There is only one rule of real estate video production- the most luxurious videos sell the most luxurious properties. Video marketing takes a lot of expertise, time, and effort – but the return is always worth it.

You have your drone videos that display the aerial view of the property and the surrounding neighborhood. You also have your property listing videos, client testimonial videos,  and even community event videos that highlight the local businesses around the property.

Real estate video production is about creating powerful and engaging video clips that also showcase your brand personality.

Video production in real estate is not just about showing buyers the property, it’s about giving them a real sense of the place.

This is Why Real Estate Needs Video Marketing

When it comes to real estate marketing, photos don’t just cut it anymore. Something as simple as a virtual tour shot through your mobile phone is enough to get buyers and sellers on board.

Real estate video production is not as old as you might think. It was a largely untapped market up until the rise of social media and video marketing.

In 2018, realtors relied on social media for up to 47%  of their highest quality leads. Today, nearly 95% of homebuyers are using the internet to search for properties.

It’s not enough to just list a property, you need to market it in an appealing way and also boost the visibility of the listing so it reaches the appropriate customers.

To do all this successfully you need a real estate video marketing strategy.

Real Estate Video Production: Plan, Shoot, Edit

It’s always good to plan ahead. Apart from saving a lot of time, planning assures you that you will stick to the budget and project timeline. When doing a video shoot anything can go wrong.

Maybe someone cancels, or it suddenly starts to rain – either way, you need to be prepared to take control of the situation.

If you are working with actors, you need to brief them on what they should wear and what their role is in the video.

Types of Real Estate Videos

First things first, you should produce the right type of videos for your audience.

Afterward, it’s essential to market the videos so they actually get to the potential buyers.

There are some basic and not so basic guidelines you can follow along the way, but real estate video production is more of an art than science. You need to have something that sets you apart from the competition.

Usually, it’s your brand personality that differentiates you from the crowd. It’s little things like your logo, your company values, and consistent use of your brand colors that make your audience trust you.

Potential buyers value genuine effort and personal relationships. You should always create content with your audience in mind.

  • Residential Vs Commercial Videos

The very first step is to distinguish your property as either commercial (warehouses, office, and retail buildings) or residential.

Commercial real estate buyers are more likely to respond to abstract content that deals with development investments and property value.

Residential buyers are usually looking for comfort, security, and access to amenities like schools, shopping centers, and healthcare.

In real estate video production, you should always consider what your audience is looking for and showcase that in the property listing.

  • Property Tour Videos

A property tour highlight the best features of a  piece of land or building. These videos are usually made for buyers who want to survey the property without physically going to the location.

Property tour videos, therefore, are great for marketing recently renovated properties and buildings that are not easily accessible.

The secret to producing great real estate property tour videos is to let the property sell itself.

Whether you are showcasing the property exterior and surrounding amenities or shooting a more intimate house tour; your property tour videos should always show the distinct features of the property.

Digitally Rendered Videos

Who says you need to have live footage to sell real estate?

Digitally rendered property tours are best for showing properties that are yet to be built, such as buildings that are about to undergo renovations.

Digitally rendered images are used to show potential buyers what the property could look like.

The cost of digitally rendered real estate videos depends on the number of scenes you want, the type of building you are modeling, and whether or not you want people in the scenes.

The appropriate length of a property tour video: 30 seconds – 2 minutes. 

  • Drone Videos

Drones revolutionized the real estate video production industry.

As of 2020, it was estimated that one out of every five commercial drone shoots was for real estate purposes.

They are used to showcase vast land, multi-unit residential projects, resorts, and industrial properties.

Imagine beautiful shots of waterfront properties or an attractive aerial shot of modern buildings – drone footage is a goldmine in real estate video production.

Drone videos are great because:

  • They capture a property with respect to nearby amenities attractions.
  • These videos are also more accurate at depicting what a property actually looks like, showing buyers some otherwise inaccessible features like gutters and vents.

Drone videos are perfect when you want to paint a true picture of a location because they can capture scale and perspective in ways a handheld camera can’t.

These videos, however, also have their limits.

In the case of new property development, for instance, a drone video that goes on for too long can become boring because the landscape lacks the appropriate imagery to tell a story.

When using drone videos, try to keep them short (usually a minute or less) especially when the property being showcased lacks variety.

You should also consider the weather when shooting drone videos.

The best time to capture an aerial view of a building is during the golden hour of sunset or sunrise. Also, consider capturing these videos during spring when the grass is green.

Find the best drones for real estate videography. Drone videos can be used on their own or paired with varying types of clips in property tours and other real estate videos.

Always remember to stabilize your video clips so the footage isn’t shaky.

  • Interviews and Testimonials

Word of mouth is a great marketing technique, which is why clients testimonials work.

In the case of real estate video production, getting good tenant testimonials is the ultimate way to gain the trust of your audience.

Real estate interviews and testimonials essentially show that a third party vouchers for your business.

These realistic videos are powerful because the third parties involved can market your property in a more genuine and believable way.

