Real estate videography: How to create a real estate video
This comprehensive step-by-step guide covers everything you need to know about real estate videography. You’ll learn how to plan your shoot, explore video types, choose cameras and settings, master filming, understand editing options, and find the best platforms for sharing and tracking your videos. Property videography – Let’s dive in!
Real estate videography is now a popular way for agents, brokers, and developers to showcase properties and attract buyers and renters. With advances in technology and social media, video marketing has become essential for expanding reach and increasing sales. In this article, we offer a step-by-step guide to creating your first real estate video.
1. Real estate videography: Choosing the right type of video
Before filming, consider the type of real estate video you’re creating, as the style will depend on the audience and platform.
Real estate videos intended for website listings and property portal pages should be filmed in a horizontal (16:9) format. These videos are more detailed, may include voiceovers or text, and are longer than social media videos.
On the other hand, real estate videos designed for social media are best shot in a vertical (9:16) format. These videos should be shorter and more dynamic to quickly capture attention, often featuring upbeat, trending music. Your website and property portals serve as a formal storefront for serious buyers, where social media offers a relaxed space to showcase creativity, engage a broader audience, and increase your brand awareness.
2. Real estate videography: Choosing the right camera
You don’t need an expensive camera, but ensure it captures high-quality HD or 4K footage, ideally with a wide-angle lens, for the best results.
Using a smartphone with a smartphone gimbal
For beginners or those with little experience of filming but with access to a modern smartphone, we’d recommend getting started with a smartphone and gimbal. For real estate videography , the DJI Osmo Mobile 6 and Osmo Mobile 7 are excellent smartphone gimbals, offering advanced stabilisation and user-friendly features for creating professional-looking videos. You can also view the video below which provides an overview of the DJI Osmo Mobile 6 smartphone gimbal, which is a gimbal we can recommend.
Video intro to DJI Osmo Mobile 6 gimbal
Using a small, portable video camera
For those without a modern smartphone or wanting to avoid expensive gear, we recommend a pocket camera like the DJI Osmo Pocket 2 or the DJI Osmo Pocket 3. Both the Pocket 3 and Pocket 2 are, as the name suggests, pocket-sized. If you’re looking for the most compact option, the Pocket 2 is your best bet. The Pocket 3, on the other hand, is slightly larger—14mm longer, 4mm wider, and just over 3mm deeper. The difference in length is especially noticeable with its 2-inch screen in default portrait mode.
One limitation of the Pocket 2 was its lack of native support for portrait video recording especially for Instagram or TikTok videos. DJI has solved this with the Pocket 3. It features a screen that rotates 90 degrees, allowing users to seamlessly switch between landscape and portrait modes.
The Pocket 3 has also seen a significant upgrade, moving from the 1/1.7-inch sensor on the Pocket 2 to a larger 1-inch sensor. The larger sensor improves both video and photo quality, offering much better performance in low-light conditions. In addition, it also resolves the noise issues in darker areas that were noticeable on the Pocket 2.
Both cameras can capture HD and 4K clips in 60fps with a wide field of view, critically important for for real estate videography. You can see a intro video of the DJI Pocket 3 below.
Video intro to DJI Pocket 3
Using a professional video camera
For experienced filmmakers seeking professional-grade footage, we recommend the Canon R5C paired with the DJI RS3 Mini gimbal and a Canon EF 16-35mm lens. Other cheaper professional camera alternatives include the Sony A7S IV, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV and the Panasonic GH6. Finally, for beginners starting out with real estate videography, the Canon R8 or the new Canon EOS R50 are good options, and the smaller size make them easier to carry around.
Filming real estate video with Canon R5C camera
3. Real estate videography: Planning ahead
Before hitting record, scope out the property to plan the shots you want to capture. Think about what time of day will be best to shoot and consider the best angles, lighting and features of the property that you want to highlight.
a) Plan the filming route around a property
Much like conducting a property viewing, we recommend shooting the property in the order you might present it in person. This helps organise the narrative when it comes to editing.
b) Clean and declutter the property
A tidy, clutter-free space looks more appealing on camera, so make sure beds are made, lights are on, curtains are open, and areas are cleaned.
c) Weather and light
Weather is an important consideration when it comes to filming a real estate video. Filming on a dark, rainy, or gloomy day can negatively impact lighting and make exterior shots look flat. It’s best to shoot when the weather is dry and sunny, though this isn’t always possible.
