Big-budget Video tours are out!
Create the perfect virtual-video-tour, with your phone
You can hire an expensive professional videographer, but you don’t need to.
You can learn how to use advanced editing software, but you don’t need to.
Please believe it, you have everything you need to make a professional-looking, informative, and interesting video tour. All you need is:
Your mobile phone.
Your ability to guide someone through a listing.
A strong awareness of what it is that buyers need to know.
Who better to guide interested parties through your listing, than you?
This is going to be easy!
We’re going to walk you through how to navigate your phone, the video apps, and the production of your next video tour.
The first rule of making a great video walkthrough is,
”Short is Sweet!”
Soon you’ll know how to best present your listing from a marketing perspective, and you’ll be well equipped with the easy to remember tips and tricks that even professionals use to make videos look professionally produced.
You will not have to download a new app
Don’t let fancy editing tools or expensive drones and 3D cameras dissuade you from making your own listing video. In an era of social media, people value authenticity. Just because your videos will be home-made doesn’t mean they can’t look amazing. If you’re savvy enough, we definitely recommend beefing up your tech and hardware skills. Entry-level hardware is relatively affordable and absolutely fun to use and create with.
If you’re the type that likes new toys to play with, there are only 3 purchases that we recommend:
1. A portable light.($80) - 2. A lighting bounce ($22) - 3. A phone stabilizer ($90)
That being said, it’s very likely that you already own everything you need in order to create a simple, professional, and most importantly, effective virtual-video-tour of your listing.
Lighting is everything
Shoot when there is ample natural light.
You undoubtedly have one of these already! We suggest that you bring a nice bright lamp with you to your shoot. You may need it to brighten up a room to the perfect shot.
Shoot when there is ample natural light. Some rooms get better light in the afternoon or in the morning. Make a judgment call here, but be consistent.
If you’re not interested in becoming an influencer, don’t start now!
Shooting a great virtual video your of a home does not require you to be in the shot. If you’re not interested or comfortable in front of a camera you’re the perfect person to be shooting a home video tour, because the tour is about the home!
Have confidence
Potential buyers can see right through the, super sweet slow panning drone shots. It’s neat, but buyers are interested in being as informed as possible about a serious decision. Your video, albeit amateur, is going to help potential buyers get excited about the next steps towards purchasing this home.
You are going to do an incredible job and they are going to appreciate your candor and A+ effort to nurture their need for confidence.
Your guide to creating the perfect virtual-video-tour
Get Good at this. it’s here to stay.
Knowing how to easily make good looking listing videos using nothing but your mobile phone is a must-have skill for Realtors today.
Practice these three steps until they are second nature.
Step One: Prepare
You won’t need your phone just yet. Before you start shooting, take some time to outline what you hope to accomplish with your video. (It may help to write out your answers to these questions in an outline.)
1. What are the selling points of the home?
2. What is the best path through the listing? If you were to show your listing to a buyer, which rooms would you take them through first, second, third...?
3. What time of day provides the best light? Try to film your video tour during “Golden Hour” which is early in the morning when the sun is rising or in the evening (dusk). If you aren’t able to be at the listing during Golden Hour or if clouds are shielding the light, use the artificial lights in the house to brighten up your set.
Step Two: Shoot
You can take your phone out now! (If you’re not at your listing? Practice on your own home!)
1. The first rule of making a great video walkthrough is Short is Sweet! Plan to spend no more than 30 seconds per room or you will lose the attention of your audience.
2. When you are ready to begin shooting, turn your phone sideways. It makes sense to hold your phone up and down when scrolling through Facebook, but when you shoot a video walkthrough, you want to capture the widest possible angle, so make sure to turn your camera on its side.
3. Start your video from the front door. This will help viewers to orient themselves as they watch your video.
4. Before you start recording, take a deep breath and push the air out of you. Remember to make slow, controlled movements. You don’t want your video to be fast and jarring or your viewers will feel like they are watching the Blair Witch Project...
(Jokes aside, this is the key to the professional look. Pushing the air out of you will help you shoot with a steady hand.)
5. When you enter a room, point the camera to one side of the room and slowly pan to the other side of the room. This will help the viewer to visualize the entire space. Choose either an up position, level, or down position and stick with it for that shot. Never pan vertically. Always pan on a horizontal plane (back, forth, left, right).
6. Pause on the high points of the listing. If your listing has a Chef’s kitchen, pause on the beautiful stove but not for more than 4 or 5 seconds.
7. Don’t zoom in on specifics. The camera in your mobile phone is good but not good enough to zoom in on details. Leave those for an in-person showing.
8. Finish your video by coming back to your starting place. This gives the viewer a sense of closure.
Step Three: Share
Once you’ve finished your video, the hard work is mostly over. Now you get to share your listing with interested parties.
Upload your video to Youtube (how-to-guide) or Vimeo (how-to-guide).
Add your link to your property package in Disclosures.io (how-to-guide).
Copy and paste the link into your listing in the MLS (how-to-guide).
Email the link out to your network with the Disclosures.io Group BCC Message Tool (how-to-guide).
Some great, and not-so-great examples
Here are examples of Great Shots!
Nice and smooth. Don't step to turn, pivot.
Get creative. Have friend help to open the door.
Great light is your best friend.
Choose up or down. Pan horizontal, not vertical.
Always horizontal plane, front-back side-to-side.
Show a space and then show how it transitions into the next room.
These shots could have been retaken…
This shot is way too close.
This shot is... a door.
Too shakey. Pro-tip: To reduce shakes, bend your knees. Walk crouched down about an inch and move your feet not your knees.
Be creative, not cute. Some people don't enjoy animale, kids, food, etc as much as others. Play it safe, stick to the architecture and amenities.
Knowing how to create video walkthroughs of a home is an invaluable skill, whether you are a listing agent or representing buyers, videos let clients see the flow of a listing and hear about the characteristics of the home directly from you the agent. As a high-performing agent, you have everything you need, your mobile phone and your unique perspective of the listing.
If you already make your own listing videos or if you plan on making them, please drop a comment below with a link to your work. We are one big community and the only way we are going to evolve, is together!