Morning & happy Friday!

This week is the beginning of intentionally breaking down proven models that work.

There’s 101 ways to build a real estate business and tons of different people who excel. So this won’t be an exhaustive list ever.

Instead, I’m strategically choosing people who are proven and whose model is transparent & practical for others to learn from.

I hope you find this helpful!

— Andrew

🎥 How Legends Attract Clients At Scale: $100M A Year in 4 Years With World-Class Listing Videos

Big Picture: Brad McCallum went from a brand new agent to selling $100M in the last 18 months from YouTube. And he started with no videographer, no skill in video editing and not getting lots of views. Now he gets over 100,000 views on a single video.

Why this matters: Imagine being able to say on a listing appointment where the homeowner starts by explaining their vision for their listing video… instead of asking you why should I work with you?

That’s why Brad says to homeowners, “Everything agents tell you they do should be expected. So let me tell you how we’re different…”

In a town of 1 million people, his YouTube channel gets over 1.2 million minutes of watch time a month. And in any given year there’s only going to be 30,000 people trading homes in Calgary…

Whereas his channel has over 37,000 subscribers, and repeatedly gets 100,000 to 150,000 views PER MONTH…

His value proposition is an “offer that everyone else wants to be a part of.”

Other agents in his market can’t replicate that kind of exposure.

Yes, but you may look at Brad’s account and say, “it’s easy when he has stunning million-dollar homes to tour…” but the truth is 63 of his last 100 homes were under $1M.

Only 1 in every 3 homes is a million-dollar home. So 2 out of every 3 homes are average or slightly above average homes for their market.

Let’s dive deeper: I thought it would be more actionable & replicable to break down his (extra-)ordinary home tours that make up the majority of his videos. Instead of his million-dollar homes or his remarkable film home tours with actors & planned skits.

So I broke down where he excels in 3 key areas:

1. Shooting

2. Talking

3. Editing

1) Shooting 🎥 

This may go without saying think of all the scenarios of the video while shooting.

• How do you plan to start the video?

• How do you plan to end the video?

• How should it flow?

• What do you need to say for YouTube vs. TikTok? Etc.

a) Start & End Strong 💥 

Starting strong like Brad requires 2 crucial elements:

The hook.

The “hook,” is the first 3 to 10 seconds. Never start with your name. Always, think like the viewer:

• What is the video about and why they should watch it?

• What is HIGH VALUE to THEM?

“Show them the highlights. Show them the best stuff first.” - Brad

Then within the next 5 to 10 seconds, Brad usually shows multiple b-roll footage of different clips of the home. Sometimes 4-6 different exterior, interior, or drone shots ALL BEFORE 5 seconds…

Build anticipation.

And it only ramps up from there. This is the wind-up and the pitch.

In the first 30-60 seconds (next 20+ seconds) he goes hard on selling the

• Location, lifestyle, and major selling points of the home.

• Knowing exactly who he’s speaking to, what they want, and why this home is right for them.

While he’s talking there’s constant changing of the scene from drone to exterior to interior shots then intentionally going back to him speak and then back to other shots.

So within 30-60 seconds, you may never have stepped inside yet and he’s still never introduced himself. But you want to view more because he’s built up this huge anticipation and desire to want more.

But don’t forget to finish strong.

Brad has 2 parts to how he ends videos:

Leave the best for last.

He leaves the best-selling feature for the end, so people keep watching until the end.

This could be the 3rd story rooftop terrace, the enclosed wine room for collectors, or the gorgeous master suite.

Then stop when enough is enough.

And it happens after the best selling point. End the video and don’t ramble. He has his call to action at the end but it’s clear & concise.

b) Macro to Micro 📕 

Work from outside, inside: 

The outside is the opportunity to sell them on the benefits of the home instead of the features & details.

• The area

• The community

• The lifestyle

• And what makes this home different than the rest

He’ll often spend 30-60 seconds before you he even goes inside.

