For Craig Veroni, Vancouver is more than where he works. It's where he's spent most of his life and built his real estate career.
Before becoming an agent, Craig spent more than a decade working as a professional film and television actor. He brought that experience into real estate, creating educational YouTube videos and cinematic neighbourhood tours that helped buyers navigate Vancouver's housing market.
Eventually, approximately 75% of his business came from YouTube.
"People would see my videos," Craig said. "They'd reach out to me and say, 'We're thinking of moving here. Can you help us find a home?'"
Then, in 2024, a fire in the unit above his family's home changed everything. The resulting flood destroyed 60% of their belongings and damaged more than 75% of their home.
"Everything that I had been working on and building to that point suddenly came to a crashing halt," Craig said.
Displaced from his home and without a suitable filming space, Craig watched his video production stop and his incoming leads slow.
"In the back of my head all the time was, how do I get back to doing the video content?"
HeyGen gave him an answer.
Rebuilding his video presence without filming
Craig knew video worked, but traditional production demanded time, equipment, and locations. His neighbourhood tours could take more than a week to produce.
Then two fellow agents told him they were generating business using AI avatars.
"I did a double take, and I went, 'What? There's no way that someone has taken a brand new channel using a digital twin and is getting business from it.'"
Curious, Craig joined a training group, created his digital twin with HeyGen, and published his first Instagram Reel.
"I could create this digital twin that looked like me and sounded like me," Craig said. "For me, that was the first 'Oh my God, this could work.'"
Instead of filming every update, Craig could turn local real estate news into videos featuring a realistic version of himself.
"I started using HeyGen because I was looking for a way to start creating video content again without the burden of creating actual video content."
Building an audience that knows, likes, and trusts him
Craig wasn't interested in using his digital twin for novelty content. He wanted to provide the same useful information that had made his original videos successful.
"The twin exists to keep people informed about what's happening locally and provide them with information," Craig said.
He built his avatar using footage from his existing video library and paired it with professionally recorded voice models. He still writes, reviews, and fact-checks scripts against local market data.
"Everything has to be very, very accurate," Craig said. "The moment I lose trust with my audience, it's game over."
Initially, Craig worried viewers wouldn’t connect with an AI version of him.
The response surprised him.
"Every single post that I'd made had outperformed anything that I did personally," he said.
Soon, strangers began recognizing him in person. One even pulled over while Craig was walking his dog to thank him for his videos.
"You can use a digital twin and establish authenticity with your audience," Craig said. "I think I've proven that I can use AI, build an audience that knows me, likes me, and trusts me."
Quadrupling his Instagram following in 10 months
Craig started publishing one HeyGen Reel daily before increasing to two, sharing housing market updates, local news, and information for Vancouver residents.
Over approximately 10 months, his Instagram following quadrupled from around 1,500 to nearly 6,000.
"I quadrupled my Instagram following," Craig said. "Which blew my mind."
His content now reaches more than 770,000 accounts monthly and generates approximately 60,000 to 70,000 interactions. Individual Reels regularly surpass 100,000 views.
The increased visibility supports Craig's ambition to become Vancouver's "digital mayor," a familiar source of local knowledge.
Just as importantly, HeyGen frees him to spend more time with clients.
"The digital twin helps free me up to do more one-on-one stuff with my clients," he said.
Getting his freedom and enthusiasm for video back
Craig still films traditional property tours and personally hosts videos that require his presence.
"My utilization of HeyGen and the news Reels is not a replacement for the actual video content that I create at all," he said.
Instead, his digital twin keeps him visible while he focuses on clients and property marketing.
What began as a way to rebuild after an unexpected disruption has become an essential part of Craig's marketing strategy.
"HeyGen's given me freedom, a renewed enthusiasm, and an excitement about video content," Craig said. "It's given me moments and interactions with people that still blow my mind."