Filming in the early morning or late afternoon, when the sun is lower, provides good conditions. Try to avoid filming at night or at the end of the day when there is little natural sunlight. However, the exception is if you want to highlight external lighting features or evening views.
Finally, you should also be aware of how the sun tracks across a property particularly for external shots. Ensure key facades are illuminated by natural sunlight, not in shadow, when filming.
4. Real estate videography: Camera settings
a) Frame rate
For real estate videos we would recommend filming a property with a frame rate of 60fps in HD or 4K. This higher frame rate means one can slow down camera pans and movements in post production for buttery smooth clips. This will add to the overall quality and premium feel of your final edited real estate video.
b) Exposure
For beginners, you can rely on your camera’s auto exposure function. However, to get the very best shots, we would recommend setting your exposure manually on a room by room basis. The exposure will determine how much light the camera captures in a clip. Increasing the exposure will help brighten darker rooms and spaces.
c) White balance
For beginners, you can rely on your camera’s auto white balance feature to calibrate the colour temperature for a room. Internal spaces may have yellow lighting, so adjusting the colour temperature can help. You can manually change your camera’s colour temperature using the Kelvin scale, often labeled as “K” on cameras.
d) ISO, shutter speed and F-stop
Finally you can rely on your camera to automatically set ISO, shutter speed and F-stop. However, for more control, we recommend adjusting these settings on a room by room basis. This enables you to correctly expose a clip and also achieve a depth of field for a more cinematic look. Your camera’s ISO will determine the sensitivity of your camera’s sensor.
– ISO
The ISO setting is one of three elements used to control exposure; the other two are f/stop and shutter speed. Increasing the ISO is useful in low light scenarios when filming darker rooms, such as a cinema room for example. Different cameras perform at different levels in low light conditions. High-end cameras, mirrorless cameras, and DSLRs perform better in low light than smaller cameras and smartphones. Doubling the ISO (e.g., from 200 to 400) requires half as much light for the same exposure.
– Shutter speed
The shutter speed can contrastingly be used to let in less light to your camera’s sensor resulting in a darker image. As a good rule of thumb, your shutter speed should be double your frame rate. So if your are filming with a frame rate of 60fps the shutter speed should be set to 1/120th. Additionally, you can also adjust shutter speed to negate the effect of flickering lights within a property.
– F-stop
F-stop is the term used to denote aperture measurements on your camera and is linked to the type of lens you are using to film. The aperture controls the amount of light that enters the camera lens and it’s measured in f-stops (eg f/1.8, f/2.8, f/4/0, f/5.6 etc). You can also use F-stops to control the look of a video clip, particularly its depth of field. This is useful for filming close-ups of fixtures, blurring the background while keeping the key feature in focus for a cinematic effect. See the video example below.
Video example of cinematic effect
5. Real estate videography: Shooting your real estate video
How you approach filming a property will depend on the type of real estate video you wish to create. Promotional real estate videos require multiple clips, while a walkthrough is a quick one-take flythrough, similar to a virtual tour. If you’d like to explore the differences between real estate video and virtual tours, learn more here.
For a promo video, we recommend filming a one-take walkthrough alongside individual clips. In recording a walkthrough, you often capture great connector shots between rooms and spaces as you move through them. This creates a natural flow, guiding viewers through the property room by room.
Below is a video tutorial on how to film a real estate walkthrough video.
Video tutorial of how to film a real estate walkthrough video
Recording a walkthrough with your promo video gives you two videos: one for your website and portals, and a shorter one for social media and communication.
6. Real estate videography: how to approach filming
a) Film in landscape or portrait mode
For real estate website and portal listings we recommend filming in landscape mode (16:9). For social media videos we recommend filming in portrait mode (9:16). You may therefore choose to film clips for a promotional video in landscape mode and then switch to portrait mode to film content for your social media channels.
b) Set the scene
We recommend shooting your external shots of the property first. Capture location shots to highlight a property’s proximity to transport, cafes, schools, parks, and local lifestyle. However, if time is limited, use stock media sites in post-production.
