Video Marketing has proven to scale businesses quickly, yet most Real Estate Agents don’t make the effort to take advantage of this content marketing strategy. Real Estate listing videos are a great strategy to achieve real estate success by bringing in exposure, generating higher conversions and selling more properties.
Why Use Video for Real Estate
Selling properties boils down to one thing: marketing. It’s great to list your property on real estate apps like Zillow or Trulia, but if no one sees the property — it’s not getting sold.
This is where social media comes into play. Social platforms are a powerful tool for bringing in a lot of exposure at no cost. Posting video content on your social media page is the best strategy to use when you are trying to build your brand online.
What makes video so effective? Videos have a proven return on investment (ROI), and when done right, they can be used to position you as a leader in the industry. Videos are also easily digestible and shareable, which is key to organic growth.
How to Film Lead-Generating Videos From Start to Finish (With Examples)
Here is your quick guide on how to shoot real estate listing videos. These will not only promote brand awareness, but also convert leads into paying customers. Keep in mind that you do not need the most expensive video equipment to be successful, especially when you are just getting started.
Property Walkthroughs are excellent for showcasing your listing because they allow you to highlight unique features and property amenities, while also providing buyers with the inside scoop on your listings. These are the two ways you can film them:
- Wide (Horizontal) Video
Shooting wide videos, the way feature films are shot, is a great option because you have plenty of room for showcasing the entire property effectively. These videos are usually longer, but they don’t have to be — 3 to 15 minutes is ample time, depending on which platform you use. Longer, wide videos are great for Youtube, LinkedIn and Instagram.
Check out these Instagram property walkthrough video examples that worked well for our clients.
- IG Example — Daryl Judy
- IG Example — Holly Martins
- Long (Vertical) Video
Vertical videos work best for short content — they should be no longer than 2 minutes. These are great for giving a quick snapshot of the home and visually enticing potential buyers to learn more. Shorter, vertical videos are great for Instagram Reels, TikTok and Youtube Shorts.
Check out these real estate video examples that worked well for our clients.
- IG Example — The Caputo Group
- IG Example — Dina Shaminova
TIP: Shoot videos in both horizontal and vertical formats. This gives you a good amount of content to post to your social media pages, allowing you to post to both IG Reels and IG Videos. Keep in mind — more content equals more opportunity for exposure and page traffic.
Planning
Define your goals and come up with a plan. Before you start filming, make sure you know:
- What you are going to say (have home stats ready)
- How you are going to structure the video (a script outline is helpful)
If you can, film the video before the property hits the market. This gives you enough time to edit and publish it prior to the property going for sale.
Filming
- Audio — Clean audio is crucial. Viewers need to be able to hear and understand you clearly, whether you are talking throughout the walkthrough or doing a voiceover. If you want to add music to your video, make sure it is not copyrighted. Youtube has a great selection of music that’s free to use for your videos.
- Lighting — Natural light is always a good option, but make sure you turn on all the lights on the property as well. The best time to shoot a video is during the golden hour (the last hour before sunset and the first hour after sunrise). That way, the light isn’t too harsh or overexposed. Good lighting can make or break your video.
- Video Equipment — Don’t worry about expensive equipment just yet. Focus on consistency first, and then consider investing in a camera. If you have no experience with cameras, you could consider hiring a videography team to do the filming for you. Keep in mind that videos shot on an iPhone still allow you to create high-quality video listings!
Editing
There is a good amount of editing software out there that you can use right from your phone for little to no cost — just make sure you don’t have any software logos on your videos! If you have an iPhone, iMovie is a great option for editing.
TIP: Editing is time-consuming and tedious work. If you have no clue what you are doing, you can always hire an editor who can have it done for you sooner and with better quality.
Here are your general time limits for published videos.
- Instagram Videos (horizontal) — 8 minutes or less
- Instagram Reels (vertical) — 2 minutes or less
- TikTok — 1 minute or less
- Youtube — 10-15 minutes or less
- LinkedIn — 10-15 minutes or less
No one wants to commit to watching a documentary-length video of a property listing — even 15 minutes might be pushing it. Keep it short and straightforward to keep potential buyers engaged and possibly wanting to know more. Your videos should entice them to attend an open house!
Our Top Tips for Making Listing Videos
Here are our top real estate tips for making the most of your property listing video shoots.
- Prepare before the property goes on the market
Don’t make the mistake of waiting too long before you film and post the listing video. Real estate can be a fast-paced market, so make sure you prepare BEFORE the property goes on the market.
- Post as quickly as you can
Time is money. Post the listing video asap, ideally before the property sheets any offers. Doing this will help you lock in the most amount of exposure.
TIP: Even if a home sells before you finish the video, post it anyway! It’s a great way to show your audience what kinds of homes you typically sell, and it can be used as a reference point for future clients looking for a similar home.
- Showcase the property effectively
Only highlight key features and amenities in the video. Avoid filming close-up shots of furniture or decor — they don’t come with the property, so they don’t need to be the focal point of a video. Keep your shots as wide as possible. Potential buyers don’t need to see every detail.
Start Video Marketing Today
Whether you want to start producing videos on your phone or looking to get a videography team, investing in your Video Marketing Strategy is one of the best ways to grow your real estate business.
Key Benefits of Real Estate Listing Videos
- Brings in more exposure & leads
- Generates higher conversions
- Produces higher engagement on social media
- Builds credibility with your audience
- Builds your personal brand
- Establishes trust & authority
- Visually entices potential buyers
- Saves money on your marketing strategy
If you are still looking for tips on how to post high-quality property listing videos, check out our podcast episode with Arlington Realtor Matt Leighton on leveraging video to grow your real estate business.
If you understand the value of Video Marketing, but don’t have all the tools or time to get it done — let the marketing experts at TopShotPro create, produce and distribute high-quality video content for your social media pages. Get in touch with us here.