 When filming real estate  tenant testimonials and interviews, remember to:

  • Include shorts of the building, the surrounding amenities, and environmental shots of the tenants experiencing the property in a natural way.
  • Get a recognizable tenant to give the interview. In the case of a commercial property, go for a senior executive who can influence other property buyers.
  • Don’t make the video too serious. Real estate tenant testimonials should be informative personal and engaging.
  • Keep the videos short and to the point so as not to lose their attention of the audience.

The appropriate length for real estate interviews and tenants testimonials:   1 –  2 minutes

More Useful Tips for Real Estate Video Production

Know Your Audience

Who are you targeting with your videos?

Is it senior citizens with that retirement money? Then you better post your videos on Facebook.

Are you selling to first-time families looking for a spacious but not too big home to start their life? You can find them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter – maybe even your website once in a while.

Knowing your audience allows you to captialize on the right video and marketing platform.

When you know who you are selling to, your real estate videos will be specific to the needs of your buyers.

For instance, you can make a video that tracks a buyer’s journey from the bid process right up to the point they are closing the sale. This is a great way to give other potential buyers a realistic glimpse of the journey they are about to take.

Take Advantage of the Sales Funnel

Real estate video marketing doesn’t begin and end with finding potential leads – there are other customers in different stages of the sales funnel.

Real estate video production, therefore, should also include retargeting videos that are aimed at people who have expressed interest in the property (social media is a great tool for tracking qualified leads).

Your content should be specific to the people you are targeting depending on what stage of the sales funnel they are in.

real estate video production

Evoke an Emotional Response

Video is a powerful medium because it has the ability to evoke emotion. Use this to your advantage when shooting real estate videos.

For instance, you can market your property as a place of firsts; your first business building, your first family home, and so on.

Dont just sell a house of a property. Sell the possibility of what could be if the buyers moved into that property.

Sell the dream of a new home, the dream of a romantic vacation, or the thrill of a big booming business.

The best real estate videos get people to react.

Use all The Angles

If you are shooting a property tour video, here is a simple formula for you:

1. The Establishing Shot

Let the opening shot instantly captivate your audience.

This is a wide view shot of the outside of the property. This shot usually lasts about 6 seconds.

2. The Pans

Now you can show that inside of the space using pans and tilts.

This is when the camera moves from left to right, or right to left – showing the full width of the space. Pans usually last about 5 to 7 seconds.

3. The Tilts

Move the camera along the height of the space you want to showcase. From top to bottom, and vice versa.

4. The Reveal 

At some point, you’ll have to stop changing the angles and move the whole camera to a different location of the house. When you do, make it big and cinematic.

5. The End

Finish the video with vibrant scenes, and always include a call-to-action. The end shot should last about 20 seconds or so, giving enough time for the viewers to read the information on the screen.

Call To Action

After the video is over, your audience should be able to contact you.

Always include a call to action in your real estate videos that leads potential buyers to the next stage of the sales funnel.

Even more tips on real estate video marketing.

Should You Hire a Real Estate Video Production Agency?

There are four options when it comes to real estate video production:

Options 1: Hire an Agency

Hiring a real estate video production agency comes with some advantages:

  • You get to work with specialists who know just how to get the perfect shot and combine different elements to create outstanding real estate videos.
  • Real estate video production agencies usually come with their own equipment which can be a bit expensive to obtain on your own.

With a production agency, you are assured of the quality you are getting.

Option 2: Do It Yourself

If you are going to embark on the real estate video production journey yourself, you need to have the appropriate equipment.

You also need to have the relevant skill-set required to professionally shoot and edit video clips.

But even with a small budget, you can get second-hand equipment and take free and paid short courses in videography online.

The beauty of producing your own real estate videos is that you get to have full creative direction and control over the project.

As a real estate agent, you may find yourself feeling shy in front of the camera. With time and practice, you will gain the confidence you need.

Remember, showing your face proves that it’s an actual human being behind the brand. This makes your agency more relatable to viewers.

Be relatable, but don’t try to create a fake personality for the camera.

Option 3: Hire Freelancers

Another option is to hire freelance real estate video production experts. You can find creative video editors anywhere on the internet, but it is best to hire from trusted sources such as Bunny Studio.

Option 4: Real Estate Video Production the Mobile Way

The final option is to simply use your mobile phone to shoot and edit real estate videos.

Mobile phones are light, handy, and full of dynamic applications that can allow you to professionally edit your shots.

They may not compare to the professional equipment that established real estate video production agencies use, but mobile phones can also be used to create premium content that will leave your audience wanting more.

Whichever option you choose, remember to create real estate videos that meet the goals of your brand as well as satisfy the curiosity and needs of your audience.

Conclusion

Real estate video production is such a wide field, and there is so much you can do. The only limit is your creativity and strategy.

Whatever your budget, you can still make an awesome real estate video that showcases all the distinct features of your property to potential buyers.

All the best!