Most stock libraries offer clips of major landmarks in key cities, making it hard to find clips of local neighbourhoods. Specialist stock libraries like those offered by Vidibar are a good alternative. They provide stock clips of locations at a more granular level for a city like London.
c) Intro shot
After setting the scene, capture a clip of entering through the main door as a first-time viewer would. This provides a nice narrative link between the property’s external features and its internal layout. If you have someone to help with filming, it can be useful for them to open the door as you enter the property while recording.
d) Filming internal property shots
Once you have captured your entrance shot, we recommend filming clips room by room in an order that makes sense. Generally, we would advise starting with the key living areas and kitchen before moving on to bedrooms, bathrooms and other key features. When filming, focus on the best features within the property. This could be fixtures and finish, a stunning view, unique architecture or spacious living areas. Use a variety of shots such as horizontal and vertical pans to convey a feeling of space, and slider shots to reveal rooms.
e) Things to be mindful of when filming a real estate video
Here are a few video tutorials if you’d like to learn more about key filming techniques for a real estate video, using a DJI smartphone gimbal. Many of the same principles and techniques apply when filming using other cameras.
Mirrors
Properties with glass interiors, reflective surfaces or mirrors can be troublesome particularly when they reveal the person behind the camera in the reflection. So be mindful of this, particularly when filming bathrooms.
Windows
Filming directly into windows with auto exposure can darken the image, as the camera adjusts for the strong light, creating a silhouette. To avoid this, set your exposure, f-stop and shutter speed manually to correctly expose a window as well as the rest of a room. As a rule of thumb, always try to film room with a source of light, such as a window, behind you.
Flickering lights
Nothing is more annoying than filming a property only to realise when you get back to the office that all your clips have flickering because of overhead lights. Different light sources have different frequencies (Europe’s main frequency is 50HZ where the US, for example, is 60HZ). To counteract the flickering, toggle the camera’s frame rate until you find the sweet spot where flickering no longer causes an issue.
7. Real estate videography: using DJI Osmo 6 gimbal
Basic filming techniques
Advanced filming techniques
8. Real estate videography : using DJI Pocket 2 camera
Here are a few more video tutorials to learn more about filming techniques for a real estate video using the DJI Osmo Pocket camera.
Basic real estate videography techniques using DJI Pocket 2 camera
Advanced real estate videography techniques using DJI Pocket 2 camera
9. Real estate videography: editing your real estate video
a) Editing real estate videos yourself
For self-editing, you can use professional software like Adobe Premiere Pro or Final Cut. These video editing suites are designed for professionals so the downside is it may take time to become proficient. Alternatively, you can opt for free video maker apps, but there will be some quality trade-offs. Vidibar offers a great alternative providing real estate agents with top-tier professional real estate video templates that are customisable in the easy to use drag-and-drop video editor.
b) Outsourcing video editing for real estate videos
Real estate businesses without the time or resource to edit in-house can outsource video production to freelancers, production agencies or turn-key marketing agencies. However, this may not be commercially viable as it tends to be more expensive, requires more time and is more difficult to manage.
10. Real estate videography: Sharing your real estate videos
Once you have created your video, you want to share your video online to increase visibility and to attract the attention of as many potential property seekers as possible. Sharing your video to the right channels will help reach more people in your market and generate more interest with the aim of closing a sale faster.
a) Embedding real estate videos on your website and property portals
We would recommend embedding your horizontal format (16:9) videos on website listing pages and on property portal listings as default. In addition you can share these videos to YouTube and as posts on Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok and Linkedin.
b) Sharing real estate videos to your social media channels
However, the standard aspect ratio for the best visual experience on social media is 9:16 (vertical format). It is particularly important to bear this in mind when creating reels for Instagram and Facebook and when creating TikTok videos. Sharing a 16:9 horizontal video on social media won’t be as immersive as filling up the entire screen with a vertical 9:16 video.
Vertical videos on social media also have a significantly higher completion rate when compared to horizontal format videos. Optimise videos for each channel and segment audiences to deliver the right content to the right viewers.
c) Using real estate videos in personal communications
You can also share videos by way of direct communication with individual buyers using Whatsapp, WeChat and email. Videos are large, making them hard to share, and are often compressed by default on apps such as Whatsapp. This reduces the quality of the video. To maintain quality, share a link to your real estate video hosted on YouTube or Vimeo. Similarly, in email marketing, it’s common to share links to online-hosted videos with a static thumbnail to attract viewers in your HTML email.
11. Real estate videography: tracking real estate videos
Once your real estate video is out there, make sure you track how it is performing. YouTube, Vimeo and Meta offer video analytics to track the performance of your real estate videos and ads. It is recommended to periodically check these analytics to evaluate the effectiveness of your real estate marketing.
We hope you find this guide useful. If you have any questions about real estate video for your business then contact Vidibar and we would be delighted to help.
