Interweaving content across a custom-designed YouTube™ portal as well as the Coldwell
Banker national Web site, Coldwell Banker On Location offers both consumers and real estate
professionals like yourselves a new way to engage in the home buying and selling process—
using video to an extent never before seen in our industry!
2. Welcome to Coldwell Banker® On Location!
Interweaving content across a custom-designed YouTube™ portal as well as the Coldwell
Banker national Web site, Coldwell Banker On Location offers both consumers and real estate
professionals like yourselves a new way to engage in the home buying and selling process—
using video to an extent never before seen in our industry!
We’re thrilled that you will be joining Coldwell Banker in this exciting new online initiative. By
developing your own video content to be posted to Coldwell Banker On Location, you will help
us build an ever-growing library of attention-grabbing video listings and immensely valuable
local market insights—at a depth consumers can get nowhere else. At the same time, you will
be building the profile of both yourself and your company. It’s a true win-win scenario!
The Purpose of This Handbook
THIS DOCUMENT IS INTENDED TO DO SEVERAL THINGS:
GET YOU EXCITED. Use of video offers incredible potential and opportunity for you, your company
and the Coldwell Banker brand overall. We’re excited about it, and we want you to get excited too!
BUILD UNDERSTANDING. We want to ensure that you understand how the Coldwell Banker On
Location initiative came to life—and why we think this is one of the most groundbreaking moves
being made by any major real estate brand.
OFFER YOU TIPS. The following pages will give you a ton of ideas in terms of the types of video
segments you can create and post to the On Location site. It also offers some quick helpful tips to
keep in mind to make those videos as appealing as possible to consumers.
BUILD YOUR CONFIDENCE. The more you experiment with developing short video segments, the
more comfortable you will become—and the more value you will find in terms of what video can do
for your business and for the public’s positive perception of the Coldwell Banker brand.
HELP BUILD A “NETWORK EFFECT”. As you and others begin posting your video content to
Coldwell Banker On Location, we know that other professionals across the national Coldwell Banker
network will start to grasp the amazing potential of the medium—and get excited to shoot and post
their own segments. This will help build a “network effect” that ensures that the On Location site will
continue to grow with great new local content for consumers to search.
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3. Why Coldwell Banker® On Location?
Before we offer you specific tips on how you can create great To answer these kinds of questions, you need deep local
video content that will grab consumers’ attention, let’s step knowledge. Which is precisely what Coldwell Banker real
back and answer the most important question—why estate professionals like yourself bring to the table.
Coldwell Banker On Location?
Coldwell Banker On Location is all about building the Web’s
• Where did this concept come from? richest array of real estate video content that is also the
• Why is Coldwell Banker investing so much time and richest in local insights. It’s the combination of these two
energy to bring it to life? missing pieces of the puzzle that make this site so exciting.
The answer is simple. Video is the future of real estate. To create On Location, Coldwell Banker worked with
Think about it. Consumers are accessing more video through YouTube™ to develop a totally customized framework and
more channels than ever before. This includes through their experience.
computers, their mobile phones and through a range of other
handheld devices. And soon, as the Internet and television As you know, YouTube™ is one of the first places most
continue to “converge,” consumers will be watching increasing consumers go today when looking for video content
numbers of Web videos on their TVs. online. What you may not know, though, is that consumers
are increasingly turning to YouTube™ for much more than
Clearly, online is where the action is when it comes to real entertainment. In fact, YouTube™ is now the world’s second
estate. It’s where consumers first turn when thinking about largest search engine, trailing only Google™.
where they may want to live, checking out prices in a certain
area or browsing homes available for sale. Yet a few critical Many consumers now search YouTube™ for content related
elements are still missing from the online equation—in to practical information they need—including when they
terms of what consumers have access to today: want to know more about a specific area or town.
• Moving images of the homes they may want to purchase.
