Understanding and leveraging the basics of shooting video tours are excellent foundational skills for every real estate professional, but is that really enough in today’s market?
As virtual tours grow in popularity among real estate professionals, it’s critical to find different ways to make your listing stand out. Here are six tips to improve your virtual tour’s quality and appeal to prospective buyers.
1. Make It Personable
It’s critical to maintain the human element in your videos. If the home is the star of the film, think of yourself as the supporting actor that helps bring it to life. Even though it’s a video, be as authentic and genuine as possible when you’re speaking into the camera.
Treat it as if you are doing an in-person showing, and try to make every viewer feel like they are actually there with you in person.
2. Show Them What’s Special
It should be a given to highlight the best qualities of a listing in your video, but there are ways to really make those features pop. It can be as simple as devoting a little extra time talking about the amenity or feature, or as grandiose as adding post-production effects to get viewers excited about what the home has to offer. How you stage and talk about the features can also go a long way.
If the home has a spacious renovated basement or backyard, paint a picture of possibilities for the designated space—think home offices and gyms, man-cave or a “she-shed.”
3. Embrace New Tech
Software and other tech are constantly changing to offer new features and capabilities. Apps like Zoom and FaceTime are great for one-on-one showings with a client. At the same time, social media platforms such as Facebook, TikTok and Instagram offer an array of in-app features that can improve a live stream or pre-recorded video production value. Don’t be afraid to dabble in a bit of everything and find what works best for your listing.
4. Let There Be Light
Dark rooms don’t inspire excitement in a home. Ensure all lights are on and blinds are open to having a nice mix of natural and artificial lighting throughout the entire video. If there is an area of the house that you’d like to pop in the video, it may be worth considering added lighting equipment.
5. Post-Production Magic
Who doesn’t love some background music and effects? Post-production can take a video tour to a new level if done correctly. While agents can outsource to a professional video editor, popular apps like TikTok and Instagram provide several in-app editing features that can spruce up any video if you’re on a budget.
6. Welcome to the Neighborhood
Virtual tours typically focus on the listing, but buyers aren’t just looking for a house. They want a home, and the neighborhood is part of that equation.
Showcasing some of the community and what it offers could help put people at ease and get them excited about living in the area. Sure, it may add a little time to your production, but it will be time well spent if it generates leads.
Jordan Grice is RISMedia’s associate content editor. Email him your real estate news ideas to jgrice@rismedia.com.
