How to make a Real Estate Property Video in 30 minutes.

You found us, because you searched google for “how to make a property video”. 

But truthfully you don't really want to make property videos, you want to sell more properties, right?

You don't really want to create real estate videos, because it sounds like a lot of work and a really difficult skill to master.

What about all those geeky terms like 4k, slow-motion, 1080, frame rate, cinematic, motion blur to mention but a few of the strange jargon that goes on in the videography world.

And not to mention all the expensive equipment you will have to buy! Like a Macbook Pro, and DSLR camera with 100 lenses and a drone. Don't forget the drone licence.

If you are selling property that markets for $10M then you can afford to get a professional real estate video creation company like us, to create you a one of a kind property video. But what about the rest in your portfolio?

And when you work in an industry where you only get paid after the job is done, it can be difficult to justify or motivate the extra expensive of creating marketing videos for your property.

Have we talked you out of it yet? Hang on...

We are here to tell you that if you break down the elements into bite size pieces, creating real estate property videos is a lot easier than you think.

Just like baking a cake.

Video is just another form of marketing.

You don't need to buy any equipment to get started.

Over the next few weeks we will be going through an A - Z and step by step guide of how to create real estate property videos that you can upload to youtube or share with potential clients via Whatsapp or on facebook & Instagram.

If you have specific questions then pop us a comment below and we will see what we can do about answering it for you.

Real Estate Video - Quick Guide

  • Make a Shot list & Plan Your Film Route
  • Shoot and record horizontally (Landscape)
  • Get close ups of interesting features in the home
  • Don't record long clips, keep them short
  • Don't record  everything - choose highlights
  • Keep the camera still. Less movement is better for now
  • Turn on all the lights and open the blinds.
  • Make sure the video flows from room to room
  • Trim each video after each recording
  • Place all the video clips in one folder/album
  • Don't use any transitions
  • Add information about the area
  • Add your logo and contact details
  • Include a call to action & be authentic
  • Keep the final video short - not longer than 3 min

Marketing real estate has changed forever.
80% of content generated in 2018 was video.

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Why realtors need marketing videos

Gone are the days when 50 people would rock up for a show house on a Sunday afternoon, unless you have done a fantastic job with your marketing.
These days almost all your marketing efforts take place on your website or dedicated property sites like property24.

It's getting harder and harder to arrange appointments to view property with clients.

The competition in the real estate market is hyper competitive, and take this with limited stock coming into the market, and the building industry just not keeping up with supply and demand, as a real estate agents must keep ahead of the pack.

All these factors make it harder for real estate agents to find sellers and secure sole mandates for properties to market and sell.

Sellers are more savvy than ever, they firstly research the real estate agents to see who is going above and beyond when marketing and selling real estate.

Video tours is the future of selling real estate and those agents who get in first will reap massive benefits over there competition as video has 4X engagement rate compared to photographs.

Why its time for Real Estate agents to start making property videos.

Easier to get sole mandates.
Only one file that is easy to distribute. Via whatsapp, you also don't need to send potential buyers to your website where they can get easily distracted, away from the purpose of the visit.
Sellers love it.
Time saved by not showing to people who are just kicking tires


Real Estate Videography

Real estate marketing videos are a highly effective marketing and sales tool. Video isn't (yet) the go to medium for marketing a property, but if you want to be ahead of your competition when it does, then spend a few moments reading our essential guide.

Simply put video tells a story and conveys lots more information than a photo ever can. its easy for the the potential property buyer to see the size of the rooms, see the view of the garden, or skyline from an apartment.


Video is a game changer for the real estate agents who are willing to do the work. 

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old house

But how?

Just imagine if you could pre-qualify a buyer's interest in a property before you even arrange to view a home. Today, within minutes you can produce a stunning video of your properties and distribute that to potential buyers using WhatsApp or email.
Imagine if you could offer the seller video-marketing at no extra cost to you or them! The advantages of video are massive, and difficult for other agents to compete with.

A real estate board does attract attention from locals who share word of mouth with friends and family who maybe looking to purchase a home in the same area, but boards really only work on busy streets and roads. 

Agents  websites are yardsticks for potential property sellers looking for good and great real estate agents, who are putting in the hard work, taking good photographs, listing and cataloging in fine detail all the aspects of the seller’s property.