• Bottom-up

• Day to Dusk

• Benefits (main selling points) before features (number of bedrooms or kitchen finishes)

And he’s reinforcing each point he’s making with b-roll footage of the interior, exterior, community or surrounding area.

c) Real & Raw ❤️

Even though he has great equipment, b-roll, and edits well. It feels more casual and conversational than professional.

Ryan Serhant does the same.

It feels like a vlog. The videographer has subtle movements, inconsistent locations, and imperfections.

There are high-end B-roll shots, but when it’s him it’s not perfectly stabilized in a single position.

It feels natural and like you’re there with him.

2) Editing 🖥️

This is where it may get a little technical for a brief second, but hopefully, you’ll stick with me!

Show don't tell.

I also mentioned this subtly above, in editing, they show what he's talking about with B-Roll.

They use multiple angles of the same room and even have day-to-night shots.

Within 15 seconds you've usually seen 4-6 different areas of the home

And within 30-45 you've definitely probably seen 10-15+ shots.

Earn every 3 to 30 seconds and change things up. That’s how you hook and hold people’s attention.

Intentional.

Every couple of seconds, every edit is strategically chosen to earn the viewers’ attention.

• Intention sound design

• Intentional b-roll

3) Talking 🗣️

This is the most underrated, yet, the most impactful piece of creating great content, how the messenger delivers the message.

Personal not professional.

“In the video, you need to be 2X your normal self.” Because video doesn’t show as much emotion and energy.

• He’s relatable. Entertaining. Casual. Engaging.

• He talks how he speaks, not how he wants to be heard. This isn’t a college thesis. A casual conversation. We all learn at a 3rd level, it’s why people say to speak and write at a 3rd-grade level. Try the Hemingway App if you want help.

• He uses connecting (conjunction) words that combine sentences or help them flow naturally. The most common are: and, so, but, yet, for & or.

Think like having a conversation with a good friend.

Strategic.

• Focuses on the audience first, always.

• Knows who he’s talking to vs. not.

  • “If you've been looking for a brand new home in a great new community… well guess what? You probably overlooked Shawnee Park. You can be forgiven for that. You know it's only a couple hundred homes. But guys don't sleep on this spot because it's one of our City's best and most convenient locations. Right here in Shaughnessy on the former Shawnee slopes golf course…”

  • “Have you been looking for an incredibly well kept fully renovated home in an established Community with large lots and mature trees well if so you do not want to miss this tour.”

  • “How would you like to live just a five minute drive to downtown and just minutes walking distance to the shops of Garrison woods and all that Marda Loop has to offer and you don't have to deal with all this traffic.”

  • “Just seven minutes from the city's Edge down a quiet street behind a private gate you'll find a hidden estate your own piece of paradise away from the rest of the world.”

• Focuses on benefits first, not features. The main selling points. The best stuff first.

  • “But guys don't sleep on this spot because it's one of our City's best and most convenient locations. Right here in Shaughnessy on the former Shawnee slopes golf course. You're going to be surrounded by mature trees tons of green spaces and pathways. It is amazing what they have come with West Park and it's only 10 minutes to Fish Creek Park to the C train. And 20 minutes to downtown with five schools nearby this home is perfect for families.”

  • “So before I take you through spaces like this one you need to know where this home is located and Jeff's outside to tell you a little bit more about that let's not make it wait it is cold out there welcome to the community of Woodbine. And today's property tour is located just a few short doors away from one of Canada's largest provincial parks. Yes, that's right. Fish Creek Park. The natural beauty here allows families to enjoy outdoor activities all year round this home features nearly 2850 square feet fully developed. And everywhere you look you'll find high-end finishings, transitional details, and a timeless style. One of my favorite parts is that it's on one of those perfect blocks 23 Wood Acres Way is located on a quiet street. In fact if you listen close enough you might even hear a pin drop there's little traffic. And while many of the homes have been extensively upgraded here they rarely come up for sale people just don't want to leave.”

• Earning every 3 and 30 seconds. Leading you on… making you want to watch more and wonder “what happens next?”

  • But/So before…

  • So you don’t want to miss…

  • Or building up hype before going inside or the next floor.

Clear not clever.

