Selling a home can be a stressful experience. And it might not be apparent at first glance, but music plays a large and integral role in every home sale. Whether you’re looking for a cash home buyer, a residential/MLS end-buyer, or you are working with a realtor… music should help soothe, relax and entice your buyers… in some form or fashion.
Quite a tall task, if you ask me…
As discussed in prior blog entries, the approach to selling that house quickly varies dramatically based on how you’re going to go about getting it sold. To assist you, dear reader, with a bite size chunks – we’ve broken down the topics as follows:
- Why good background music for real estate videos really matters
- How to select the best background music for virtual tours
- Choosing the best music for open house events
- How to create a playlist for that open house
If you’re a home seller, working without an agent, you can read our series of helpful tips and trips to sell your home quickly here, here, and here.
Why good background music matters for home sales
According to one recent publication, it’s been known that music impacts home buyer behavior in many unforeseen ways. For example, one study found songs with a slower tempo, and lower volume encouraged shoppers to stay longer in stores and restaurants. The music literally helped to put individuals at a more relaxed state, in turn elevating moods and favorably impacting time spent in the location. Pretty wild right?
And if music is known to affect consumer behavior in ways that they’re/we’re unaware of – it stands to argue that playing right type of song at the right time will favorably impact the home sale process, too.
All in all, selecting (and applying the right song) is important to the home sale process.
Selecting the best background music for virtual tours (aka real estate videos)
Because the majority of home buyers are now using the internet to find their next home purchase, it’s imperative to stand out against other individuals who are trying to sell their home fast. Accordingly, both realtors and FSBO-sellers (“for sale by owner”) need to introduce video/audio into their marketing toolbelt. If you’re new to photography, please read up on our article discussing how good photography will make or break your home sale.
There’s a ton of software out there that will stitch together professional photos, into an eye catching montage. And there are multiple outlets to post a video recorded on your cell phone to the internet…. but is it enough to just take out your phone, hit record, and then upload the results to YouTube? Facebook? Tiktok?
The short answer is … no.
Beautiful, well-shot and thoughtfully created videos create more incentive on social media platforms than those that have been hastily thrown together. Here are a few examples of successful virtual home sales/tours w/ background music in NJ.
Let’s take a look at a few examples.
This listing was in Cedar Grove, NJ was assembled by combining professionally shot photography with a calmer but progressive beat. It should leave the viewer feeling interested, optimistic and up-beat at the opportunity of quickly buying this New Jersey house.
This second example is a bit more involved.
The realtor does a video introduction of himself, followed by a voice over of professionally shot video/photos of this beautiful home in the Beach Haven West neighborhood of Manahawkin, NJ. The music is very subtle, but it adds a very subtle level of sophistication to this NJ home sale.
I know what you’re thinking – ok ok, you’ve got my attention. But how am I – someone who is not a professional videographer, photographer, DJ or music enthusiast – supposed to pick the perfect stock music for your real estate videos? Easy, just follow these five steps.
Identifying great songs for use in real estate listings
Don’t Choose Music that Distracts from the Video
Search for music between capturing the attention of your views and music that is super loud/popular. The video you’re shooting for is about the house you’re selling, not the background song.
Reminder, it should be supportive.
Don’t choose songs that are super loud or “big”.
Pick Music That Conveys the Right Feeling
Do not select any of the following:
- Creepy, chilling music (only good for a horror flick)
- Rock ballads (only good for montage aka Rocky training videos)
Instead, find a song that conveys something upbeat, positive, warm or cheerful. Happy music will lead to the viewer feeling happy and optimistic about buying your home quickly.
Your video needs music that expresses the charm of the house you’d like to sell.
Vary Your Music Choices
If you’re trying to sell just one property, then this section doesn’t pertain to you.
But, if you’re a realtor … listing several houses a month … do NOT use one song for all your videos.
You don’t stage every listing with the same furniture, right?
Instead, chose a song that accentuates the property. Or the individuals that you’re trying to attract… If you’re looking for a specific type of cash buyer, ask yourself – are you marketing to Gen Z? Gen X? Boomers?
Chose a song (or a genre if you’re making a playlist for an open house) that was popular to that specific group. You’re not going to put hip hop on a track if you’re marketing to seniors, right? Likewise, choosing Frank Sinatra if you’re marketing to Gen Z isn’t going to work either.
Use a Royalty Free Music Provider
You can’t just use Drake’s latest hit in your next video… Unfortunately, that would be copyright infringement. There’s two things that would likely happen:
- The record label would issue a cease and desist letter (threatening you with legal actions, fines, etc) for using copyrighted music.
- YouTube will remove your video and issue a strike against a channel. All that hard work will lead no where and you will eventually be banned from hosting videos on the site – leading to 0 views for that property you were hoping to sell quickly. That’s a classic example of copyright infringement. In a worst-case scenario, Taylor’s label could slap you with a budget-draining lawsuit. In a slightly less worse-case scenario, YouTube will pull down the video you spent hours making, and your clients will start wondering why you haven’t booked any showings of their home.
Your best bet is to find a company that sells background music for real estate videos. A popular company is Soundstripe that works directly with artists to license their music. There are also companies that offer royalty free music that can be used in a variety of applications.
What song should I play during a real estate open house to sell my house quick?
If you’re hosting open houses, you’re more than able to use copyrighted songs. To that end, we’ve put together a list of fun songs that will really set the stage of that property you’re trying to sell quickly.
