Photos are everything to property marketing. It’s our chance to get creative, to show a property in the very best light, and for sure the thing we lose prospects over if the quality isn’t good. But what if you were to learn that pictures alone don’t cut it with prospective tenants?

The truth is that a significant portion of the online community shows a strong affinity for videos. Here are some stats to prove it:

•  187.8 million people in the U.S. watched 46.6 billion online content videos in March 2014. The average American spent more than 17 hours watching online video. (Comscore, 2014)
• 72.1 million US smartphone users watched video on their devices at least monthly in 2013. This is expected to rise to 86.8 million, more than a quarter of the US population, in 2014. (Emarketer, 2013)
• Over half of 25-54 year olds share video online. (Emarketer, 2013)
• 45.9% of US online shoppers researched products in-store before ultimately purchasing online. (Emarketer, 2012)
• 90% of consumers watch online video. (Mediapost, 2013)
• 71% of consumers say that video is the best way to bring product features to life. (Multichannel Merchant, 2013)

The tenants you seek are more than likely among these individuals, and that means they’re interested in getting a more in-depth look at your property through videos. It makes sense. Consider how popular the use of property videos have become for real estate agents. Videos offer opportunity for more content, they look more involved and ‘expensive’, and they’re convenient for the viewer. So, it’s smart to pay attention to and integrate this practice in order to increase the likelihood visitors to your property’s website will stick around longer and get the information they need to make a purchase (or, in this case, rental) decision.

Here’s some tips for making it work in the marketing efforts for your property:

1. Set up a YouTube or Vimeo account for the property and brand the channel so it’s easy to find in a search
2. Use a good camera and take photos during the early morning or early evening hours for best lighting
3. Take the photos and crop to capture the best features
4. Put them into a slideshow set to music
5. Upload to the channel you’ve created and ensure settings are public if you want it to be searchable
6. Embed the video and/or a link to the video on your site

Remember that you don’t have to spend a lot of money on professional photos or a video crew to produce a great video. There are plenty of software options out there, both for purchase and complimentary online services that will walk you through the creation of a great marketing tool. In fact, YouTube has one built right in.