Carlos Gutierrez is a principle Realtor with Keller Williams Miami Beach working in Miami Beach.

Every week, we ask a Miami real estate professional for their thoughts on the top three stories from the week before. This week, we spoke with Carlos Gutierrez, a principle Realtor at Keller Williams Miami Beach. 

Miami Agent (MA): Online marketing is becoming a bigger and bigger part of real estate, with many agents relying on social media and personal websites to network and generate leads. One particular tool agents are only just recently coming around to is video, more specifically YouTube. Have you used video, and if so, how has it helped your business?

Carlos Gutierrez (CG): Yes. I have and still do use video to set myself apart, and really I use the medium in two ways. The first, I do marketing videos, which I send out through our database and to my clients, friends and family, explaining what’s going on in the market from the ground level and providing my own insights for what’s trending and what to look for in the future. It’s been really successful in terms of: (1) Getting the word out to my referral partners so they can catch up in 2 minutes; and (2) They also act as a marketing tool, showing my clients before they even meet me that I’m competent, well-spoken and I understand the market.

The second way I’ve used video is to tell the story of a property, providing clients with virtual walk-throughs and tours. It’s been an extreme boon to my business because not only does it allow me to showcase a property in a complete unique medium, but it gives my clients the chance to learn a property inside and out before they ever tour it.

In regards to YouTube, it’s a great tool. First of all, it’s free. And secondly, it automatically optimizes for mobile, which means a person can just as easily watch one of my high-def videos on their mobile phone as they can their desktop. The way it’s setup up, when a client watches a video via their mobile device, YouTube will readjust the pixels for a smooth, seamless stream.

I’ve paid people to do my videos in the past, but I also do many of the photos and videos myself.

MA: High-end buyers often have the luxury of being more particular in their homebuying choices, which can make them difficult to market to. As a certified luxury home marketing specialist, what advice would you give to young agents working on luxury listings?

CG: A couple pieces of advice, some are common sense, but new agents don’t always adhere to them. The first, take great photos, or even better, hire a photographer. I have studied a bit of photography and have professional-grade equipment, but it’s really how you use it that matters. So even if they’re equipped, if a new agent doesn’t feel comfortable taking high quality photos, I say hire a photographer. Nothing is a bigger turnoff than running into a property on the MLS that only has one or two low quality photos. I read something like 85 percent of buyers start their search for a new home online, and the No. 1 thing that will get them to stop on your listing is the picture.

I would even suggest taking things a step further and including videos. It’s the best way to tell the story of a property and, ultimately, the best way to market a luxury property. Video can help explain unusual floor plans and layouts that pictures might not be able to capture.

The second piece of commonsense advice I’d give is: Do your homework. Before you meet the clients, learn everything you can about both the home itself and the neighborhood. Don’t attempt to wing it. Rehearse, practice going over the data and what’s in the neighborhood.

Two lesser-known “tricks of the trade,” which I always mention in a class I teach for the Miami Association of Realtors, are: (1) Become a student of personality types; and (2) Aim to have less showings.

In my class, we tech four different personality types using the acronym DISC. “D” is some who’s very direct and only cares about the end result. “I” stands for influencer, which refers to people who are highly relational. They want to know people before they go into business with them. The “S” are the stabilizers. They don’t like chaos, so they like to smooth out situations and establish stability. “C” means cautious and very detail oriented.

You can see how if you walk into a negotiation and try selling to the wrong person, it can be disastrous. Come in prepared to handle the most difficult personality – cautious buyers ­ which means having all your homework done and information prepared.

In terms of having fewer showings, which might sound counterintuitive, a lot of agents confusing activity with productivity. For instance, if you show a listing 20 times, an agent might feel like they’re doing great. But if I showed the same listing five times and get the same offer, I would be more productive – not to mention doing a service to the client by not bogging them down with an unnecessary amount of showings.

The focus should be quality. Try weeding out who’s not a good fit for the home so you don’t waste your time on fruitless showings. I always ask prospective buyers: Are you buying cash or financing; is it an investment or a primary home; have they seen the video (so they know more about the property); what style of home are they looking for; and do they know the neighborhood. Everything designed to filter out buyers who are just going to come to the showing, take a quick look and then leave because they know it’s not for them.

MA: Miami has an incredibly diverse market, not only in terms of properties, but also demographics. Foreign buyers from all around the world come to Miami to invest, which can make communication difficult. How do you bridge the cultural and communication gaps to make successful sales with foreign buyers and sellers?

CG: It’s very important to understand a little bit about their culture – not everything, but business habits and a few non-business habits is a must. Real estate agents have a lot of responsibilities, from taking photos to social media to interior design, but we also, in many cases, have to be tour guides and educators. So, when these foreign buyers are in town, they’re not just interested in real estate and how the market’s doing, but they’re also interested in what’s going on in Miami. Why are people from all over the world coming to our city?

My particular advantage is I speak four different languages: Spanish, French, Brazilian Portuguese and English. So I try to attract buyers from those areas and it helps to make them more comfortable when we’re driving around, looking at houses for a few hours. It’s a great way to, as you said, bridge the gap in communication.