I was only able to briefly poke my head into today’s #AptChat, but in that short time I fell into a good conversation re: optimal content for community videos.  As promised to Mike Whaling, I wanted to share a few nuggets from research we conducted at Apartments.com that was key to the development of our own Walkthrough Video product.  The following is based on a survey administered to several hundred of our site visitors and some qualitative research (much like focus groups, for those less familiar w/ research terminology) conducted here in Chicago.

Just to baseline overall demand for video (which I assume is obvious to most), consumers definitely favor video to virtual tours/360 views or still images.

 Folks definitely want some sort of voice-over, especially if accompanied by music

 The key insight for us, which is clear in the choices we’ve made with the Walkthrough Video product, is that people want to see the apartments – period.  Certain aspects of the community as a whole are also important, but these videos should serve as a “shop window” into a renter’s new home.  Consumers want as much of the unvarnished truth as possible (i.e. they prefer unfurnished units to furnished) – give them mostly steak and only a little sizzle.  In the words of one renter, I don’t want the unit to “look like an ad for furniture at Bed, Bath & Beyond.”

A couple of other notes that came through clearly in our qualitative work:

• Unless you’re targeting the college crowd or similar demo, make sure your videos have a professional polish.  The amateurish, UGC-style videos don’t have much appeal for those over 25.

•  On the flipside, the millennial folks reject anything that even smacks of a “salesy” or “cheesy” tone.  Pretty much everyone else does too.  Be authentic in what you show and how you present it.  For us, this is showing the apartments and some community environs without additional messaging.  For you, it may be something similar but with some commentary about the neighborhood surrounding your community, etc.  No matter the approach, avoid the used car dealer vibe at all costs.

• Keep it short – no one we talked to or surveyed had much appetite for a 15 minute missive on your state of the art fitness center or how great the new movie theater down the street is.  As much as I embrace an emphasis on apartment walkthroughs, please do not do this.  Be focused and keep it under 5 mins. 

I hope this adds some additional depth to the #AptChat discussion.  As with any piece of research, the feedback summarized here is not law but does serve to set some guard rails for what is and isn’t considered compelling video content for potential residents.

TG