as seeing them. Give your clients a quick video preview before an open house officially starts to get them in the door, like a teaser trailer for a movie.
• Positions you as a tech-savvy industry expert—buyers and sellers want an agent who is on the ball in all aspects of their business. Your clients will appreciate your familiarity with emerging technology.
• Promotes community—give your clients an insider’s perspective on neighborhoods in which you have listings. A quick video review of a nearby restaurant or a virtual tour of a local park adds a lot of value for potential buyers.

Be sure to experiment and test each platform before you broadcast anything to your sphere of influence. A few practice runs will help make your first foray into social live-streaming a rousing success. Once you’ve figured out what works for you, remember to have fun!