Descriptions, snapshots and even slideshow “virtual tours”
only go so far. We all know that seeing is believing—and SO IN SUMMARY…
given Americans’ widespread access to broadband and
time spent online, the evolution toward video listings is Coldwell Banker is the first real estate brand to launch
all but guaranteed. an easy to use online destination for video content that
• Truly local perspectives on the areas they may want to offers consumers local, regional and national insights and
move. While consumers can find a massive amount of real information on everything real estate.
estate data online, the vast majority of it lacks true, on-the- Coldwell Banker On Location uses video to help
ground insight. consumers find out more about the local areas and real
What’s it really like to live in a certain city or region of estate issues that matter most to them.
the country?
Coldwell Banker is the first in the industry to put the
What are important trends a potential buyer should be full power of its brand and network behind a tool that
aware of in a given town? represents the future of real estate—the video listing.
What should sellers know to attract the kinds of buyers
coming to your area?
Video is the future of real estate...
online is where the action is.
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4. A Short-List of Essential Video Tips addressing recent real estate trends in your area (as an
example). But for many other types of segments, you’ll need
to think through what settings or visuals can bring the piece
Developing your own video content to post to
to life for viewers.
Coldwell Banker® On Location will hopefully be a fun
experience—and will help you to build a valuable new Do You Have Permission? Whenever you film someone for
skill set that will ultimately enhance your ability to one of your video segments, it’s important that you secure
promote your company, yourself and your career. their formal and written permission to broadcast their
image on the Web. This is a simple process. All you must
While video can be used in so many different ways,
do is have any person that you intend to film sign a simple
good video segments have some common characteristics.
video waiver form provided by Coldwell Banker. There are two
Below are some quick tips to give you a good foundation
places where you can access a copy of this waiver form for
and to get you thinking.
your use:
• Page 7 (Addendum A) in this Handbook
SO FOR NOW, LET’S RUN DOWN SOME SIMPLE TIPS • Posted to Coldwell Banker Works in the On Location
FOR MAKING GREAT VIDEOS section
Shorter Is Better. Aside from original programming like If any children or teenagers under the age of 18 appear in one
TV shows, few consumers will sit through a long Web video. of your video segments, you must receive a signed waiver
Your segments can range in length, but anywhere from 1- form from their parent or guardian. You should keep all of
to 3-minutes is the sweet spot for Web videos. your signed waiver forms together in a safe place, so they
are easily accessible should anyone who has appeared in
Tell A Story. Each segment should ideally tell some kind of one of your videos dispute your right to post that segment to
“story.” That story may be about a wonderful property for sale Coldwell Banker On Location.
in your area and its most unique features. Or that story may NOTE: If someone originally signed your video waiver, but
be about why retirees are flocking to your city. But one way or then has second thoughts down the road once the video
another, you need to shape a story that clearly communicates is "live," you may simply choose to remove that particular
some kind of valuable information to your potential viewers. segment from the Coldwell Banker On Location site. This
will be your decision, based on the nature of that individual’s
Can We See It/Hear It? As noted above, you will have
concern and your relationship with them.
further help on the “technical” side of the video process.
But remember to keep both lighting and sound in mind Starting on page 8 of this Handbook (Addendum B), you
when shooting a segment. Is the spot where you are filming will find more details on specific technical specifications—
very busy with lots of background noise that may drown provided by the folks at YouTube™. This Addendum includes
out or interfere with whomever is speaking to the camera? useful information on key technical considerations for both
Are you shooting in a dimly lit area? These are just two of visuals and audio, such as: image resolution, aspect ratio,
the common challenges you need to think through when it High Definition (HD) versus Standard Definition (SD), bit
comes to lighting and sound. rate, frame rate and Codec.
Is It Watchable? Again, this is more on the technical side, Do YouTube® submissions need to be professionally
but how a video piece is edited makes a big difference on produced? No! In fact, the most common videos that appear
whether it offers value to a potential viewer. If it’s too choppy, on YouTube® are basic “video diary” style recordings, shot with
or cuts too quickly between different points it’s making or a home video camera or webcam. However if you already have
different visuals, consumers are more likely to just click away. a professionally produced video to post or would like to invest
Obviously, quick camera movements that give the viewer in one, then you’re welcome to do that as well.
whiplash or a shaking camera are also not desirable.
