COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE : Company Promotes Videos as Developers’ Best Selling Point

Developers may think they’ve tried just about everything to line up a financial backer in these troubled times, but they probably haven’t yet resorted to videotape. But if a local company has its way, developers will soon be starring in videos that could probably be titled “It Came From a Tustin Industrial Park.”

A perky press release from a company called Global Video Marketing in Costa Mesa says it will put a videotape of clients’ real estate projects into the hands of people all over the world with money to invest. The company claims that at least two local developers have profited this way.

“Video is the ideal medium for reaching out to the individuals, institutions and syndications of sophisticated financiers worldwide who are investing in American real estate,” says Gene Growbridge of Global Video.

But if you’re a developer in search of money, be sure and wear your best suit. One of the big selling points of video, says Global, is that the potential investor not only gets a good picture of your project but also of you .

“In real estate, the first thing you’re selling is yourself, not your building for sale or a joint venture opportunity,” says Daniel Hopsicker, another Global Video executive.