• He doesn’t use fancy words or industry lingo. He speaks in normal language for everyday people to understand.

• He uses short, and intentional sentences.

• And stops when enough is enough.

This may be one of those emails you will refer back to use as a resource. I know it will for me. That’s why I made it the way I did.

Hopefully, this was helpful and not too overbearing. Let me know your thoughts.

But I will keep the rest short and sweet.

🎥 YouTube is Dominating Podcasting

YouTube is the largest discovery platform for podcasts.

Video podcasts are the best way to maximize content distribution.

And YouTube is the largest platform for long-form video content. It’s no wonder why Podcasts like My First Million, All In Podcast, Diary of CEO, and many more are huge on Youtube. As a result, blowing up their podcast.

If you observe what Byron Lazine is doing with BAM and his One Team CT, they use this way to make a long-form video and then cut it up into 2-12+ short-form TikTok-style content across the 4-6 other major social media platforms.

So if you aren’t using video podcasts, maximizing the content across YouTube & other platforms, then you’re definitely missing out.

🔍 Insights from Hubspot’s 2023 Global Social Media Trend Report:

Social Trend #2: Social media is the future of ecommerce.

Hubspot surveyed 1,283 social media marketers and conducted research with 600+ consumers and this is what they found.

While this is not (in my opinion) completely accurate for real estate it probably isn’t too far off.

Some may argue that YouTube could be higher if not the highest in real estate, this is a decent baseline.

The future of e-commerce is social. This a major trend many realized when a Chinese live streamer sold $300M in 1 day on TikTok or when Mr. Beast & Logan Paul launched 8-9 figure brands off the back of their social media audience.

This furthers the point if you aren’t building a personal brand online you’ll continue losing market share in the long run.

Social Trend #4: Social search is becoming more popular than search engines, and SEO has entered the social chat.

What’s the lifetime value of a first-time homebuyer vs. a downsizer? And it’s only going to grow with each generation.

How can you rank better in search on social?

1. Include relevant keywords and hashtags in your posts and bio.

2. Make sure your username is easy to search for.

3. Keep your username consistent across accounts

Social Trend #6: Short-form video is driving business results and will continue to grow in 2023.

This is where real estate will differ from some other industries.

Short form is amazing for business-to-business (B2B) like Mortgage to Realtors or Marketing to Realtors.

However, while it’s still great for real estate consumers, search still dominates business growth in real estate.

But why not both?

Social Trend #7: Funny, trendy, and relatable content will stand out.

I don’t personally do funny content but maybe cause I’m more boring than people like Matt Lionetti & others.

The reason Brad’s listing videos do well is that he’s relatable.

The reason YouTube works so well for many agents is that they’re educating the consumer and it helps them be more relatable.

When you watch 10-minute videos, once a week, for 3 months, that’s like spending over 2 hours with someone. So you can imagine if they watch more videos and longer, that’s why people like Ken or Dan (last week) get “can I work with you” calls & emails.

But even Glennda Baker who puts out relatable, trendy, and informational content is growing her business substantially from TikTok.

The secret? Put out content. 😃

🎙️ x 🎥 Stories Worth Learning:

• Check out Brad McCallum’s Video Playbook or his BAM interview to find out from him how he generates listings at scale.

• Ex-YouTube Employee Exposes How to Grow on YouTube

• Making Sense of the Current US Economy with the All In Podcast

• How Any Agent Can Double Their Listing Business with Jill Biggs, Lisa & Tom Ferry

🐦 Leaders Worth Following:

• Great marketing advice from Chris Smith

• Will AI Disrupt Everything? With Raoul Paul

• Buy Your Time Back with Dan Martell

📝 In Case You Missed It:

• Be ready next week for the April Monthly Content Drop

• Last Week’s Issue about New to $15M in 2023 from YouTube, Upgraded ChatGPT-4 & are 3D printed homes the future?

That's it for today! See you next week!

If you have any questions, then reply & let me know so I can make sure that I'm not just making stuff out of my head, but answering the questions you care about!

Let's have an amazing week!

Andrew Bayon

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