Real Estate Video

Video is quickly becoming the most consumed type of content in the world. Most under estimate the impact a professional drone video can have on the marketplace.

There are a few types of real estate video tours on the market:

Video Length

A real estate video should probably be between 30-60 seconds at most. This is due to the new uses of video ads on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Not only does the audience have an extremely short attention span, apps like Instagram limit the length of video ads to a maximum of 60 seconds.

Cinematic

This is the most professional video quality for real estate. It generally involves expensive equipment such as cranes, sliders and aerial drones. It also requires extensive postproduction editing including audio and video graphics.

See an example at wearerealty.com/tour-video

Walkthrough

In this video approach, the producer will use a stabilizer to walk the property and edit it in post-production. This requires at least some specialized equipment to prevent shaky footage. It also requires post-production skills to edit and publish the video.

Tactical

This is a more personal approach that requires the camera to be shot moving to capture a feeling of walking through the property. This should be used for point of view shots or in connecting with an image stabilizer to capture tight areas.

Photo Tour

This approach to real estate videography focuses on post-production by utilizing still photographs and a combination of video graphics, titles and Ken Burn effects.

Clever

This category is broad and encompasses videos that are considered “outside the box.” These videos could feature model families in the property to convey a lifestyle or even comedic parodies.

Aerial Drones

Most of us have at least heard of the term drone photography, the idea of a small remote flying craft that can take images from the sky. The reality is that utilizing a professional drone while marketing a property is becoming more and more popular.

Aerial photography can be used with other footage to create a buzz around your property. Breathtaking images can become a social media conversation piece.

When to use a drone

A drone is an expensive piece of equipment, ranging from hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars. It requires a skilled pilot and a photographer to capture the images that will be used.

In most markets, you can have professional drone footage for under $1,500 and several thousands more depending on the depth of the video.

For real estate, not all properties will benefit from aerial drone footage and some will shine. A house that should use this type of camera will have fantastic features, a fabulous neighborhood and unique activities nearby.

When you shouldn’t use a drone 

I believe it is a requirement to use a drone in today’s real estate market but there are some exceptions. Although drone photography is increasingly popular, there are some situations when it doesn’t make sense.

Even though professional photography drones are popular due to mass media coverage and amazing aerial shots, it’s important to consider if your property needs aerial shots to highlight the property.

Say you’re listing a home on the corner of a really busy street with no landmarks around. What is there to showcase from the sky? A bad video can potentially hurt your listing.

Keep in mind, though, that aerial photography can show proximity to the amenities in communities, such as lakes, pools and parks. Do you have unique area features to highlight? If you answered yes, then a drone video might be best for your property.

While the use of drones is increasing in popularity for real estate purposes and there are positives to using them, there are some cons to keep in mind. First, the neighbors might not be on board. Seeing a drone hovering around the neighborhood might raise some fears and protests. Do you really want to the new residents in the home to start off in a negative light with their neighbors?

Next, predators can easily target home vulnerabilities. The more footage you show from external points of view, the easier you make it for intruders.

Finally, drones have a limited use and are not suited for all types of real estate videography. If there are specific defects you are trying to downplay, then still shots used in traditional photography will be your best bet.

Should trees or other obstructions hide the house, then a drone isn’t going to add much photographic value. Also, smaller homes, apartments and condos aren’t prime real estate for drone video or photography. For the aforementioned situations, conventional photographs and video will be the top choice.

Make sure the drone is registered

The FAA requires that all drones be registered, and to shoot for a commercial client, the pilot needs a waiver (Section 333 FAA exemption) from the FAA to do so.

If your pilot has not registered the drone or has not filed the application for the waiver and permits, then there is a good chance he/she is not properly trained in the safety measures. If there is a park nearby filled with children, you definitely don’t want to risk their lives and safety to get some footage.