In this new age of easy accessible technology video is quickly becoming an extremely powerful marketing tool for real estate agents. (video has a x4 engagement factor compared to other marketing media)

With apps like WhatsApp being the preferred communication method for most people, sending a video to a potential client rather than referring them to a website on a computer gives you a massive advantage. On the internet their attention can easily be interrupted by an email or another important matter that needs attention, but video sent directly can be watched anywhere instantly and quickly shared with partners and family.

The idea of a real estate property video is to give your potential buyer an overview without having to coordinate and arrange an appointment with the seller and the buyer the coordination can be a nightmare.

You can create an overview video of home in a matter of minutes, creating a fantastic marketing tool for the seller, and saving everyone hours and hours in the process.


The film industry says you must have be a professional videography company to make real estate property videos but we disagree.

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Here are the 10 Basics Tips on how to shoot
a Real Estate Property Video using ONLY your smartphone.

You can create a Property Video yourself using your iPhone or Android device. Get a filming  App installed, an editing app on your phone and a mini tripod.
From our experience working with real estate agents, the feedback had always been, “wow video is fantastic, but it’s way too expensive for day to day run of the mill homes”.
Below are our top 10 Tips to get started making real estate property videos using only your smartphone. 

    In this article - Learn how to:
  1. Film the right shots to show off the best parts of the estate
  2. Make creative Real-Estate Videos
  3. Be better than the video templates
  4. Not spend money on making 2-3min show-house videos
  5. Edit your video together in under 15 minutes
  6. Become the trusted Agent in your community 

All the current solutions out there all tell you to use their Wonder App to make the video production easier.
Their focus is almost always on the editing part, because that is the hardest part. Right?

Drag & Drop editing templates are good for absolute beginners, but not if you serious about attracting clients.
 
The truth is the most important thing is actually how you film the video!

What shots do you need?
If you know this part of the puzzle, then you don't need to spend money on editing automation apps that make everything look like a gimmick child’s story, because let's face it they all look the same.

These 10 Tips will help you make a unique and creative Real Estate Property Videos in under 30 minutes. Follow our lead...

Android or iphone IOS are all the same when creating great Real Estate Videos

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TIP 1 - Preparing a Show-House Video Shoot

It shouldn't surprise you that for a video shoot the property needs to be absolutely spectacular.
This is your field of expertise and I wouldn't try to tell you how to prepare a property for viewing, let's skip to the parts that are unique to the video preparation.
The weather is a vital aspect of a good Real-Estate Video.
Photos and still image can manipulated after on a computer.
You can make darker areas light and place clouds in the picture even if there weren't any on the day.
Sadly there is no such thing as "Videoshopping" a bad shot. (well at least not for under thousands of bucks)
Everything has got to be right on the day.
The perfect weather for a shoot is slightly overcast.
Full sun is not the best but also completely acceptable. If you see a gloomy rainy day it is best to postpone. 

Make sure that the house is lit naturally with all the blinds & curtains open and switch on ALL Lights in the house.
The presence of an illuminated bedside lamp does wonders to the mood and feel of a show-house.

In video less is more in terms of what you can see. 
Try and keep the surfaces clear of any clutter. 
You have the ability to use close ups shots to get the details. 
Don't force it all into one shot. 
The best house to see - is a clean house.

TIP 2 - Line them up - Build a Routine

From experience I can tell you it's best to try and shoot a couple of houses in one day.

Setting up the whole shebang takes a mindset and attention to detail. If you know the weather is going to be good then your opportunity opens to film more houses in one day.

You will quickly develop a routine and lookout for the same snag list like lights and clean surfaces. Similarly you will film the shots needed for the estate in the same way and in the same rhythm.

You will be amazed at how efficient you can be with one days routine. (I've done 20 houses in 2 days.) Important that you save all the clips of one house into an album before you move onto the next one.

It is a nightmare to sort out afterwards. So make an Album called "House Name" and save the clips here straight away... you will thank yourself later.

Nice to have, but not necessary

TIP 3 - Real Estate Video equipment 
(extra camera gear not needed)

Alright so the question keeps coming up: Would a DSLR be better for this job?
The quick answer is NO - your mobile phone is the best camera for the job.