What if I already have an existing Coldwell Banker real estate
What About the Visuals? Visuals help you to tell your story. related video on YouTube®? Then make sure you move it to
So for each piece you do, you should think about what the Coldwell Banker On Location! The majority of your work is
best setting will be, and how you can weave in other visuals already done as there’s no need to record a new video. Plus
to support what you are saying. It will be fine in some cases the chances of someone viewing your segment will increase
to take simple footage of yourself in your office, briefly on the new Coldwell Banker On Location YouTube® page.
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5. Bringing Your Listings to Life
We all know a few lines of newspaper text no longer cut it • No real estate brand or site is doing video listings in
when it comes to moving a home. But for today’s tech-savvy a focused way. There are videos here and there online
consumers, even photos of a listed property may not be showing homes for sale. But they are not centralized, not
enough to get them excited. focused and certainly not easy for a consumer to search
for or find. Because of this, On Location—and the video
That’s why video listings represent one key to the future of listings that will live there—presents a TREMENDOUS
real estate. competitive advantage!
MORE THAN A VIRTUAL TOUR… HOW CONSUMERS WILL SEARCH ON LOCATION FOR
So what exactly is a video listing? First, it’s not what the VIDEO LISTINGS…
industry today recognizes as a "virtual tour." One of the more unique aspects of Coldwell Banker® On
Location is the ability to search for videos through a special
A “virtual tour” is typically a series of still images in a slide-
map feature that is being developed specifically for the site.
show format. There is no question that additional photos
The map “widget” is a large and prominent feature on the
of a property will attract potential buyer far more than a
On Location site, and a main “point of entry” for consumers
single shot or a text-only listing. But a moving image is
searching for a home or for more information on a
more engaging by far.
specific area.
When your prospective buyers can follow you, via video, as
By clicking one of the main site links titled “Browse By Map,”
you share the major features and special highlights of a listed
consumers can enter the city / state or zip code of their
property – then you are giving them something truly worthy
choosing—which will then immediately pull up all videos
of the word “tour.”
posted to On Location associated with that specific area.
The results returned in that search will include video listings,
VIDEO LISTINGS EQUAL A COMPETITIVE EDGE… agent profile videos and a range of other types of videos
Here are three reasons why video listings give you a about that local community.
competitive edge in today’s market:
• Traditional listings are now everywhere online. With such PLANNING YOUR VIDEO LISTING…
easy access to listings from so many sources, consumers Every good video tells a story and follows some kind of script.
can quickly search what’s available. So basic listings alone
are no longer an advantage for anyone in the industry. Your In considering about how to best showcase a home or
edge comes from instantly providing listings to consumers property in a video listing, you should pre-identify which
wherever they may be (listings anytime, anywhere)—as well four or five aspects will make the strongest impression
as serving them up in a innovative new way (video). on potential buyers.
• Consumers are super-savvy. They use technology in ways This list of highlights will provide you with a focus for your
that would be unthinkable just 15 years ago—and have filming—ensuring that you get the most compelling features
increasingly high expectations about the information they on film, without running too long.
feel should be accessible online. And for those on the hunt
for a home, the information they want is MORE! They
want as “real” an experience of a property as they can get,
even before they visit it. And remember—they’re out there
shooting all kinds of videos. Why shouldn’t they expect
the same from you?
Video listings represent key to the future of real estate.
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6. Video Segment Ideas (Just Some of Many!)
