As the world becomes ever more digital, property advertising has to keep up by offering 3D experiences of prospective neighbourhoods.
Consumers worldwide are expecting more and more content to be published online and those expectations are just as high when it comes to property marketing. RE/MAX USA recently did a survey of what consumers most wanted to see in their property search and the answer was area or community videos.
THE REASONS ARE CLEAR:
Video is immersive and puts you right in the action in a way that pictures and text cannot.
When it comes to property, rich media such as virtual tours, floor plans and videos offer an authentic view of the property that buyers want to see, often before they even view the property.
This immersive experience is one of the reasons Private Property recently launched its Neighbourhoods section, videos included. Finding a property online is no longer just about finding the actual house, but also the neighbourhood – and attached lifestyle – that feels right.
Location has always been incredibly important to property browsers, but property portals don’t usually answer the most important question: “What is it like to live here?”
These videos help to do just that, and act as showcases of these specifically South African areas. “We felt that too few people were telling the great stories about our South African communities,” says Private Property CEO Simon Bray. “We all love living in our own corner of this beautiful country and since buying property is driven by consumer perception, we want to positively influence that perception with these videos.”
The first three videos released – Sandton in Johannesburg, Cape Town’s Southern Suburbs and Durban Central – offer a breath-taking look at the neighbourhoods in question. A local tells you what they love about their area, and footage from aerial drones equipped with 4K UHD cameras gives you the feeling that you’re floating through the neighbourhood. Time lapses and hyper lapses, regular and aerial photography all combine to create a beautiful cinematic experience.
It would seem that the bar for rich media in property advertising has just been set a lot higher.
Words:Bridget McNulty