The reason is that a smartphone is a All-in-One Production kit.
It is your camera & your editing suite.
You don't need to transfer SD cards to computers or struggle to find editing apps that don't cost the earth.
Sure there is camera gear you can buy to improve your videos.
You will want to look at getting a Wide-Angle lens to fit on your smartphone as well as maybe investing in a DJI Mobile Osmo as well as a small drone.
The DJI Osmo is a 3-axis gimbal - in english this means it is a device you buy to place your phone on to get those incredible moving and sweeping shots that give it a dreamy appearance.
They are only about $1000, but the fact of the matter is that this takes time to learn and costs money we don't want to spend.
It slows down the production process and this defeats the purpose entirely.

If you want to create a video in 10 minutes so you can share it with your audience on Facebook, Whatsapp or instagram then your smartphone is all you need.

Instant, quick and fast are more important than perfection. We will look at camera gear upgrades in more detail in the future - including how to get drone footage from other people.

TIP 4 - For a Real-Estate Video you must Think Photo, Not Video

Most people that try and film their own house demo videos put too much movement into their shots.
Their instinct is to add movement because its video.
Fundamentally this is great, but if you don't know what you are doing it looks amateurish and defeats the purpose of capturing your audience’s attention.
Avoid Blair Witch Project situations by framing up your video shots the same way you would your photos.
Then film for a couple of seconds and stop. You're done. 

By simply stitching together static video shots & some slow pan shots of the house's interior and exterior, you can have a short engaging video created in less than 10 minutes.
As previously mentioned you don’t need expensive gear to pull this off, only your mobile phone.
Stay still.

TIP 5 - Add only "Controlled camera movement"

Tip 3 doesn't say don't use movement at all, but avoid the concept of moving in every shot.
Your goal is to use moving shots as special attention grabbers. Not the entire sequence.
People associate video with movement.
But the camera doesn't have to move. The content within the camera moves.

A static shot of a house where the trees are blowing in the wind is enough. Interiors are naturally sometimes lifeless and here is an opportunity to add slight movement.
There are 2 types of Camera movement you can use.
Moving Forward shots are when you hold your phone steady in front of your chest and take a few steps forward. You can use this to enter a room, or walk down a passage.
The other is a pan or tilt in which you stand still but swivel the camera around to get a wider view. REMEMBER: GO SLOW!!!!

Moving Forward

The main purpose is to create the feeling. It is more about the visual experience than actual the actual content.

Pan & Tilt

The main purpose is to fit in more than your camera frame will allow. Without a wide angle you may use this more often.

Remember to always keep these shots short and controlled. You only really need 4 seconds.
Then you will want to go to something static again for a couple of shots then only back to a moving one. Keep the ration 80% static 20% moving.

TIP 6 – Get those close ups, it's in the detail

When putting together a selection of photos for a prospect sheet or website, you are limited by the space available.
Nowadays you get 3-4 photos to capture the attention of a potential client.
It can seem out of place or a waist to put a detail photo like a close up of a lamp, plant, or a tap in your selection.  
However in a short video these details are vital to add to the mood and feel of the property.
In fact you need these to give the video life.  
Add in a close up every 4 to 5 shots to capture the imagination and heart of your viewers.
It's a win win situation as the detailing finally gets an opportunity to feature before the client has even seen the house. 

TIP 7 - The Power of Four

(Most important aspect of Real Estate Video Creation)

Your Videos need to be short and engaging.
This requires you to have only the most important elements in the final edit.
Here is a simple process you can follow to help make this easy for you to create a 2 to 3 minute video.

1. Break it into small parts

To make your life easier try to focus on only one aspect of the property at a time.
By creating one short video about "the garden" you are not only making it more digestible for the potential client, but also much easier for you to manage as an amateur video maker.

Choose the shots that highlight the garden, film them,  stitch them together in a basic video editor & export the video.
Next you can move on to the kitchen or the bedrooms. Again, get the shots, stitch them together and export. Turning each Topic into its own little video is quick and easy. Now....

Remember the Number 4. This will be a defining digit in your Real Estate video creation process.  
There are 4 subjects related to the number 4 listed below: 

Decide on the 4 focal points of the estate.

Decide on the 4 focal points of the estate.  Each of these Topics will be broken into scenes. Here are some Ideas:

  1. The Views,
  2. The Garden, 
  3. The Bedrooms,
  4. The Bathrooms,
  5. The Kitchen,
  6. The Finishes,
  7. etc

Choose 4 Scenes per Topic.

