Aiming High with Ben Bacal

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For most real estate agents, selling homes in the upper six figures sounds like a pretty sweet deal. In fact, with the current national median price at $232,200, you’d be earning more than twice what the average agent makes on every sale.

But that wasn’t enough for Ben Bacal.

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I could only reach so many people in a day [knocking on doors]. But if I shoot a video, [and] I have a couple thousand views…I’ve effectively knocked on a thousand doors.

— BEN BACAL

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Ten years ago, as a young, hungry agent in Los Angeles, Ben decided that the listings in Beverly Hills, Bel-Air, and the Hollywood Hills were actually undervalued. He wanted to tap into the market, but there was a problem: Ben, a Toronto native, didn’t have many connections in the luxury scene. So, he went back to basics.

“I started driving through the more affluent neighborhoods,” Ben explained. “I saved up some money, I got a nice BMW…I put my nicest dress shirt on and shoes and I started just driving up to awesome houses and saying, ‘Hey, I have a buyer for your property.’”

Ben’s good old-fashioned door knocking finally paid off with a $20 million sale, which helped shoot his business to the top of the market. Eventually, Ben realized he needed better tools to keep up the pace. “I could only reach so many people in a day [knocking on doors],” he said. “But if I shoot a video, [and] I have a couple thousand views…I’ve effectively knocked on a thousand doors.”

After years of using property videos effectively in his business, Ben saw an opportunity. “Why am I spending…$5,000, $10,000 on these house videos that take weeks to do, when I’m getting just as much action on these little short videos on my iPhone?” Ben told us. “I’ll just keep on shooting them on my iPhone.”

With that in mind, Ben started Roofshoot, a platform that promises to make any real estate agent with a smartphone successful at real estate video. From agent profiles, to listing videos, to testimonials and more, Roofshoot offers easy-to-use templates that allow agents to shoot, edit, and share polished, professional videos that promote their brand.

In this interview, Ben Bacal tells the story of his uncomfortable road to $20 million, and offers up Roofshoot’s recipe for easy, effective real estate video.

– Seth