When Ann Arbor REALTOR® Kathy Toth began using videos to provide information about neighborhoods and homes in
Ann Arbor and Dexter, she had no idea how popular those videos would become. Now, over 100 videos and over 80,600 views later, www.AnnArborRealEstate.tv breaks ground as a video-centric website. The new site is a convenient resource for anyone who would like an instant tour of area neighborhoods.
Neighborhood videos and video home listings are increasingly popular, thanks to mobile technology trends and consumer preferences for visual information. “There is nothing more immediate than video,” says Kathy Toth, who has been selling real estate since 1989. She adds, “Quality is everything in a video. We present neighborhoods and homes professionally, which benefits the viewer as well as the client.”
To create high-quality videos, Toth enlisted the help of a local video production firm, Mixed Media, to produce full-motion video tours of popular Ann Arbor and Dexter subdivisions. Many of the videos offer a drive through the neighborhood, providing true-to-life street tours, as well as views of local parks and home interiors.
Toth’s clients love being able to discover a neighborhood this way, “It’s convenient, saves gas and truly gives us enough of a peek into a subdivision to determine if the area warrants further consideration” states Pat Strabbing Toth’s Ann Arbor buyer client.
Mixed Media and The Kathy Toth Team have been working together on the video projects throughout the last year. To date, they have completed over 100 Ann Arbor area neighborhood videos, with more likely to come. Before proceeding with the project, both parties knew that in order for the videos to be beneficial, the quality would have to be a cut above what is customarily seen on YouTube.
Toth explains, “Up until now, REALTORS® have commonly used basic photo slideshows to showcase the neighborhoods they service. With the growing popularity of video, Ann Arbor area home buyers are expecting successful REALTORS® to utilize the most advanced technology in their marketing plans.”
“The clearest trend in real estate video marketing is towards quality and away from user-generated content. People serious about finding a real estate practitioner or selling their homes look for agents that market themselves and their properties with the utmost professionalism,” said Christian Sterner, co-founder of WellcomeMat. “Video is a highly effective communication tool, but that is where user-generated content should end. As real estate marketers, it is not enough to just do video: it must be done with class.”
The success of the videos led to the need for a one-stop website, where viewers could easily select from the neighborhoods that interested them. For this project, Toth turned to Shane Pendley at Parus Solution Marketing. The result was an innovative website containing very few words, relying instead on robust video content. The site quickly evolved to include informative videos for home buying, selling, and short sales, featuring Toth delivering expert tips and advice.
Being a top-producing Associate Broker, Toth is always eager to provide cutting edge services to her clients. Adding professional video was a natural fit to her growing menu of client services. To view videos featuring Ann Arbor and Dexter neighborhoods, visit Kathy Toth & Team’s new video website at www.AnnArborRealEstate.tv. For more information about Kathy Toth & Team and their array of client services, visit www.KathyToth.com.
Kathy Toth & Team have been serving Washtenaw County real estate including Dexter, Ann Arbor, Chelsea and Saline clients for over 20 years. They are among the top one percent of REALTORS® nationally and have been featured twice on House Hunters HGTV. Toth works directly with listing and buyer representative partners, with a goal of exceeding her client’s expectations while meeting their real estate purchase or sale objectives.
www.KathyToth.com
Keller Williams Realty