If you’re looking to take your FSBO marketing to the next level, consider investing in video marketing. Go beyond standard property photographs and descriptions on your real estate website with video walkthroughs and property tours.
Even if you don’t own a DSLR camera, you can still produce high-quality video content using your smartphone in a single afternoon. We’ll show you how easy it is to get started with video marketing by learning how to shoot videos and the types of video content you can make.
Types of Real Estate Video Content
In a Brightcove study, videos commanded a 1200% retention rate on social media over photographs or text alone. So it’s no secret that even basic videos can have a higher return on investment than photographs and property descriptions alone. (Although we can’t stress the importance of these as well!)
Walkthroughs. Traditional video walkthroughs are a real estate marketer’s bread and butter. These types of videos highlight both exterior and interior features in a few minutes. Start your walkthrough video from the street with a slow pan. Your next shot should be walking up to the front door and stepping into the foyer.
As bathrooms are notoriously hard to photograph, you can skip shooting the bathrooms except the master.
Once inside, highlight the family room, living room, followed by the dining room (or whichever flow works for your particular layout) in one clean, continuous shot. Next, highlight each individual room with a slow pan. Finish your walkthrough by highlighting your backyard and any amenities. Although your walkthrough video isn’t a literal single-scene video, you’ll be able to show the full layout with a few easy editing tricks.
3D mapping. If you’re ready to take your FSBO real estate marketing up a notch, consider the latest trend in open homes: Digital 3D mapping. Although the backend technology may seem complex, 3D mapping tools can stitch together virtual walkthroughs even for the less technologically inclined.
Companies like Matterport supply all the tools you need, including the 3D mapping camera, an iPad, and instructions. A typical 3D mapping solution takes an hour of your time to shoot and an additional hour to render and produce a final digital copy for your property website. Best of all, the 3D mapping tool does all the hard work. It knows where each 3D photo is captured and how to stitch together each image automatically.
Aerial property tours. If 3D mapping wasn’t enough, consider aerial videography property tours instead. This trend in real estate marketing isn’t new, but its recent proliferation is thanks to plummeting costs for entry-level drones. The most common aerial property tour is the slow pan: Capture these shots by having the drone orbit your home in a full sweeping circle. If your property is wide enough, you can also shoot slow flyovers as well.
Most drones have proximity sensors wider than a standard door frame. Shooting drone footage inside may not be possible.
If you’re looking to buy a drone simply for shooting video, consider hiring someone who already owns one. Hiring an aerial videographer is much easier (and thankfully cheaper) than you might imagine. Most hobbyists would jump at the opportunity to make extra cash in exchange for 30 minutes of raw fly-over and panning footage.
Live videos. If you have a lot of friends or active followers on social media, consider shooting live videos as well. Live property tours are a great way to broadcast not only your home for sale but also your enthusiasm as a seller. Platforms like Facebook and Instagram have live features but there are also purpose-built solutions as well.
How to Shoot Real Estate Videos
If you own a DSLR, you’re one step closer to shooting video. The last pieces of equipment you need are a tripod as well as a handheld gimbal. Gimbals are devices with three motors and will help you shoot steady tracking shots. Gimbals eliminate the bouncing effects caused when you walk holding the camera.
No DSLR? No problem! Almost all smartphones made within the last few years shoot native 1080p and some have the ability to shoot in 4K! Companies like DJI also make smartphone gimbals, too, which are considerably cheaper than their DSLR counterparts.
Avoid zooming in on features around your home. If you want a closer shot, move the camera physically closer to the object. In addition, your smartphone will have something called “exposure lock.” Use this feature to tell your smartphone’s camera to stay focused on a single point by pressing and holding your finger on the object in view. If you’re looking for more advice on shooting videos with your smartphone, websites like Skillshare offer free online tutorials.
Don’t worry about background noises captured during your takes. You’ll want to replace your raw audio with a simple instrumental music anyway to create a welcoming atmosphere. Research shows that videos less than 4 minutes have greater engagement and receive more views on every digital platform.
Depending on the season, plan to shoot all your videos between 3 and 5 pm. You’ll want the angle of the sun to be around 45 degrees: too high and the sun will flood your home, too low and the sun will flood your camera creating the “lens flare” effect. In addition, overcast is ideal.
Video marketing is powerful, especially in real estate. Videos have better engagement and higher retention rates. Video content shared on social media command 1200% more views and generate 80% higher conversions compared to images and text-only posts according to Brightcove and Visually.
From 3D mapping services to live video walkthroughs, the types of video content you shoot will put you at a unique advantage over other home sellers and listing agents. Next, read how to market your real estate video content to put your video creation efforts to work.
