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.
Property listings with videos generate 4X more leads, according to Brafton.com, a content marketing agency. It says that real estate videos are helpful at every step of the home sale funnel, right from generating page views to helping the buyer make the final decision to buy the property. In addition, a solid real estate video is an irreplaceable asset for the seller, as it can show the listing in the best possible way.
Looking at these stats, it’s evident that real estate videos are high-impact marketing tools for real estate agents.
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.
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.
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.
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:
Here are our top 7 tips for creating a killer real estate video that can sell your listing for top dollar.
Here are the top tips to consider while shooting videos:
Once the homeowner contacts you for the shoot, ask for as much detail about the home as possible. Have them send you pictures of the listing to understand its size and the scope of the shoot. After reaching the property, take a walk-through to inspect it. Ask the seller if they want any specific features to be highlighted in the real estate video. Take notes about the best angles for each room and if the rooms need any changes. Ask the homeowner to tidy up or declutter if required.
To create professional real estate videos that will fetch you more gigs, you need good-quality equipment. Though these may seem like a heavy investment initially, you can recover the money spent within a couple of shoots. Here are a few pieces of equipment we recommend to get the ball rolling:
The camera is indispensable in real estate videography. Mirrorless cameras are similar to DSLRs but with simpler designs that are tailored to videography. They are smaller in size and lighter in weight because they do not have a mirror reflecting light into the sensor. These cameras have high-quality video potential and countless lens options. However, you can opt for DSLRs if you want a camera that will also work for real estate photography. Your camera should have low light shooting capabilities, 4K video, and high frame rate options, and it should be compact. Investing in a drone is wise, as it will capture stunning aerial footage of the listing, along with the neighborhood and surrounding areas.
When it comes to the lens, there are two types we recommend: wide-angle and silent lenses. A wide-angle lens helps you move around and capture all the features of the listing. 16-35mm f/2.8L will make your interiors look massive. Silent lenses within the range of like f 1.4 - 2.8L will give detailed, cinematic shots.
While filming real estate videos, the trickiest part is to avoid shakiness that can cause distractions. To shoot static videos, mount your camera on a gimbal and stabilize it as you move around, working your magic.
There is nothing like natural light that seeps in through the windows at golden hour. However, it’s available for limited hours during the day. Compliment natural light with CFL bulbs and umbrella brackets for best results.
Remember to shoot everything in 4K as it gives you more flexibility to crop, zoom, and stabilize later. Shooting at 24 frames per second is ideal as it helps you shoot in lower light, thereby allowing your shutter speed to drop and let more light in. Never let your shutter speed drop to less than double your frame rate in real estate videography. For example, if you are shooting at 24 fps, don’t let the shutter speed below 1/48 as it can cause motion blur.
Here is the complete guide to best camera setting for shooting videos.
This is the shot where you get to show the room in its entirety. Come through the entrance to show how the room will look if the viewer enters it in person, thereby giving them an immersive experience. Use a 16mm wide lens with flashlight mode and a gimbal to get the full sweeping view of the room.
If you have a tripod, use it for this shot; otherwise, place your gimbal on a table and pan the room slowly from right to left and top to bottom. This is a nice shot to show transformation and before and after visuals.
The detail shot will get the buyer emotionally invested in the property by showcasing its enticing yet simple details, such as indoor plants, textured walls, and steel kitchen cabinets. Use 24-70mm lens at focal length 2.8L for impressive detailed visuals.
Since this blog is about shooting, let us not get into much detail about real estate video editing. However, remember to add details about the listing on text. Give a brief about the listing- the address, the area it occupies, the number of rooms, price, etc.
If you are a beginner to real estate videography and do not wish to shell out money on expensive equipment, shooting a real estate video on your phone is doable. Although the quality of the video won’t match up to one shot on a proper camera, it is not bad considering the lack of equipment and time consumed. All you need is a good phone with a wide-angle camera. Adjust the settings to 4K for 24 fps. This will stabilize the real estate video and make your movements look smooth on video. Use sweeping and panning shots just as you would on your regular camera to get good visuals of the home exterior and interiors.
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.
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.