Real Estate Video that Doesn’t Suck

I’m a brand new Realtor in a small coastal town in Florida.

Understanding that more and more people would rather watch a video about a house vs. opposed to reading a bunch of stuff on line, and with a very limited budget, I’ve started to make videos that are entertaining (and maybe somewhat funny?) to boost interest in my town and my inventory.

But in terms of making them better from there? I’m completely lost– Do you have a road map of what to do next?

–Herb

The good news is that you’re on the right track. Funny, entertaining videos will always do better than dull, boring videos.

Your next step is to focus more on your audience. The more your entertaining video meets their needs, the better they will perform. So let’s short-hand a process to better Audience-Focus any video:

Start by doing some quick work to brainstorm a bare-bones planning document and shot list. We’ll start with Audience Needs, use that to think about Look & Feel, and then make a quick shotlist. I’ll make some real estate stuff up as an example, but you can do this for any marketing video. (DISCLAIMER: You know way more about real estate than I do! But the process is what’s important here.)

 1. AUDIENCE NEEDS: First, lets make a list of what the audience might want in a real estate video– from their point of view. Write down all your thoughts, then we’ll pick some to plan into the video.

Audience Needs:

• a good tour of the house
• to see it pretty quickly, and not be bored
• to see it well– enough detail to intrigue them
• to get a feel for the place. How will emotion play a part in your sale
• some surprising facts that they’ll remember
• An entertaining host (salesperson) they will enjoy working with

Mark any of these ideas that particularly excite you and then let’s brainstorm:

2. Look and feel: Think about audiencn needs as you brainstorm how the video should look and feel. Think with your emotions here: 

• Keep things bright with open windows, doors and lights
• Backyard at sunset?
• Real fires in the fireplaces
• People in some shots to show scale (kids playing?)
• Frame with clear points of interest so people know where to look
• Nicely framed shots.
• Not much camera motion.
• Close-ups of cool details.
• SHORT videos– if long break into sections
• A great voiceover
• Music

Here again mark the stuff that intrigues you. Finally: 

3. Shot list: Let’s use both lists to make one more: must-see shots for your video.  This list goes with you to the house as you shoot. As you brainstorm, consider: What will the audience LOVE about this property? What will they LOVE about me?

BRAINSTORMED SHOT LIST:

• The sunset view of the mountains behind the house
• Tilt up to the stairs in the two story entryway
• the kitchen cooktop and vent
• Avoid the guest bath
• Get details on living room molding and baseboards.
• Show how close kids room is to the parents’ room
• Shoot on-camera narration
• Shoot as if you are a person entering the house from the street for the first time
• Put out deck chairs and drinks in back yard
• Gopro shot of a a roasted chicken going from oven to dining table.

Your ideas will vary, of course. Shoot what you’d like to see– your style– based on what you know the audience would love.

Putting it all together:  You’re going to shoot and edit your shots  in a way (look and feel) that satisfies your audience’s needs. Thinking about your audience first– before you shoot anything– is the key to creating a real estate video the audience will want to watch. 

Want to ask your own question about video?  Don’t be shy!

You may also like:

Help! I Need an On-Set Checklist! Video vs. Real Life Don’t Shoot Video in Real Time

Get a free preview of the new video course!

Sample two lessons from our new video course free right now. No signup or credit card required!

Preview the Course