Sell House Fast with “Finding Home” by Brian Crain
Instrumentals have been used in film and television as a way to bridge scenes. They’re also perfect for creating mood, which is why they are often used when people are looking at homes they want to buy. In fact, just a few seconds of instrumental music can change how potential buyers feel about your home.
So, if you’re trying to sell a home fast, then try playing one of these instrumentals in your background; it’s bound to boost your appeal and make those potential buyers fall in love with your house before you’ve even seen them!
This particular album features modern, jazz-style instrumentals that will instantly put anyone at ease—whether you play it on full blast or let it play softly in the background while potential buyers tour through your home.
The rhythm helps build excitement and allows conversations to flow freely, which helps salespeople seal deals faster.
Sell House for Cash With “Inspiring” Music by Sophonic Media
If you’re in a hurry, want your home sold quickly, and need something that will put you right into an inspirational state of mind, then consider playing Inspiring. This album features peaceful instrumentals that come from all over the world—from Asian flutes to Middle Eastern lyres and drums—and combines them with relaxing ambient nature sounds. The result is music that instantly puts people in a calm state of mind.
It’s perfect for those potential buyers who like their cash home buyers cheery and optimistic.
Play it loud enough for potential buyers to hear it when they step through your front door or play it softly on loop for background music throughout your home— either way, they’ll be impressed by how friendly and upbeat you are!
And don’t forget: these songs don’t only have to be played at home; try playing them at your business, whether it’s an art gallery, gym, or small shop! These songs are ideal for getting customers excited about whatever services you have to offer.
They won’t even realize what they’re doing—it’ll just seem like they’ve stumbled upon some hidden gem as soon as they enter!
Home by Phillip Phillips
For cash home buyers looking for that feel-good, country-style home, then there’s no better song than Home. This guitar-driven ballad was a massive hit in 2012 and topped both US and UK charts. The tune speaks of coming back to a familiar place—whether it be home or back to someone you love—after an adventure has come to an end.
If a potential buyer is homesick or ready for a change in their life, they’re going to find plenty of comfort and excitement in listening to Home over and over again throughout your house.
Boasting a unique sound thanks to its interesting banjo interludes, Home will appeal to anyone who loves country music.
And since buying a new home can sometimes seem like taking on an adventure all on its own, those who like exploring different places are bound to fall in love with whatever environment it sets them up in!
I’m Coming Home by Skylar Grey
Persistence is key when you’re trying to sell a house fast and getting potential buyers excited about your place.
If you’ve exhausted all your other tactics and you still can’t get a potential buyer excited about making an offer, then try playing I’m Coming Home. This song speaks of finding that feeling of coming home again, no matter where you are in life or what’s happening around you—if someone’s just looking for something to come back to, they’ll find plenty of comfort in listening to it over and over again while they look through your house!
In fact, there’s even been some research out there showing that certain songs actually have stress-reducing effects on people; if playing them repeatedly has such calming properties, imagine how appealing they must be to those who need some peace in their lives!
If a potential buyer has had trouble deciding whether or not now is really the right time to buy a new house, then play I’m Coming Home for them until it becomes their new theme song. They’ll wonder why they ever waited so long to make a decision since as soon as they hear these uplifting lyrics one more time, it’s sure to convince them that buying your house will change their lives forever.
Corporate Ambient by Turpak
Emotional, nostalgic, and hopeful—this is just a few of many words that can be used to describe how someone might feel while they listen to Corporate Ambient. This album combines soothing piano sounds with ambient nature noises and whispers of phrases like your dreams are possible, and you’re capable of anything.
It’s an ideal choice for buyers who want something peaceful to play in their background as they walk through your house or shop! And don’t forget: these songs aren’t only useful when you’re trying to sell your house— they can also come in handy during open houses, too! If you’re going to have people walking through your property over and over again, you’ll want them to feel at home; no matter what song suits your style best from above, any one of them should help potential buyers find comfort and make buying decisions based on emotion rather than practicality.
![[Royalty Free] Background music for Real Estate presentation & Corporate videos](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ALXZ_hKMuhg/maxresdefault.jpg)
Making Memories by Steve Fawcett
When we buy houses in NJ, especially ones that need to be remodeled, there’s a lot of emotion and thought involved in our decision-making process. This is because home buying can bring up memories from our pasts—and if a potential buyer is experiencing buyer’s remorse, playing Making Memories should put them back into a positive state of mind.
The music combines soft piano playing with nature sounds like wind, waterfalls, birds, and waves. If someone is feeling uncertain about their decision-making process or finding it hard to make a decision on your house, then they’ll find plenty of comfort in listening to it over and over again!
Creating that perfect real estate playlist to find a cash buyer fast
We told you not to use the same song for every video, but that doesn’t mean you have to start from scratch with each new project.
Here are some quick tips to get that open house grooving.
- Setup several bluetooth speakers. Leave them in the entryway, bathroom, and guest bedrooms. The music will follow the home buyers throughout the house.
- Set the right mood.
- Be Authentic.
Find a good playlist that fits the time and space. Save that list in Youtube, or Spotify and let it run on autopilot.
Popular Spotify Playlists for Real Estate Open Houses
If you’re looking for pre-saved playlists, here are some of my favorites. The following links will open in Spotify.
Real Estate Open House At Home Feel Good
Final Thoughts
Make your music choice tie the home together, and don’t let it overwhelm the home. You can even strategically place Bluetooth speakers throughout the home so the music seamlessly plays as buyers walk through it to ensure it really sets the tone, just be sure to do your own walkthrough before anyone else comes to ensure the appropriate volume is set everywhere.
Have fun with your selection, and make your listing pop!