When it comes to developing brief video segments about • Did You Know?... Segments that offer consumers a brief
your area, insights and expertise, there are a million different set of useful, “actionable” tips grouped around a common
ideas and story angles that you can pursue. Once you really challenge or need. For example:
get rolling, you’re likely to come up with many different
things to say—and ways to say it—using the video medium. ° Smart Questions Every Buyer Should Ask Their Real
Estate Professional
So while there are scores of potential angles and approaches ° Time to Buy?: Assessing Your Financial Readiness
that you might ultimately take, here is a list of examples and
suggestions to help get you started. ° Five Things Would-Be Sellers Need to Know in a
Tough Market
As you read through the below list, you’ll see that some of • Seasonal Perspectives. A series of segments themed
these segments are “one-off’s,” while others can easily be around the seasons, offering ideas on places to go/things
shaped into a recurring “series”: to do in an area at a certain time of year—or offering
• Great Things About [AREA]. A series of brief segments insights into a key seasonal trend.
highlighting some of the very best things about your area. ° For example, many areas of the country have a Summer
rental market. So you could do a segment on what
° This series can be broad, covering all types of hidden summer renters should look for, how they can find the
gems and things to know about a given town, city or
region (i.e., food, culture, historic landmarks or facts, right rental for their family and how trends in what
places to visit, notable people, etc.). renters are looking for have changed over the years.
° You can create different video series, each focused ° Other trends that can be highlighted here are the annual
around a specific theme (i.e., Places to Go, Places to Eat, Spring buying season, second home markets and trends, etc.
Fun Facts, Moments in History, City Spirit, etc.). • A Focus on Giving. Many Coldwell Banker® companies lend
° One video series could be focused on different local their support to local charitable or community events. These
neighborhoods within a city or town, showcasing their events offer a great opportunity to film a brief video segment
architecture, local attractions and “personality.” to post to Coldwell Banker On Location—particularly
when it is involves a group/public activity like a Habitat
• Hot Trends to Watch or In the News segments that for Humanity build day, park clean-up, a walk-a-thon or
key off of major real estate headlines hitting the national something special you are sponsoring at your offices.
stage, and/or picking up on hot trends in your own area. For
example: • Hello, My Name is… A short video focused on YOU—
offering a little bit of background on how you got into real
° You can provide local perspective on national news estate, why you love your work and why your love your
stories about home inventory levels or prices.
area of the country. This type of short segment will nicely
° You can dig into an interesting local demographic support your other video pieces, offering potential viewers
trend, such as where retirees relocating in the area a bit of background about the person behind the camera.
most like to live. You can take this in a number of directions and can film in
° You can provide the local perspective on monthly a variety of locations. But the key is to share your energy
NAR figures. and enthusiasm, and to let your potential viewers get
to know them.
° You can offer timely insights to first time homebuyers,
given recent trends in affordability, interest rates and • “Meet the Team” Office Tour. A brief tour of your
inventory that put them in the driver’s seat. Coldwell Banker office, offering different members of the
team a chance to say hello. To keep the focus on valuable
local content, each person who says hello to the camera
can share one thing they love most about their local area.
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7. ADDENDUM A
LEGAL WAIVER FOR THOSE APPEARING IN COLDWELL BANKER® ON LOCATION VIDEOS
Whereas, _____________________(hereinafter referred to as “the Participant”), has agreed to appear in the
production of a video program produced by Coldwell Banker (Insert DBA here) for Coldwell Banker Real Estate
LLC (hereinafter referred to as “the Company”); and
Whereas, it is the desire of the Participant and the Company to understand that this non-Broadcast video will be
distributed via DVD, videotape, print, on the internet or world wide web;
It is therefore agreed as follows:
1. _______________ has agreed to the use of his/her picture/likeness and to participate in the production of a
video and further agrees to the use of his/her likeness, face and voice regarding the production of a video for the
Company.
2. Whether this production is recorded or duplicated in whole or in part, the Participant shall not receive
compensation for the use of this production or the Participant’s picture/likeness in the production. The Company
has worldwide rights to the likeness of the Participant’s picture/likeness in perpetuity.
