×
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Real Estate Photography

Real Estate Video Marketing: An Essential Guide to Shooting Property Videos

Real estate is a visual medium. A typical real estate listing will show property images with information and contact details of the listing agent. So far, these listings have been successful, but today’s buyers want a much richer online experience. Real estate videos have shown tremendous potential in enticing buyers by giving them a better feel for a property.

Real Estate Video Marketing Statistics

  • Real estate listings with property videos receive 403% more inquiries than listings without videos.
  • 85% of consumers want an agent that uses real estate videos for listing marketing.
  • 86% of homebuyers use video to research a particular community.
  • 70% of homebuyers watch video house tours.

Looking at these stats, it’s evident that real estate videos are high-impact marketing tools for real estate agents..

In this post, we will cover: 

  • 3 types of real estate videos
  • Steps to shooting a real estate video
  • Basic rules of real estate video production

3 Types of Real Estate Videos 

1. Virtual Tour

The virtual tour shows the entire house, one room at a time, using photographs and videos. This type of real estate videos can also be done in 360 degrees, allowing the buyers to have the experience of the home themselves. Real estate virtual tours offer good ROI but require more work than a slide show. 

2. Slide Show

This is the easiest and most common style of real estate video. In this type, photographs/videos are dropped onto a template to make it a slide show. 

3. Documentary

This type is the best for bigger homes and luxury properties. This style requires you to film a lot of material. These videos are popular and are most likely to go viral. However, the overall cost of production is very high. 

Other Equipment Needed to Shoot Real Estate Videos

Once you buy the best fit camera to shoot your real estate videos, it is also essential to supplement the camera with supporting equipment. Here's what you should also consider:

  • ‍A robust and strong tripod to keep the camera still.
  • Multiple off-camera flash units enough to brighten a large room without projecting any shadows.
  • A superior quality wide-angle lens to get a fuller and deeper view in confined spaces 
  • Polarizing filter to withdraw and eliminate glare from reflective surfaces such as glass, water, and canvas.
  • A full-frame camera with interchangeable lenses for exceptional quality and real professional-looking photos.
  • Bracket umbrella for adjusting the light source to have the desired effect in the photos.

Real Estate Video Production: 6 Basic Rules 

Rule #1: Highlight only the key features and amenities. It's easier to put the type of fixtures in the description than to show them in the video. For tiny details like floors and windows, throw in a quick voiceover that gives out these details.

Rule #2: When it comes to cinematic real estate videos, the most challenging part is lighting. This includes natural lighting, built-in property fixtures, and lighting kits. Ensure the lighting matches the ambience. The golden hour is when the sun turns magical, and it's the best time to shoot the property. This allows your viewers to see inside and outside of the windows at the same time.

Rule #3: Shoot as wide as often as possible. Close up shots of decor and furniture are not helpful, as those things don't come with the property. Viewers should be able to see the entire room and imagine their own belongings inside. Give a feel for the space, not the material items already inside.

Rule #4: Most of the time, it is difficult to set up all the lighting equipment for getting a couple of shots for a room where lighting is an issue. Hence rather than setting up lights, you need a tripod to click long exposure shots without compromising with the image quality by using a higher ISO. When shooting the outside, set the camera up on a tripod and shoot wide at a low angle.

Rule #5: Add a couple of photos of the property's front, particularly if it has great curb appeal. Time of day is crucial in shooting the exterior, and you should aim for plenty of sunlight to make the home look inviting. Include some quick shots of the neighborhood. By doing so, you add incentive to living or working in that area.

Rule #6: A video is all that it takes to impress your potential buyers. And this is why real estate videos came into the picture and changed the entire real estate game. Keep the final video under 3 minutes. If the property is a multi-million dollar facility, it can be longer as it has plenty to show off. However, it should not go over 8 minutes. 

Real Estate Video Shooting: 6 Steps 

Step 1: Write a brief voiceover script with the details of the house and the local neighborhood's highlights.

Step 2: Record your script on your phone. The script can also act as a "shot list" to make sure you capture all the important features of the property.

Step 3: Before shooting the inside of the house, open all curtains, shades, and windows to allow natural light.

Step 4: Set up your tripod in the corner of each room. Record smooth pans (moving your camera horizontally, from left to right and then right to the left) and tilts (moving the camera vertically, from floor to ceiling and ceiling to floor). For a better view of each room, use a wide-angle lens.

Step 5: When shooting the interiors, take shots of each room, close-ups of the best features of the room, and also film the less cinematic aspects of the house such as garages, washer/dryer units, etc., which the buyers would like to see. Set your camera lower than normal on your tripod; this will ensure you take less of the ceiling and more of the room and flooring.

Step 6.:When filming the exterior: Record slow pans and tilts – front and back of the house. Shoot nice shots of the surroundings –public transportation stops schools, local parks, and shopping areas.

Upgrade Real Estate Videos By Keeping a Few Points in Mind

  • Declutter the space to create clean lines
  • Make sure you have the right equipment
  • Remove pictures of homeowners
  • Avoid shots with pets
  • Strive for the most effective composition
  • Close toilet seats
  • Sell the lifestyle and location, in addition to the property
  • Use the street address in the title of the video
  • Add the video to YouTube
  • Don't pan or zoom too much
  • Avoid distracting background noise

Once you have all the shots required, make sure you focus on editing and enhancing the video.

Know that if shooting great real estate videos is not within your reach, you can still get fantastic marketing videos for your listing. You can transform your ordinary listing into a property that your potential buyers can envision as their dream home. With Styldod's professional staging services, see your listings attract more buyers and fetch higher selling prices.

Our team will help you put together a video of your listing, highlighting all the aspects of the property and everything a buyer would need to know regarding the property and the realtor. The video will contain images of both the house's external and internal views and include all the staged images.


Rahul Agrawal

Co-founder and Chief Business Officer at Styldod

Like What you see?
Get a free trial now
One virtual staging image, One object removal image and two image enhancements are included in this free trial.
AI Marketing Hub
AI-powered property description, email & social creatives for your listing
Powered by ChatGPT
Newly launched