Decide on the 4 focal points of the Each of the scenes. Here are an example for "The Garden":

  1. The erf size, 
  2. The plants, 
  3. The irrigation system,
  4. The kids play area

You are simply deciding what is important to sell this house. This will start to reveal your target audience.

Film 4 Shots per Scene

Seek out 4 shots that will make up the scene. You can choose between wide angles, medium framed shots, close ups, moving forward shots, pan & tilt shots and creative shots like one or two drone if you can. Example of the Plants: 

Each shot in your scene should last no longer than 4 seconds. You should be able to fly over a scened in 2 to 3 minutes

  1. Find the frame & hit record
  2. Hold for 4 sec
  3. Stop filming
  4. Move to next shot

Shoot 4 Seconds per Shot

Each shot in your scene should last no longer than 4 seconds. You should be able to fly over a scene in 2 to 3 minutes. 

  1. Find the frame & hit record
  2. Hold for 4 sec
  3. Stop filming
  4. Move to next shot

Remember this is only a guideline.
If you choose 3 topics, 2 scenes, 10 shots and film each for 2 seconds, its not wrong.
Use the rule of 4 as a guideline to get to a short engaging end result.
The rule of 4 will land you at a video that is more or less 3 minutes in length.

2. Stitch it back together

Ok, so we at the point where we have to address editing.
Basic Video editing is not as hard as people think, but you need to look at the subject differently. 
Imagine you have a box of sweets. You throw them on the table and you lay them out into their respective colours. 
The result is something sensible and nice to look at. Now let's change the sweets for video clips. Each colour represents a scene. 
Lay them out next to each other and you have created a logical and nice to look at Real-Estate video. 

Blue is the garden, Purple is the Living room, Pink is the master bedroom, Red is the kitchen, Orange are the luxury details & Yellow is the view....  

You don't want to be spending hours editing creative real-estate videos. You have to keep it simple in order to keep this easy and also to do this quickly.  

Keep the scenes separate and even make each scene as its own video.
When you are finished you can create a master-file where you stitch the scenes together to make one 2 to 3 minute video of the Estate.

Only at this point do you want to add music and maybe even a voice over to the video.
It is important to find ways to make this video represent you.

Honestly you can forget about all this fancy Real Estate Editing Software available out there.
A simple editor like iMovie or Powerdirector will do.
It's easy to use leaves you with a unique product that doesn't look like everyone eases template.
Read more below to learn how to use smartphone video editors for Free.

TIP 8 – Be Authentic & Built Trust in the Community

Write a Real-Estate Video Script

Once you have selected the Topics you want to cover you can write a few sentences of information to each of these.
By simply recording this to your phone you can add it into the video as a voice over.

Another great video idea is to make a Real Estate Agent Introduction Video.
This mean that you might want to Script a small piece about who you are and what area you take represent. You can also do this once you have enough videos and make a collective montage.

Don't forget the neighbourhood

As you very well know the neighborhood is a selling point. It is a good idea to build a little bit of stock footage that you keep on your phone as a couple of extra shots to emphasis the location.
Perhaps there are some restaurants or a nice park nearby.
Try to include these aspects to give the viewer a broader understanding of the area.
You can acquire drone shots of the area too to enhance the your videos even if you don't have a drone yourself.

Bring the "You" factor into the video

By placing yourself, or at least your voice, in the video you become an authentic agent.
Someone who takes the time to learn the product they are selling. Anyone can take a photo and place it on the internet, but by engaging the audience yourself –  you are creating a personal invitation to come see the house.
People buy from people… not prospects & websites. Take charge of your sale and make your videos your own.



This example was made using an iPhone for the voice over. 
A mobile phone has all the tools you need to grab someones attention. 

TIP 10
Keep a Company Logo on your Phone

Once you have your master-file it's time to finish off the video.
The best thing to do is keep a company logo stored on your smartphone.
This way you can call it up as the last screen on the video. Make sure to use a 16x9 aspect ratio to keep the logo from distorting.

It may also be a good idea to add a Call to Action right at the end with either your contact details or a website address for people to find you.
You will be surprised where your video can end up especially when videos get shared on platforms like Whatsapp.
Brand awareness is vital.

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How to create a real estate video using only your smartphone

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