3. In execution of this Release, the Participant acknowledges that he/she is releasing any proprietary interest
or claim for compensation for the use by the Company of his/her picture/likeness and/or performance in
connection with the production of this video and that they hereby release Shamrock Communications/
Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC/Insert DBA here, its successors or assigns from any and all claims which
they may now have or, which may accrue in the future for the Company’s production, filming videotaping,
duplicating, selling or broadcasting of this production or of the Participant’s likeness.
Date: _______________
Participant or Guardian (print):______________________________________________
Participant or Guardian (signature): __________________________________________
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8. ADDENDUM B
VIDEO AND AUDIO TECHNICAL STANDARDS & RECOMMENDATIONS FROM YOUTUBE™
Below is an overview of the video and audio specifications you will need for the best results in preparing and
uploading your files onto the Coldwell Banker® On Location YouTube™ platform. For further details, please read
the information listed directly following the summary contained in the below table.
VIDEO
Recommended: 1290 x 720 (16x9 HD) and 640 x 480 (4:3 SD)
Resolution There is no required minimum resolution - in general the higher resolution the better and
HD resolution is preferred. For older content, lower resolution is unavoidable.
Because bit-rate is highly dependent on Codec, there is no recommended or minimum
Bit rate value. Videos should be optimized for resolution, aspect ratio and frame rate rather than
bit rate.
The frame rate of the original video should be maintained without re-sampling.
Frame rate In particular, pulldown and other frame rate re-sampling techniques are strongly
discouraged.
Codec H.264, MPEG-2 or MPEG-4 preferred
AUDIO
Codec MP3 or AAC preferred
Sampling rate 44.1kHz
Channels 2 (stereo)
Container MPEGTS (MPEG2 transport stream)
YouTube™ recently began offering users an option to view content in high definition-720p resolution (when the
source video that is uploaded supports this standard). Please note: YouTube™ cannot guarantee that videos will
always be transcoded into this format, given that users can still choose to view video content in standard format.
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9. How to best upload widescreen videos:
Originals Please!
The less a video is re-encoded prior to uploading, the better the resulting YouTube™ video quality. We encourage
you to upload your videos as close to the original source format as possible, with a minimum of intermediate
re-encoding steps. Each re-encoding can generally degrade the quality of your video and create some specific
problems too, which we’ll address below.
Aspect Ratio
The aspect ratio of the original source video should always be maintained when it’s uploaded. Uploaded videos
should never include letterboxing or pillarboxing bars.
The YouTube™ player automatically adds black bars so that videos are displayed correctly without cropping or
stretching, whatever the size of the video or the player. For example, the player will automatically add vertical
bars (pillarboxing) to 4:3 videos in the new 16:9 widescreen player size. If the player is re-sized (when embedded
on another website for example) the same process takes place, so that 16:9 videos are letterboxed (black bars
top and bottom) when the player is sized to 4:3, for example. Similarly, anamorphic videos will be automatically
letterboxed when shown in either 16:9 or 4:3 sized players. The player can only do this if the native aspect ratio of
the video is maintained.
If letterboxing is added to a video before it is uploaded (to create a 4:3 video from a 16:9 master for example), the
widescreen player will add pillarbox bars too, resulting in black bars all around the video (windowboxing) and a
bad viewing experience.
Frame Rate
The video frame-rate should be the same as the original where possible—up-sampling from a 24 fps original can
cause judder artifacts for example. For film sources a 24 fps or 25 fps progressive master yields the best results
while videos that have had a re-sampling transfer process applied—such as Telecine pulldown—often result in a
lower quality video.
Resolution
High-definition videos are the preferred format, which result in YouTube™ videos of the highest quality currently
available. It also means your video can be upgraded as new formats are developed on the site.
Testing
Since there is no facility to re-upload videos, it’s important to test your audio and video quality are satisfactory
before you release your video publicly onto YouTube™ Once a video becomes popular, the number of views, user
ratings, user comments and other community data cannot be transferred if another, higher-quality version of the
same video is uploaded.
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