6 Tips for Filming An Awesome Real Estate Video

More and more realtors are turning to video to give an extra marketing push to their listings. In fact, 58% of buyers want and expect to see video of a home they’re looking at online.

I just wrapped up a shoot for a property in my neck of the woods here in Southern California (check out the video above), and I learned quite a bit about what makes filming real estate different from other projects.

1) Working with a realtor

In previous posts, I’ve stressed that speaking to the client before you film anything is the best way to prepare for an upcoming shoot. With real estate, your client will most likely be the realtor and not the homeowner. The realtor’s overall goal is to sell the home as quickly as possible, and they want video to help them do that. Because of this, they may be a bit more involved than other clients and request a faster turnaround time.

The most important question to ask them during the preparation phase is: “What features of the house do you want to focus on?” This could be the outdoor space, the open floor plan, or remodeled bathroom. Once you know the highlights, you’ll be able to get extra shots, bring the right equipment, and if you can, schedule filming at the perfect time of day.

For example, for this recent project, the realtor told me that the house had amazing sunset views. Knowing this, I scheduled our shoot to begin at 4:30 pm in the late afternoon. For nearly three hours, we shot non-stop, got that golden hour light, and captured a beautiful show as the sun went down. It’s all about having as much control over filming as possible so you can get exactly what the client wants.

2) Keep it steady

A great real estate video has steady, stable shots. You’re trying to recreate the viewpoint of a homebuyer if they were to walk in and tour a home in real life. Because of this, you’ll want shots that move forward, not backwards. You can achieve this by using one or all of the equipment listed below:

• Gimbal – A gimbal will stabilize small, hand-held cameras while the videographer is in motion. The attached motor eliminates natural human hand movements. I recommend checking out Zhiyun’s line of gimbals if you’re in the market.

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• Steadicam – The Steadicam is a specialized stabilizer that is all-encompassing. It will isolate your movements so you don’t impact the flow of the shot, no matter what your body is doing or what terrain you’re walking on. It does the same thing as a gimbal but is better suited for a longer day shoot (it also requires a bigger budget).

• Slider – A slider is a piece of equipment that does exactly what it sounds like. By mounting the camera on your fluid/ball head on the slider, you’ll be able to slide the camera side to side or front to back, depending on if you have the slider mounted on your tripod, or you have taken it off and are using it independently. You can see how I achieved this at the 1:18 mark of the video where I show the views of the outside from the walk-in closet. I was sliding the camera forward and also slightly tilting the camera upwards.

• Tripod – Speaking of tripods, they are a tried and true way to achieve steadiness, especially if you need to pan often. Check out Manfrotto for their tripod selection or Benro.

If this list is causing you anxiety, I recommend renting equipment from your local camera store. For fellow San Diegans, I always go to George’s Camera in Kearny Mesa. Just incorporate the cost into your rate and reflect that in your estimate to the client.

3) Stay straight and shoot from the hip

When working with interiors, be mindful of how some spaces can look warped or cartoonish at certain angles or focal lengths. Again, you’re trying to recreate what the human eye would see when entering a home. Keep your camera level and be aware of the size of the space you’re filming. For example, if you’re in a small room, shoot in the 15mm range or use your widest angle lens. For bigger rooms, I typically use a 35mm angle, as this presents less distortion, especially towards the edges of your frame. Overall, watch your horizon level and keep all lines straight.

Also, make sure you’re filming from the hip to shoulder level. This makes a big difference, especially when you’re shooting a kitchen area or a room with a counter. You want to avoid shooting the underside of cabinets and other surfaces.

4) Watch your reflections

A home can quickly turn into a literal funhouse of mirrors and other surfaces that can (and will) reflect images of you filming – and that is a no-no. Potential home buyers want to imagine themselves making a home all their own, and it’s hard for them to do that when they see an unwelcome image of a videographer in your footage. The same reflections can also happen if you bring your lights into a location as well, so do your best to watch out for that.

Avoid this happening to you by doing a check of any and all surfaces where your reflection could be projected. This includes:

• Mirrors

• Windows

• Glass furniture

• Stainless steel

• Picture frames

Though there is a slight chance that you could remove unintended reflections during editing, I wouldn’t count on it.

5) Using drones

Using drones to film real estate is a trend that continues to grow in the industry, but it ain’t cheap. If your client requests it, make sure to present them with one proposal that has the cost of using a drone and one proposal that doesn’t have it so they can see the difference.

To operate a drone, you can fly one yourself after passing the Part 107 certification, now required by the FAA. It’s not a difficult process, but it does involve time and studying. If you’re on a tight schedule, I recommend using your network to hire out. It will most likely cost somewhere between $400 – $500 to hire someone for the day.

6) Make snappy edits

Once you’re in the editing stage, keep the overall feeling of the video upbeat and energetic. As a general rule, make sure the video doesn’t go over 3 minutes. Keeping things lively means using uptempo music, quicker edits and rhythmic pacing. Also, if the location of the property is the major draw, but the house itself isn’t too impressive, you can focus a bit more of the footage on the surrounding area or the spacious yard while still incorporating everything else the realtor has asked for.

What are some other tips you’d add to this list? I always like to hear from other videographers, especially on this topic. Let me know in the comments, or contact me directly. Happy shooting!