At Burbank residential brokerage Media West Realty Inc., making movies is just as important as listing homes. With its own production and postproduction studios, Media West has innovated by borrowing techniques from Hollywood to promote clients’ properties and their cities. Owner Bryan Ochse said by using professionally made movies to market residences, his company stands out in a crowded real estate market. The objective of the films is the same as for Hollywood blockbusters: If they can evoke emotion from prospective buyers, there will likely be a sale, he explained. “We all sell real estate, but we’re all doing it the same way, so it’s not interesting anymore,” he said. “(With the movies), we sell the city, the area and the lifestyle. Then we sell the home and we sell the agents. It’s a combination of all those factors. We drive enough excitement to drive you to the house.” Ochse used to own and run a production company but closed it a number of years ago. Rather than sell the equipment and the large studio building, about five years ago he combined his video experience with his residential real estate expertise into Media West. He now runs the business with his brother-in-law, John David Dick, who used to work for TV and e-commerce retailer QVC Inc. Media West highlights homes in its movies and the cities where agents typically have listings. Agents are coached to perform – and look – like TV news anchors, Ochse said. They memorize scripts, get their hair and makeup done by professionals, and wear microphones. When shooting on location at homes, the company hires professional actors to lend some motion to the scenes and even sends up a drone for aerial shots. In the studio, agents read from teleprompters and stand in front of green screens to be composited later over other video footage. “The agents have to be poised and practiced and look great in front of a camera,” Ochse said. Agents and camera crews also make movies about the cities where homes are listed, talking up local schools, power and water departments, doctors and/or the police department. The movies might also include voiceovers and graphics. The brokerage distributes the final edited movies through video letters emailed to all area brokers. The videos can also be found on its website and social media accounts. Ochse said the approach seems to work. Last year, Media West doubled its number of agents to 49. “Marketing is everything,” he said. “The reason why some Realtors work more than others is not because they’re a better practitioner of their craft, or more ethical, but that they’re a better marketer.” – Carol Lawrence
