If you’re working in real estate today, producing regular, high-quality video is essential. The only problem is that no one teaches you how to do it…

That’s why when Chris Ristau began shooting video in 2015, he gave up after only a year. It wasn’t until 2018 that he fully came to terms with how crucial it was for his brokerage and began shooting videos in his garage.

In 2019, they made a significant step forward by hiring heir first brand manager/videographer. In 2020, he invested substantially to build a video studio in the office. He was going all in with video – and not only for his brokerage and team brand but for every agent in the brokerage to strengthen their own name recognition.

Chris decided to address the problem (that no one teaches you how to create video) head-on by developing a comprehensive training program to help his agents excel in video production. This training is so robust that it’s actually a fundamental part of his recruiting strategy. Video really is the DNA of Chris’s team.

• It took around two years for Chris and his team to develop their current training playbook.
• As part of their interview process, they record candidates to see whether they’re comfortable in front of a camera.
• Many agents are initially hesitant to start creating videos of themselves. It can take up to six months for agents to become consistent and confident in their video production skills.
• They won’t hire some agents because they have an aversion to video. They wouldn’t be a good cultural fit.
• To determine what should be included in their training program, they researched what agents are looking for and identified their major concerns.

• Nine virtual assistants (VAs) cover a range of fields
• Manage social media posts, graphic design, and editing
• Help with their CRM (kvCORE) management with such tasks as tagging and setting up follow-up campaigns
• Facilitate the creation and sending of monthly email newsletters
• Design graphics, including social media posts for the brokerage, team, and individual agents
• Write content
• Develop landing pages and funnels
• Two in-house video editors edit brokerage, team, and agent videos. To manage the workload, they use Monday.com for project management.

• While onboarding averages around 3-4 days and training takes about 90, it typically takes agents about 4-6 months to embrace and attain a high level of competence in video. Initial training consists of modules on
• Building profiles and establishing a strong online presence.
• Implementing funnels for prospecting, database, sphere of influence, and Open House funnels.
• Drip campaigns using different social media platforms.
• All these training components are housed within the kvCORE CRM platform.
• Ongoing training is organized around quarterly topics. These are held on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings. Additional training is offered Monday through Friday night.

• Agents learn to create different types of videos and are provided with information from a variety of sources to enhance their video production.
• One resource is Altos Research, which offers national, state, county, and city data so agents can stay on top of market trends.
• Another resource is KCM (Keeping Current Matters), which provides insights and analysis on real estate industry news.
• Agents understand that consumers value videos that help them make informed decisions.